Manning defends T&T environmental record as CHOGM opens

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) opens Friday with many leaders intent on keeping climate change on the front burner.

It's the last international summit before the much-anticipated Copenhagen global climate change conference sponsored by the United Nations.

UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-Moon is in Port of Spain as a special guest of CHOGM as is the French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the Danish Prime Minister, Lars Leokke Rasmussen,who is the host of next month's summit.

On his way to Port of Spain Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told media that his focus at CHOGM would be the global economy, human rights and climate change. And he said he would join other world leaders, including the U.S. president and the Chinese premier for the Copenhagen talks.

But at home Harper is not respected as a defender of climate change. He grudgingly agreed to go to Copenhagen after the American and Chinese leaders announced their intention to participate.

He had rejected the idea of going to the conference because in his view there was little hope of getting a agreement. His environment minister said this week that an agreement is still years away.

The host of CHOGM 2009 is also presenting himself as a champion of the environment but Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning is facing criticism for not doing enough to develop policy to help.

The criticism has come from the opposition United National Congress (UNC), which has presented its own climate change proposals to the summit, and from apolitical environment groups.

Read the story:Opposition sends climate report to CHOGM

But Manning rejects the charge that the country's heavy industrial economy has made it one of the largest polluters in the world, on a per capita basis.

Speaking with reporters on the eve of the summit Manning denied that the country is among the world's top 10 polluters.

"Trinidad and Tobago categorically rejects any analysis of this matter on a per capita basis...When the earth responds to concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, it does not do so on a per capita basis. It does so on the basis of absolute emissions", Manning said.

He called that analysis a convenient argument for countries with large populations. an obvious reference to nations such as China and India.

Manning did concede, however, that with 11 ammonia plants, seven methanol plants, an iron and steel smelter and natural gas trains the country is a contributor to atmospheric damage.

"Yes, Trinidad and Tobago has to concern itself about the extent to which we have been making a negative contribution... We have already made it clear that whatever agreements are arrived at, Trinidad and Tobago understands its responsibilities to the international community and to its own population.

"And on a voluntary basis, Trinidad and Tobago is going to seek to do something about it," Manning stated.

He assured reporters that his government is considering a policy document on climatic change and would make "comprehensive announcements" about it early in the new year.

He said he believes CHOGM could do more than just reflect the global divisions on climatic change, noting that the mere fact that CHOGM is not a negotiating body removes the divisive atmosphere that could help develop consensus.

"A CHOGM statement cannot be taken lightly and would have some influence on events in Denmark," he said.

The opening day of the summit will feature an executive session on climatic change to discuss and say how the Commonwealth can add value to a process that has been ongoing for some time.

"This is an opportunity for some kind of meeting of the minds on the way forward in such a manner that it would allow the Commonwealth to add value to the outcome in Copenhagen," Manning said.

The session has added importance because of the presence of three influential non-Commonwealth leaders including the UN chief.

"We hope that with the added weight of these voices together with the voices of the Commonwealth, to arrive at a political statement that would add value to the process that would culminate in Copenhagen early next month," he said.