Norway takes the lead! Who will follow?

Posted on 08. Oct, 2009 by adoptanegotiator in Adopt a Negotiator, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, E.U., Emission targets, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Sweden, U.S.A., United Kingdom, Video | View Comments

English / Français / Italiano / Swedish / Português / German / Japanese / Simplified Chinese / Traditional Chinese

English :

Today is a great day for ambition in these climate talks. One of the most northern countries of the World, Norway, has announced that they will reduce their emissions by 40% by 2020 on 1990 levels. At this date, it’s the biggest commitment announced by an Annex 1 country. And the first that comes anywhere close to what the science demands Compared to the targets (or lack of) from countries such as USA or Canada, this target is very significant.

This is why we have to encourage this country and to spread the word about this! Norway has show that we can be ambitious in these negotiations. They have decided to break ice today, to avoid their glaciers melting and to avoid seeing more and more devestating climate consequences around the world.

Thanks to us, the tracker team, you can live and look at this exceptional time as if you were there with. Send this link round, speak about that with the politicians you know and encourage your country to follow Norway’s lead and be more ambitious.

The fight against climate change needs courage and ambition.

Français :

Aujourd’hui est un grand jour pour l’ambition dans ces négociations sur le climat. Un des pays les plus nordiques de la Planète, la Norvège, a annoncé qu’elle allait réduire ses émissions de 40% pour 2020 avec 1990 comme année de référence. A présent, c’est le plus important engagement annoncé par un pays de l’Annexe I. Et le premier qui se rapproche le plus de ce que la science exige et comparé au manque d’ambitions d’autres Etats, cette objectif de réduction est vraiment significatif.

C’est la raison pour laquelle nous devons encourager ce pays et diffuser l’information à ce sujet. La Norvège montre que l’on peut être ambitieux dans ces négociations. Ils ont décidé de briser la glace de ces négociations, pour éviter que leurs glaciers ne fondent encore plus et que les conséquences des changements climatiques ne deviennent toujours plus importantes partout sur Terre.

Grâce au travail de l’équipe, vous pouvez vivre et regarder cet exceptionnel moment en direct, comme si vous y étiez. Faites tourner ce lien, parler de cela aux personnalités politiques que vous connaissez et encouragez votre pays à suivre la Norvège et à devenir plus ambitieux.

La lutte contre les changements climatiques a besoin de courage et d’ambition.

Italiano :

Oggi è un grande giorno per le ambizioni di questi negoziati sui cambiamenti climatici. Uno dei paesi più sviluppati al mondo, la Norvegia, ha annunciato che ridurranno le loro emissioni del 40% entro il 2020 sulla base dei livelli del 1990. Fino ad oggi è il più grande impegno mai annunciato da un paese dell’Annex 1, e soprattutto è il primo che si avvicina a quanto effettivamente richiede la scienza.

È un passo di fondamentale importanza, se si considera quanto fatto ( o non fatto ) da altri paesi come gli Stati Uniti o il Canada.

Questo è il motivo per il quale noi dobbiamo incoraggiare questo paese, e dobbiamo far sapere a tutti quanto hanno appena fatto i norvegesi. La Norvegia ha dimostrato che si può essere ambiziosi durante questi negoziati. Loro hanno deciso di rompere il ghiaccio oggi, per evitare che i loro ghiacciai si sciolgano e per evitare di vedere sempre più importanti conseguenze dei cambiamenti climatici nel mondo.

Grazie a noi, il team dei tracker, tu puoi vivere e assistere a questo evento eccezionale come se fossi qui. Fai girare questo link, parlane ai politici che conosci ed incoraggia la tua nazione a seguire quanto fatto dalla Norvegia e magari diventare anche più ambiziosi di loro.

Swedish :

Idag är en stor dag för ambitionen i dessa klimatförhandlingarna. En av de mest nordliga länder i världen, Norge, har meddelat att de kommer att minska sina utsläpp med 40% fram till 2020 under 1990 års nivåer. Vid denna tidpunkt är de det största åtagande ett Annex 1 land tillkännagett. Samtidigt är de det första Annex 1 land som kommer någonstans i närheten av vad vetenskapen kräver jämfört med målen (eller brist på mål) från länder som USA eller Kanada, därmed är detta mål mycket betydande.

Det är därför vi måste uppmuntra detta land och att sprida ordet om detta! Norge har visat att vi kan vara ambitiösa i dessa förhandlingar. De har beslutat att bryta isen i dag, för att undvika att glaciärer smälter och att slippa se fler och fler klimatkatastrofer runt om i världen.

Tack vare oss, tracker teamet, kan du vara med och se på detta som om du vore här. Skicka denna länk runda, tala om det med politikerna du känner och uppmuntra ditt land för att följa Norges exempel och vara mer ambitiös.

Kampen mot klimatförändringarna behöver både mod och ambition.

Portuguese / Português :

Hoje é um ótimo dia para os países mostrarem ambição na rodada de negociações sobre mudanças climáticas aqui em Bangkok. Um dos países localizados no extremo norte do planeta, a Noruega, anunciou a redução de suas emissões em 40 % até 2020, baseado em níveis de 1990. Até o momento, esse é o maior compromisso anunciado por um país desenvolvido (Anexo 1). Também é a primeira vez que um país se aproxima do que a ciência recomenda. Se compararmos com as metas de países como os Estados Unidos e Canadá, esse anúncio é muito significante.

Temos que apoiar esse país e espalhar a boa notícia! A Noruega mostrou que podemos ter ambição nas negociações. Eles decidiram quebrar o gelo hoje, para evitar que suas geleiras derretam e que muitos outros eventos relacionados às mudanças climáticas aconteçam pelo mundo.

Graças ao trabalho dos “negotiator trackers”, você pode viver esse momento como se estivesse aqui com a gente em Bangkok. Espalhe essa mensagem por aí, converse sobre o assunto com políticos que você conhece e encoraje seu país a seguir a liderança da Noruega e ser mais ambicioso.

A luta contra as mudanças climáticas exige coragem e ambição!

German :

Heute ist ein wichtiger Tag in den Klimaverhandlungen in Bangkok: Ein großer Tag für ambitioniertere Ziele, denn: Norwegen gab heute bekannt, dass es seine C02-Emissionen bis 2020 um 40% senken will - basierend auf dem Level von 1990.

Das sind rund 10 Prozent mehr als das bisher maximale Ziel der EU - und das ehrgeizigste Ziel eines Annex-1-Landes überhaupt. Außerdem ist Norwegen damit das erste Annex-1-Land, das auch nur annähernd an die wissenschaftlich längst erwiesene Notwendigkeit herankommt: 40% werden hier gefordert, um tatsächlich unter 2 Grad Erderwärmung bleiben zu können.

Deshalb müssen wir mehr dennje das Handeln von Norwegen positiv begrüßen und alle anderen Länder entsprechend unter Druck setzen, dem positiven Beispiel zu folgen. Eindeutig ist doch: Wenn es Norwegen möglich ist, so zu handeln, kann sich kaum noch eine andere Industrienation herausreden! Wo ein Wille ist, da ist ganz offensichtlich auch ein Weg.

Deshalb müssen wir jetzt gemeinsam am Willen arbeiten! Und wenn du das hier liest, dann leite die Nachricht bitte an deine Freunde weiter, lass es sie wissen und sorge dafür, dass deine dich vertretenden Politiker einen mindestens ebenso starken Willen zeigen! Frag nach und schreibe deine Politiker an - z.B. direkt in deinem Wahlkreis. Wenn du nicht weißt, wie du handeln kannst, gibt es bei www.oxfamklimahelden.de außerdem viele Tipps und Aktionen.

Japanese :

今日という日は、最近の気候変動会議における野心が見られた素晴らしい日です。世界でも北方に位置する国、ノルウェイが、2020年までに、1990年比で40%の排出削減を行うと宣言しました。これまでにAnnex１(先進国)から出されている目標のなかで最も大きな約束で、科学の要請に最も近いものです。アメリカやカナダの目標（もしくは彼らの貢献の欠如）に比べると、ノルウェイのこの目標は非常に重要なものです。

私達が、この国を応援し、それを世界に広めようとするのは、ノルウェイが、私達は今日の交渉の場において野心的な行動をとることができると示したからです！彼らは今日、交渉という固まった氷を解かすことを決めたのです。それは極地の氷が解けるのを防ぎ、世界中で起こりうるよりひどい気候変動を防ぐためです。

私達トラッカーチームによって、あなたはまさにこの場にいるかのように、このこれまでに類のない瞬間を感じ、見ることができたと思います。どうかこの出来事をより多くの人に、政治家に伝え、自分の国がノルウェイに続き、より野心的になるようにしてください。

気候変動との戦いには、勇気と野心が必要です!

Chinese :

Simplified Chinese (for the Chinese mainland)

经过多日漫长的全球气候变化问题的讨论后，我们终于等到一个震奋的消息，终于有国家勇于作出承诺：其中一个位处世界最北端的国家挪威，刚宣布会在2020年前减少排放40%温室气体 (对比1990年的水平)。直至目前为止，这是一众发达国家中最强而有力的承诺。40%这个幅度也是最贴近科学报告中倡议要达成的目标，比起美国、加拿大等发达国家那些骚不到痒处的目标 (甚至不曾提出)，挪威这个决定可谓极具代表性。

我们一众追踪气候谈判会议的监察员为挪威愿意许下这样重大而具建设性的减排承诺予以最大肯定，并会大肆宣扬这个讯息，希望有更多国家加入挪威的行列。挪威的决心证明了我们实在可以于协助减排的行动中提出雄心万丈而实际可行的计划。他们排除万难，为的就是要阻止冰川继续融化，避免因气候变化而造成更多后果堪虞的情况。

在此亦感谢一班默默耕耘的气候谈判监察员，为大众带来堪称这世纪最重要会议──一个关乎全球气候、人文及经济的会议之最新消息及现况解读。我们恳请大家把这个连结传送给您的亲友、同事、伙伴、议员、政治家，引发大家进一步关心这个迫切而影响深远的议题，并鼓励您所属国家效法挪威，一起为改善气候变化而身体力行。

让我们拿出勇气，作出实际有力的行动，力拼气候变化！
Traditional Chinese (for Hong Kong)

經過多日漫長的全球氣候變化問題的討論後，我們終於等到一個震奮的消息，終於有國家勇於作出承諾：其中一個位處世界最北端的國家挪威，剛宣佈會在2020年前減少排放40%溫室氣體 (對比1990年的水平)。直至目前為止，這是一眾發達國家中最強而有力的承諾。40%這個幅度也是最貼近科學報告中倡議要達成的目標，比起美國、加拿大等發達國家那些騷不到癢處的目標 (甚至不曾提出)，挪威這個決定可謂極具代表性。

我們一眾追蹤氣候談判會議的監察員為挪威願意許下這樣重大而具建設性的減排承諾予以最大肯定，並會大肆宣揚這個訊息，希望有更多國家加入挪威的行列。挪威的決心證明了我們實在可以於協助減排的行動中提出雄心萬丈而實際可行的計劃。他們排除萬難，為的就是要阻止冰川繼續融化，避免因氣候變化而造成更多後果堪虞的情況。

在此亦感謝一班默默耕耘的氣候談判監察員，為大眾帶來堪稱這世紀最重要會議──一個關乎全球氣候、人文及經濟的會議之最新消息及現況解讀。我們懇請大家把這個連結傳送給您的親友、同事、夥伴、議員、政治家，引發大家進一步關心這個迫切而影響深遠的議題，並鼓勵您所屬國家效法挪威，一起為改善氣候變化而身體力行。

讓我們拿出勇氣，作出實際有力的行動，力拼氣候變化！

The west-east dilemma part 2

Posted on 07. Oct, 2009 by Jonathan Sundqvist in E.U., Sweden | View Comments

When walking into the room to the press conference with G77 and China you could sense the tension in the air. There was something in the air that told you something important was going to be said during this press conference. After the introduction of the two delegates there, Lumumba Da-Ping from Sudan and Yu Qingtai from China Lumumba from Sudan began his very serious message and struck to the core immediately: ”It has become self-evident and clear that the intention from the developed countries is to kill the kyoto protocol”.

As you remember from the press conference with EU, one of the goals they have had in mind is a single treaty, with the emphasis of maintaining the Kyoto architecture. However in the view of the developing countries scrapping the Kyoto protocol might implicate that the so far low commitments from the industrialized countries get even more diluted. The Kyoto protocol for all the faults it have, still have a legal framework that binds the industrialized countries to do some emission reductions. In there is also the principle of “common but differentiated responsibility”. The countries with the least capacity and least contributions of emissions should not have to do as much as the industrialized countries.

In the press conference the G77 and China made clear that what they are seeing is the industrialized gathering together to kill the Kyoto protocol and a move to a less binding agreement where the industrialized countries are able to once again snucking away from the commitments made. They seemed seriously worried that might happen if there would be a brand new treaty in Copenhagen. After all, that’s what’s happened so far with the Kyoto protocol, a lack of doing what has been committed.

“If there is a political will, there is also a way” said the two delegates in the press conference and I couldn’t agree more. It is not as if this is an impossible issue to solve practically. However there is a need to get to the point actually do what’s infront of you.

So what on earth are the industrialized countries doing? Are they deliberately trying to get away from this as cheaply as possible? Or what is going on behind the scenes? Let’s see where this ends in part three.

The west-east dilemma part 1

Posted on 07. Oct, 2009 by Jonathan Sundqvist in E.U., Sweden | View Comments

Quite recently there were two interesting pressconferences here in Bangkok. One of them spurred quite the attention and the other one could be said to be the reason for the attention. But first things first, let me explain what was said during the European Union’s press conference and what kind of impact the content there has on the negotiations.

There were three people there, the spain’s lead negotiator, an EU commissioner and last but not the least the swedish lead negotiator Anders Turesson. He brought up some of the issues that EU think are important in these negotiations. Most of the time I think he is overly diplomatic in his tone, on the other hand I guess that has it’s merit sometimes as well.

• Identify common ground - There are only so many areas we can find common ground on and he thinks that we need to worker harder to find these common areas. When doing so it becomes possible to have a substansive discussion in the areas where it’s difficult to agree.
• Mitigation and Finance - Anders mentioned that these issues are indeed very political and sensitive issues. What is currently on the table will most likely continue to be there if this isn’t brought up on the highest political level. Which means you could make a difference by telling your leader to come to Copenhagen. So make your voice heard now!
• Discussion with all parties - The European Union would like to keep all parties in the discussion and take in each perspective. I would say this is very difficult. In either case you would have to lean towards some parties position when taking your stance. If the gap is wide between parties one is going to end up on one side or the other.
• One single legal treaty - This essentially means that what EU would like is replacing the Kyoto protocol with something else, something new. Anders emphasized that they do like the structure of the Kyoto protocol but as they want a discussion with all the parties it would be much easier to have single protocol instead of several simplyfing the discussion and possibly making it easier to achieve more.

What happened next, after this press conference with the European Union was a press conference with G77 and China. A quite exciting one. At the core of that press conference lies the issue of one single treaty. The stated reason for EU wanting one protocol instead of several is that it would bring much more ease into the negotiations if all parties could discuss together and have the same commitments. That way it would international instead of each and everyone trying to do their own race. But now let’s visit the conference with G77 and China.