History Will Judge This

Posted on 09. Oct, 2009 by Cara Bevington in Adopt a Negotiator

This afternoon, on the final day of the UN climate negotiations in Bangkok, the group of International Youth present here in Bangkok took to the microphone in the closing plenary of the Kyoto Protocol track to give their message to the delegates.

Speaking for just 90 seconds we gave our demands to the delegates for OUR futures.

Our UK tracker Anna Collins, and Rishi Bhandary from Nepal delivered this speech with passion.

We want to share it with you. We hope you enjoy it - and that these words can continue to inspire action. (Due to UNFCCC regulations, we couldn’t film this wonderful moment, but professional video footage to come soon!)

Delegates, you will remember 6 months ago we asked you how old you will be in 2050?

You seemed to notice, you responded, you bought the t shirt. But this did not translate into action.

My name is Rishi and I hope to be 64 In the year 2050.

Earlier this week, we declared “no confidence” on the road to Copenhagen.

The process has been hijacked by carbon cowboys looking to profit from this crisis; our future is being held hostage to the self-interested dirty delaying tactics of Annex 1 countries.

We have seen the arrogant betrayal of Kyoto Protocol commitments, with the perverse idea that developing countries should or can somehow act first.

History will judge you.

We witness the US deliberately undermine the negotiations by introducing language to merge the Kyoto Protocol and convention processes, tearing out compliance and top-down target setting.

Other Annex 1 countries hide behind the US to avoid their responsibilities; setting disgracefully low targets; with deceptive offset measures that amount to no real emissions cuts at all.

We will not accept a dirty deal.

- - - - - - - - -

(Anna)

Our stand is clear. Let Norway’s commitment of 40% on 1990 levels by 2020 be the minimum benchmark for real emission cuts, but with no offsets, Indigenous rights based language secured before any discussion of REDD, recognition of climate debt, and targets of 350 ppm and 1.5 degrees Celsius.

History will judge you.

While governments are cautiously calculating their commitments based on what they believe is possible, the youth respectfully remind them that throughout history, political forces can shift rapidly when people rally together for change.

As one of the youngest people in this room, I will spend my life with the decisions you make today.

We have an opportunity to make some of the most profound and positive changes in the history of mankind.

Lets start acting like it.

Young people around the world are doing just that, organizing in our communities locally, nationally, and internationally, and we find our hope for the future in our movements.

We ask, will you join us? It is not too late to do your part.

The youth are leading, please follow.

Because History will judge this.

Tags: Bangkok, environment, Global Warming, Kyoto Protocol, Sustainability, UNFCCC, youth