Cape Town - Failure to get all parties to sign onto and renew their commitment to the Kyoto Protocol at the Durban conference would take the world a step back, the Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, cautioned on Wednesday.
Mabudafhasi was briefing the media in Parliament on progress of the UN Climate Change Conference held in Bonn, Germany, last week.
The Bonn conference was held ahead of the 17th Conference of Parties (Cop17) and the 7th meeting of parties to the Kyoto Protocol, to be held in Durban from November 28 to December 9.
"That (the Kyoto Protocol) is our only legal instrument. It will take us backward if we don't have something binding," warned Mabudafhasi, who added that developed countries needed to stand together with developing nations on reaching an agreement to tackle climate change.
The word's biggest polluters - China and the US - are not party to the Kyoto Protocol, which is due to expire at the end of next year.
The agreement's future is in question, with Japan, Canada and Russia saying they won't sign up for a new round to cut carbon emissions.
Turning to the Bonn meeting, Mabudafhasi said more than 3 000 participants from 183 countries, including government delegates, representatives from business and industry, environmental organisations and research institutions, attended.
She said work had commenced and parties had put forward proposals that could serve as a basis for future negotiations, adding that another preparatory meeting will be held in September, ahead of Cop17.
Beyond the September session, she said provision had been made for informal consultations at a ministerial level, so that countries could build consensus.
These meetings would be preceded by preparatory work by negotiators and experts.
"As a party, South Africa would like to encourage parties to further intensify efforts to finalise decisions on the large number of elements that will make up an ambitious, comprehensive and balanced outcome in Durban," said the deputy minister.
She said under the leadership of the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa, South Africa's Cop17 negotiating team would be engaging with domestic as well as key African stakeholders in developing the country's position and policy for the climate change talks.
In all, R200 million had been transferred to the Department of International Relations and Co-operation from Treasury, she said.
Mabudafhasi said for negotiations in Durban to succeed, parties would have to reach a balance between outcomes under both the UN convention and the Kyoto Protocol.
A balance would also have to be struck between putting into action decisions made so far this year and taking those issues forward that had not yet been agreed to.
Finally, parties needed to advance all the key elements that will make up the future climate change regime, she said.
Mabudafhasi said the intergovernmental committee on climate change was looking through comments it received following the release in November last year of the Climate Change Response Green Paper.
She said the comments would help to inform the drafting of the White Paper on Climate Change, which is expected to come before Cabinet by early next month.
