Copenhagen is over: our future in crisis?

Posted on 19. Dec, 2009 by Philip Ireland in Australia | View Comments

For two years we have been talking about Copenhagen.
Two long years, campaigning for a fair, binding and ambitious deal. A real deal that would protect our planet’s environment and see justice for all humanity that depends upon it. These two years come at the end of seventeen years, since the Rio Summit, when the world established the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a framework designed to address the threat of climate change.

As I am writing this, I am in Copenhagen watching the talks in overtime. They have been running continuously for the past 48 hours as leaders scramble to produce something of substance.
Before reflecting on this outcome, lets go back to the beginning of the COP-15. During the opening of the conference, Christina Ora, a youth delegate from the Pacific, spoke prophetically to the powers of this world outlining her hopes and fears. She stated:

“I am 17 years old. For my entire life, countries have been negotiating a climate agreement. My future is in front of me. In the year that I was born, amid an atmosphere of hope, the world formed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to solve the climate crisis….
In the Solomon Islands, my homeland, communities on low-lying atolls are already being displaced by rising sea levels. Communities have lived on these atolls for generations. Moving from one province to another in the Solomon Islands is not just like moving house. Your land is your identity. It is part of your culture. It is who you are.
I am scared, and so too are the people from these atolls about what this means for our culture, our communities and our identity.
Because of climate change, I am uncertain about what is to come. How can I feel that my future is safe? How can I be sure that my home village won’t disappear in 10 years’ time? How can I be sure that my community won’t have to find a new home? How can I be sure that I will be able to raise my children in the same place that my mother and father raised me? I am not sure. I am scared and worried.
For my entire life, world leaders have been negotiating a climate agreement. They cannot tell me they need more time. There is no more time. I hope world leaders realise this week that my generation’s future is in the palm of their hands.”

These inspiring and unsettling words set a tone of urgency for the Copenhagen negotiations. They reflected the fears of millions of people living on the front line of the impacts of climate change. Climate change is proceeding at an alarming rate and required urgent action.
Copenhagen did not deliver what was necessary.

Let me take you through some of the key moments which led to this outcome.

In the final two days of the conference heads of state, including our own Kevin Rudd, were set to arrive and the negotiators were supposed to hand down some final suggestions for high level negotiation and agreement. In short, the suggested text in both the treaties seemed almost as contested as it was 2 years ago. There were major disagreements and public arguments.

At the end of what was a very rushed and confusing day President Obama emerged and announced the Copenhagen Accord, a non-legally binding political agreement. Within minutes of this press conference finishing the President was being whisked back to Air Force One to return back to America.

As the dust settled from this announcement and people could look at the substance of it, anger emerged as the accord failed to include any concrete or binding measures for emissions reductions. Some scientists at the talks said it would set the world on a path to 3.5 degrees of warming by 2100, which is dangerous and unpredictable. There was some provision for adaptation and mitigation in the developing world worth 10 billion US$ per annum to 2012 scaling up to 100 billion US$ per annum by 2020. However, where this money will be sourced from is not clear, and may come out of previously committed aid budget increases.

Developing nations that had not taken part in the US-led talks responded to the text with fury, saying 25-nation accord was an affront to the consensus principle that governs these UN talks.

In response to this situation, Michiel Schaeffer of Climate Analytics said: “It’s as though the last two years have not happened.”

UN climate chief Yvo de Boer told journalists, “We should have done better,”

A senior European environmentalist, John Lanchbery called the accord “a carefully managed collapse”

US President, Obama admitted in a rushed press briefing “instead of taking one step forward, we may have taken two steps back”.

This is a political failure.
World leaders were able to rally last year and spend trillions to save banks, but here in Copenhagen they failed to do what was necessary.

Leaders have failed to deliver the agreement they promised, the agreement we need to avoid catastrophic climate change that affects everyone, the agreement we need to help those already facing the risks of climate change.

At best, we are now confronted with a deadly delay that means unnecessary tragedy for millions of families. The impacts will be felt in every country, and will fall particularly hard on poor people in developing countries.

The time is now past urgent. The costs of inaction are mounting day by day, costs measured in lives, not just dollars. The science is clear, and we have the means. All we are missing is the will.

My journey campaigning for strong action on climate change here over the past few weeks, and in Australia over the past few years has had its highs, and perhaps more lows. This certainly qualifies as the lowest of lows. However, in reflection there are many positives we can take away from this.

The event set new precedents.
Copenhagen was the largest international negotiation ever.
Never before has civil society engaged so significantly on an international issue. Never before have members from the Global South and Global North come together so strongly to rally for the same cause.

This movement has mobilised millions of people around the globe to demand justice of our national and international leaders for the sake of the poor. It has highlighted the great inequality of our world, and cultivated passion for change.

After a few weeks of rest, we must regroup, reenergise and reemerge as a stronger movement. A movement, that despite momentary weariness, will persevere for as long as it takes to see justice come.
I for one, will be there.

Tracking for you for my last time…probably,

Phil

As the clock in Copenhagen ticks down, I feel hopeful

Posted on 18. Dec, 2009 by Philip Ireland in Australia | View Comments

Guest Blog from Cara, past Climate Tracker

I feel hopeful.

I feel inspired.

Today Australians, yet again, did whatever they could in their power to remind our Prime Minister, to remind leaders of the world, exactly what is at stake in the climate negotiations. To remind leaders that we, the people of the world, demand to see action on climate change that will ensure the survival of all peoples and all lands.

Today, hundreds of people flocked to Federation Square in Melbourne at lunchtime to ring bells of hope. As this was happening, a group of people up in Brisbane held a candle vigil outside of Rudd’s electoral office.

It was there that Wanita Limpus from the Kiribati Australia Association handed over a powerful message on behalf of her brothers and sisters of the Pacific. She presented a bunch of tropical flowers to an electorate office staffer with the message: “Dear Kevin, Life or Death for the Pacific?”

In Melbourne, comedian Frank Woodley took a different tack. He quoted the A-team’s Mr T saying that he’d had “enough jibba-jabba” from world leaders and called on them to act. Now. In Copenhagen.

Friday night (Australian time) history will be made. Leaders of the world have the opportunity to set us on an exciting new path. We know that the time for talking is over. People around the world want action on climate change. As tracker Phil said in his last blog post: “what will happen is still anyone’s guess. Heads of states have the power to make these large decisions very quickly.”

Keep sending your messages of hope. Now is the time to keep the movement strong, to keep the movement hopeful.

Via twitter to @KevinRuddPM

Sign our letters to Rudd and Wong asking them to lead in Copenhagen

Join more than 11 million others and let the world know you are ready for climate action.

People gather outside Kevin Rudd’s electoral office in Brisbane with their messages.

Shut out! But its not all bad.

Posted on 17. Dec, 2009 by Philip Ireland in Australia | View Comments

I am currently writing to you from a warehouse somewhere outside the city of Copenhagen. Various NGOs have been scrambling to set up facilities to support continued engagement with the process.

I have now been officially shut out of the negotiations.

To cut a long story short, the UNFCCC allowed too many registrations for this event (around 3 times the venue capacity). Over the past few days they have been reducing the number of people allowed in the centre… as you may have guessed, it is the NGOs (this includes, universities, environmental groups, development agencies, youth constituencies, unions etc.) that have been shut out. Of the over 15000 who were registered, only 7000 were allowed in on Tuesday and Wednesday. I was lucky to be amongst this group.

But then, the UNFCCC took things a few steps too far and has only allowed 300 NGO people in the building for the final 2 days. Yes, that’s right, 300 people. At last count, I think Australia had 3 NGO representatives on the inside (which is more than our quota).

My perspective on this is that some cuts were practically necessary, however, 300 is quite frankly a scandal. There are around 5000 media here who have received very little restriction and around 10,000 government representatives (some countries have over 500 registered attendees).

Whilst, I do not consider my role in the process essential, I know many people from other organisations who provide critical support to developing countries. Most of these people have been blocked out.

The UNFCCC and the Danish Government have made a grave error

Civil society has been sidelined.

The integrity of this process has been degraded.

Today….

The events of today have been mixed. I am growing tired of the speeches by heads of state which take 5-15 minutes each and have been going for the past 24 hours. There are over 100 heads of state here…. You do the maths. There are glimpses of inspiration and courage, however, for the large part this is an exercise in repeating known positions.

We have, however, been hearing in the past few hours though that there has been some positive movement. Some of the key progressions are:

-New drafting groups have formed with Ministers

-The United States has signalled its support for a 100bn US$ per annum fund for mitigation and adaptation in the developing world by 2020

-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd publically supported the possibility of the Kyoto Protocol continuing

In other news, Australia has been awarded its first ‘Fossil of the day’ award from Climate Action Network, an award for countries who are perceived to be impeding the negotiations. This was awarded as a result of revelations that Australia has been pressuring Pacific Islands States to lower their demands.

Stay tuned to the adopt a negotiator website for all the updates over the next 24 hours. And, don’t believe everything you read in the Australian media. I have been following it on line and have found that often it is not reflecting what is actually going on here (I am sure this comes as no surprise!).

What will happen is still anyone’s guess. Heads of states have the power to make these large decisions very quickly.

And… I would like to thank all of you who have sent messages of support over the past day. You will be happy to know that I did get a solid 7 hours sleep and am as ready as I will ever be for tomorrow (if your reading this in Australia that’s your today)

Tracking for you, for one final day,

Phil.

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