Korea’s current state as one of the vanguards of the developing countries makes its reaction to climate-change conventions a much debated issue for not only Korea but the whole world. This results from the fact that although Korea is not yet capable of following international standards suggested by developed nations, Korea has developed too much to be justified in receiving the benefits given to underdeveloped nations. To illustrate, despite the effort put into developing new methods that produce less greenhouse gas during the manufacturing processes, most of Korea’s major industries still require more time to come up with methods acceptable to standards suggested by developed nations. Yet, if Korea is given the favors granted to underdeveloped nations, Korea would be receiving unnecessary financial aid which can become the origin of diplomatic problems in future years. Hence, placing countries like Korea into the right category is a very sensitive issue in coming to an agreement at the climate-change conventions.
Therefore, Korea suggests the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action—in short the NAMA. This program, already suggested in the UN climate summit and the Bali-Roadmap for Copenhagen gives more liberty to individual countries them previous conventions did. According to the Korean Government, President Lee Myung-bak of Korea first proposed the NAMA during the round-table conference for the UN climate summit. If this proposal is accepted, each country would hold discussions of their own and make resolutions which would provide guidelines for their country’s mitigation of climate-change. This means that countries like Korea that are in better condition than other developing countries with booming industries but are still a few steps behind than the leading countries in climate-change conventions can come up with a mitigation plan that is acceptable to their situation and yet does not goes against the fundamental spirit of the global consensus. With this system, nations that do not fit into either groups—the all ready developed or the underdeveloped—can find its own solution to the climate change.
Furthermore, throughout the Bali-Roadmap conference, the concept of Measurement, Review, and Verification was established. This MRV concept is added in response to the opinion that the NAMA is too loose a treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol. In order for a treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol, it needs to have the binding measures that force each nation to actually put effort into mitigating the climate change. If the NAMA alone is accepted as the answer to climate change, willing nations will always find holes in the system. However, the NAMA with the MRV concept as its binding force can work as the leading phenomenon in the post-2012 world.
With this 2011 conference, Korea would like to get a chance in finalizing the missing puzzles in the NAMA-with-MRV-system. The missing puzzle in the proposed system is the absence of motivation for nations to participate in the MRV procedure other than the obvious fact that the NAMA cannot be run without it. In the 2011 conference, discussion on incentive system for participants will be held. Also, specific guidelines for appropriate mitigation plans will be discussed. Thus, with the upcoming 2011 conference, Korea will make its final touch to the NAMA-with-MRV-system, especially on issues related to the working force behind the whole system.
Korea itself is trying to perform its best as a model for other nations. Through domestic discussions, Korea has reached the conclusion that it will reduce 30% of its greenhouse gas emission until 2020 considering the amount that would have been emitted without further mitigation plans. With the NAMA-with-MRV-system implemented, intergovernmental institutions will be given access to specific procedures of Korea’s mitigation project and through cooperation and feedback, adequate measures on climate change can be taken.
To conclude, Korea, as a respectful delegate of the climate-change conference and a concerned nation for international consensus on the matter in the post-2012 world, knows that its proposal of a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action backed by the MRV concept will make the best substitute of the Kyoto Protocol in the following years.
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