Madam President, Distinguished guests, Colleagues, Ladies and gentlemen!
Let me thank you, Madam President, for convening this important meeting on climate change. Our yesterday's deliberations based on the latest scientific data, as well as the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report clearly show that climate change is already having significant impacts in different regions of the world.
Croatia aligns itself with the statement of the European Union, but would like to point out some of its national strategies.
Croatia firmly believes that global action is needed in order to protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind. This action should be based on equity and in accordance with common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
Even though Croatia's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions is rather small - particularly when considering its net emissions, since more than half of the emissions is absorbed by the wood increment - we believe in the necessity of an active participation of all UNFCCC Parties in our common efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change impacts.
In facing today's climate change challenges Croatia estimates that committments on national level are crucial. Climate change in our part of the world might affect the Adriatic sea level, change the hydrological situation, and in turn jeopardize Croatian main branch of economy – tourism as well as agriculture. They might also have a siginificant effect on forests, as well as on biological diversity and eco-systems. Therefore, mitigation, adaptation, disaster reduction and risk assessment are essential.
Madam President,
I would like to point out that Croatia has recently ratified the Kyoto Protocol, which will enter into force this month. In order to fulfill its commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5% as compared to the base year 1990, Croatia has also developed a National Strategy for the Implementation of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol with its Action Plan.
The Strategy defines goals until 2012 which include capacity building for the implementation of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol at national level, incorporating the Strategy to mitigate climate change in all sectorial policies taking into consideration the cost-effectiveness of the reduction measures - for example:
- in energy sector where building plants using wind and biomass for electricity production, should make 5.8 % of total consumption until 2010;
- in transportation wherebiofuel should substitute 5.7% of fossil fuels;
- in more efficient energy use in domestic consumption.
Long-term goals envisage even larger use of renewable energies and energy efficiency as well as harmonization with the European Union regulations. For the period after 2012 there are several options - among others afforestation and sequestration of CO2 - which should be explored further in order to determine their economic, social and ecological acceptance. Therefore, Croatia is ready to actively participate in the post-Kyoto process, and will continue to carry out the scientific research in the area of climate change.
Croatia considers that the main benefits of the implementation of measures for climate change mitigation consist of the reduction of its harmful effects, as well as the dependence on fossil fuels. Thereby a 1 million toe /year of fossil fuel will be saved, mostly liquid fuels, followed by coal and natural gas. Likewise, economy's vulnerability to the rise of crude oil prices decreases and, due to larger diversification of energy sources and reduction of the dependence on import, energy supply security increases. Additionally, new opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment are created, and emission of harmful substances affecting health and ecosystems decreases.
Croatia firmly believes that the Kyoto Protocol marks a significant step in global policy on greenhouse gas emission reduction, which should be further advanced on the basis of the experience gained.
As a small state, Croatia is aware of its limitations and the necessity of ensuring the required capacities for negotiations. In this regard, negotiations should be transparent and carried out in a way which would give enough time for considering all aspects of the proposed emission reduction for the Party in question.
When determining the goals, some of the components that should to be taken into consideration are: economic power, safety of energy supply (diversification, market limitations and limitations of transport routes), opportunities for energy supply in the future, as well as the potentials for emission reduction, in order to achieve an equitable and proportionate distribution of the emission reduction commitments among the UNFCCC Parties.
Thank you, Madam President
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