CLIMATE CHANGE: KYOTO MOVES FORWARD
DESPITE SLOW PACE
NAIROBI (KENYA)
, November
17, 2006 -- Modest agreements were reached at
the United Nations climate change talks that
ended here today. 165 countries discussed
ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
beyond 2012 under the existing Kyoto
Protocol, which is the only international
legally binding treaty to reduce the
emissions of greenhouse gases. [1]
“Whilst we welcome the work that has been
made here, we have not seen these talks
respond to the reality of the urgency in the
real world. The impacts of climate change are
becoming more severe. The warnings from the
scientific community are becoming
increasingly alarming. The public at large
are taking to the streets calling for action.
Ministers must step up their efforts to move
this Kyoto process forward,” said Friends of
the Earth International climate change
campaigner Catherine Pearce.
Friends of the Earth International notes
with concern that the postponement of many of
the Nairobi decisions ultimately means that
strong leadership will be required at the
next climate talks in 2007 in order to launch
actual negotiations for the post 2012
commitments. In addition, International
efforts on how to achieve the 50% greenhouse
gas emission cuts needed by 2050 are still to
be determined.
“We call upon world leaders to demonstrate
the urgently required leadership to build a
stronger, improved and expanded Kyoto, with
more stringent emission cuts for the
industrialised countries and flexibility to
allow contributions from some of the
developing countries,“ added Catherine
Pearce
In Nairobi a work programme has been set out
and prepares the ground for action after
2012, when the first phase of Kyoto ends. In
order to ensure no interruption between the
first and second commitment phases, these
negotiations must be completed by the end of
2008. The Kyoto Protocol sets caps on
emissions of greenhouse gases by 39
industrial nations, but further Kyoto action
is urgently needed to avoid a gap between
current and future commitment periods after
2012, when current targets are due to
end.
The Kyoto process is moving forward despite
the obstruction of a few countries.
Major polluter Australia -which has failed to
ratify Kyoto- shockingly tried to mislead the
public with claims that Kyoto is a failure
and will not deliver results for the
environment or the economy. Following a
change of Government, Canada is also trying
to walk away from their existing Kyoto
commitments.
As the first climate talks in Sub Saharan
Africa, this conference has been especially
helpful in raising awareness of climate
change in this continent, which is already
suffering climatic extremes. Parts of Kenya,
for instance, are suffering a drought that
started in 2003. In Northern Kenya,
pastoralists have lost 10 million livestock.
Two thirds of the population in Turkana
region have lost their livelihoods.
In Nairobi, the richest countries failed to
address the most urgent needs of the poorest
countries.
“We need to see far quicker and more drastic
actions to meet the needs of the most
vulnerable people, including those living in
Africa. The least developed countries and in
particular small island developing states –
the nations most at risk from climate change
- did not get from the conference strong
commitments to help them confront climate
change. The highest level of political
commitments from world leaders is necessary
to meet the scale of the challenge to solve
this global crisis,” said Friends of the
Earth International climate change campaigner
Catherine Pearce.
Most of the heat-trapping gases are released
by the richest nations of the planet, and
cause rising temperatures and more extreme
weather events such as droughts and floods.
[2]
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE
CLIMATE TALKS
Good progress was made on the Adaptation
Fund, the only financial mechanism that will
provide steady funds for poor countries
suffering from climate change impacts. The
allocations of this fund will be largely
determined by developing countries.
The talks addressed the ‘Clean Development
Mechanism’ (a system designed to make it
easier and cheaper for industrialised
countries to meet their greenhouse gas
emission reduction targets by investing in
reductions in developing countries), but
strong concerns remain about what the
mechanism will include and what it can
deliver.
Ways to reduce greenhouse gas-causing
deforestation in developing countries (which
accounts for approximately 20% of global
emissions) were also discussed, but progress
was very slow, despite the fact that urgent
action is needed to reduce deforestation.
During the 11 days of the conference an
estimated 330,000 ha of forest have been
lost.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT IN
NAIROBI, KENYA:
Catherine Pearce, Friends of the
Earth International climate campaign
coordinator, Tel: + 44 7811 283 641 (UK
mobile) or Tel: + 254 (0) 720 828 889 (Kenyan
mobile valid until Nov. 17 only)
Jan Kowalzig, Friends of the Earth Europe
climate campaigner, Tel: + 32-496-384696
(Belgian mobile)
Erasmus Aborley, Friends of the Earth Ghana,
+254 (0)720827588 (Kenya mobile until Nov.17
only)
Yuri Onodera, Friends of the Earth Japan,
Tel: +254 (0) 720827577 (Kenyan mobile valid
until Nov. 17 only)
Stephanie Long, Friends of the Earth
Australia, Tel: +254 (0) 720 827 577 (Kenyan
mobile valid until Nov. 17 only)
Donald Pols, Friends of the Earth
Netherlands, Tel: +31 6 20801096 (Dutch
mobile)
Friends of the Earth International media
line: Kenya mobile +254 (0) 721 478 841
(Kenyan mobile valid until Nov. 17)
NOTES TO EDITOR
S
[1] The UN climate change website is
www.unfccc.int
[2] A UK government-commissioned report
released in October warns that if no action
is taken on emissions, there is more than a
75% chance of global temperatures rising
between 2 and 3 degrees celsius over the next
50 years, resulting in melting glaciers,
causing floods, a decline in crop yields and
an increase in extreme weather. Online at
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_index.cfm
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