2+-+Debate

=Debate Topic=


 * __This house believes that the relentless push for wealth and development by all countries should be curbed in favour of the need for sustainable development.__ **

=Guiding Questions:=

1) Should **financial or political gain** ever be prioritized over sustainable development? 2) Do developing countries have a ** “moral right” to pollute **like the developed countries during the Industrial Revolution? Is it their turn to pollute for the sake of **__economic progress and development__**? 3) Are the demands of both parties (developed and developing countries) reasonable? 4) Apart from environmental issues, what ** repercussions do the results of this conference have on the world at large **? 5) What **__changes need to be in place__** in order to achieve a positive outcome in the Mexico Climate Change Conference in 2010?

= = Debate Proceedings: // *Note: students are expected to have gone through the relevant resources provided beforehand, so as to be familiar with the topic at hand. // 1) All students, including the panellists, are to move to the front of the class to ensure a conducive environment for discussions. 2) The Chairman of the session will commence the Current Affairs session once the class is settled down. He is to provide an introductory brief on the issue and cover the resources posted on the Wikispace ( 10 minutes ). 3) The Panellists will give their opinions on the issue for 3-5 minutes each. At this stage, questions should not be fielded to the Panellists ( 25 minutes for 5 panellists) . 4) Discussion to be opened to the floor. The Chairman and Panellists will continue contributing and responding to comments. Panellists should stay in character throughout the session (15-20 minutes). 5) The Chairman will conclude the debate with a brief summary. If time permits, student observers are to give their opinions & feedback regarding the session. (5-10 minutes)



= = Panellists:
 * Panellist || Point of View ||
 * Barack Obama

President of United States of America || Considers the Copenhagen Accord to have set a foundation on which future international action can be built, and promises that the United States would keep to their promises and take appropriate action to achieve their targets. Is anxious for international co-operation to take place, and aims to build on the momentum from this round of talks. Hopes for a legally-binding deal to be achieved in the Mexico conference of 2010. Denies that he had been overly demanding towards developing countries, or has refused to make compromises. Instead believes that it is in the interest of all parties to go hand-in-hand and take decisive action. ||
 * Wen Jia Bao

Prime Minister of China || Feels that the developed countries have placed self-interest before protecting the climate and that their demands are unreasonable. The United States and the European Union had grown to their current state of strength and stability via carbon-heavy industries, and it was unfair to deny China a similar chance to grow. Is satisfied by the Copenhagen Accord, having successfully argued for the global warming cap to be changed from 1.5 degrees Celsius to 2.0 and for the removal of a verification mechanism. ||
 * Lars Lokke Rasmussen

Prime Minister of Denmark || Defensive regarding the failure of the summit and introduction of the Danish text; claiming it was the only way to reach an agreement, given the disagreements and distrust between the developing and developed countries. Finds multi-lateral negotiations more of a stumbling block that hampers the decision-making capabilities of the body. Feels that a top-down approach is essential to achieving the right result. Feels that developing countries would have to make concessions just as much as the developed ones, and that they should not use economic growth as a reason to pollute despite the repercussions. ||
 * Mohamed Nasheed

President of the Maldives || Being the lowest-lying country in the world at sea-level, at an average of 1.5 metres above the sea level, Maldives has good reason to fear global warming. However, it is important to note that it has hardly contributed to the problem of global warming. For example it released a mere 800 kilograms of carbon in 2007, compared to 6283600 released by China. In fact, it is to become the world’s first carbon-neutral country, setting itself ten years to completely convert to 100% renewable energy production. Upset at fellow world leaders’ ignorance to their plight, and demands that all developed countries sharply reduce their carbon emissions immediately or risk losing a beautiful ecosystem and attraction like the Maldives. || Feels that the blame game should stop and all countries, developing and developed alike, should step up and stop global warming. Well-versed with the repercussions of global warming at the current pace of development/emission levels. ||
 * Environmental Scientist || Highly critical of the lack of achievements made and doubtful that the Copenhagen Accord will slow global warming. Despite the formal agreement of capping global temperature increase to 2C, there have been no emission targets set in order to achieve that goal, and the lack of a legally binding agreement makes the commitment of countries highly questionable.