Aluminium plant in T&T not in conflict with fight against pollution : French President
TRINIDAD EXPRESS – French President Nicolas Sarkozy says the establishment of an aluminium smelter, such as that now under construction in Trinidad and Tobago, and other forms of industrial development are not in conflict with the goal of combating climate change.

In doing so, during the current Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM), Sarkozy became an ally of Prime Minister Patrick Manning, who has expressed his intention to continue his development plans for this country, inclusive of the Alutrint smelter.

MAKING HIS POINT: French President Nicolas Sarkozy gesticulates during a media conference Friday at the International Financial Centre in Trinidad. (Trinidad Express photo )

Sarkozy’s apparent support has also come even as both men have been participating in talks on reducing the pollution-like activity that smelting causes, ahead of a crucial meeting on the climate change in Copenhagen, Denmark, that begins in just nine days.

He had specifically attended CHOGM to hold talks with Commonwealth leaders on the issue of climate change on the invitation of Manning.

’Copenhagen doesn’t mean the opposite of growth, it doesn’t mean capping growth, it doesn’t mean refusing access to growth for countries that so need it even though Trinidad and Tobago has important resources, a high standard of living but nobody should have to choose between growth and protecting the environment. Nobody,’ Sarkozy, speaking through an interpreter, said.

He made his position clear on the matter during a news conference at the Trinidad and Tobago International Financial Centre (TTIFC), which is serving as the media centre for the Commonwealth meeting.

During the CHOGM business forum earlier this week, bp group chief executive officer Anthony Hayward also said he does not ’think there is a conflict’ between establishing a smelter and combating climate change.

Yesterday, asked specifically if the development of a smelter in this country and other forms of industrial development go against the very idea of saving the environment, Sarkozy said, ’Of course not. The whole point of Copenhagen is that we are not asking countries to choose between growth, on the one hand, and protecting the environment on the other.’

In a large briefing room filled with journalists, photographers and cameramen from all over the world, the charismatic French president said any such rationale suggesting that the two are in conflict with each other ’is rationale that belongs to the 20th century’.

’What we are suggesting is via and thanks to financial aid and assistance to modernise and upgrade your industry, and through technological transfer to be able to subscribe to the principle of sustainable development,’ Sarkozy said.

He suggested that the real objective for all developing countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, should be to have ’carbon-free’ growth, and added that to achieve this ’we need figures, goals and means to help you and, of course, technological transfer’.

Sarkozy had announced that France had recommended what he called a ’fairness climate plan’ that would see the earmarking of 20 per cent of ’innovative financing’ from 2010 to 2012 to combat deforestation.

In addition, Sarkozy is calling for the establishment of a world environment organisation to monitor any agreement arrived at in Copenhagen.

Sarkozy also indicated that his trip to Trinidad and Tobago was fruitful, given discussions he held with India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the climate change issue over lunch in Port of Spain Friday.

He called the outcome of their talks ’very positive’, since a commitment was made that will ensure India will attend the Copenhagen meeting.