S.Africa wants clarity, new cash in climate funds

By David Fogarty

MAKUHARI, Japan (Reuters) - South Africa called on rich nations on Saturday to spell out whether cash for a climate change technology fund was new money, and said it was unhelpful of them to label big developing countries "major emitters".

Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 energy and environment ministers near Tokyo, also called for greater clarity on the management of World Bank-administered climate funds.

"We don't have time to enter into these long and useless debates," van Schalkwyk told Reuters, referring to a heated debate in the talks over the "major emitters" tag.

"What we must do is to respect the decisions that we took in Bali: one category for developed countries, targets, reduction of emissions by comparable effort."

"And for developing countries measurable, reportable and verifiable actions, and we are committed to this."

U.N.-led talks in December launched two years of negotiations on a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol, of which the G20 talks and G8 meetings this year and next are part.

"But to start confusing what we have already agreed and to dilute it, it's not helpful at all. This term is slang."

President George W. Bush backs a separate process -- the Major Economies Meeting -- comprising most G20 members, including the G8, and big developing nations Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, China and South Africa.