GHG emission target by planting trees, as trees absorb CO2. The second issue was on the use of tradable emission permits and the third one on the penalty for non-compliance. A significant number of delegates want no financial penalties. Instead, their scheme would allow nations not in compliance by the end of the first phase (2008-2012) to increase their second-phase target by the amount they missed their phase-one target. Parties were divided on these issues and we could identify three main clans. First, the 'Umbrella group', which includes the United States, Japan, Canada, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Iceland, and Ukraine. Their credo is to set up a worldwide market of GHG emission rights. They also want importance to be attributed to 'carbon sinks'. The second clan is the European Union, who contests this position. For the EU, emission rights should only be a supplement to a real effort by the countries to reduce their emissions. It also opposes the Umbrella group on the importance to be given to 'carbon sinks', which might play a smaller role than previously thought in the absorption of carbon. The third clan is called G77 and is composed of 133 developing countries. This group includes countries threatened by the rising seawater and poor countries that want rich nations, the major polluters, to make the main efforts. The developing countries are willing to make efforts but want financial and technical aids. The OPEC countries are also part of this group and they want to get compensation, as their economies are threatened by the Kyoto Protocol. Then, what was the output of COP6? Nothing. Indeed, the divergences between the clans were too important and no agreement at all was found. It is said that the main reason of this failure was the unrealistic target of Kyoto. In fact, since emissions have increased 10 to 12% in the US since 1990, emissions would have to be cut by about 25% by 2008. And many other countries have the...
