Posts by: Anika Terton
In the International Conference Centre the negotiations dragged into overtime into Sunday morning. Many of the meetings were behind closed door, and the stunned looks on many of the people who wandered around the halls reflected the confusion about what was going on. We stayed until Sunday morning for the official outcome.
While Kyoto survived in the Durban Platform, it is held hostage by polluting nations and corporate interests. The world’s major emitters, Canada among them, refused to adopt new emissions targets resulting in a zombie Kyoto Protocol which covers only 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The Green Climate Fund is an empty piggy bank with no decision on the sources of finances. Should those nations in desperate need of adaptation financing shatter it they will find only the promises of the richest, most polluting nations. Unfortunately you can’t buy clean water, arable land and food security with promises.
Over the last two weeks my emotions rocketed up and down, like the value of the Down Jones during a volatile week on Wall Street. There were times of intense sadness, when negotiators started talking about postponing a new climate change deal until 2015 or even 2020. There were flashes of anger, when we got into a confrontation with Canada’s lead climate negotiator to look us in the eye and tell us he was negotiating in good faith on behalf of our generation. There were moments of powerful pride, when I watched the six members so the Canadian Youth Delegation stand up in plenary, turning their backs to Peter Kent as he addressed the conference.
I felt proud and incredibly privileged to be part of the Canadian Youth Delegation. In two weeks we have achieved amazing things. We received international headlines! We were so successful in admonishing Canada’s record on climate change that Peter Kent wrote an op-ed in a Durban newspaper trying to justify his position.
Yet, the Canadian government continues to bargain on behalf of big oil. We need to make this movement massive. The support that has flooded in over the internet and the ovations from students in a Vancouver school we skyped in has motivated all of us and proven that people back in Canada care deeply. We have to bring this momentum back to Canada, and make this movement impossible to ignore.
I left Durban 24 hours ago. While not surprising, Canada’s Environment Minister’s latest announcement is an outstanding example of our government’s loyal service to the fossil fuel industry. Just hours after returning from Durban, Kent blamed financial cost for a Canadian pull-out from the Kyoto Protocol. The truth is that inaction will be the real cost, both to our economy and to the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities. Our generation has to stand by as our future is sacrificed in the name of short-term profit.
To those who are waiting for climate change to be disproven, I would say that the science only becomes stronger every day. I am a member of the Canadian Youth Delegation and everywhere I went, I was asked to explain the actions and positions of my government on climate change. I cannot. I apologize on behalf of my government, but apologies will not save this situation.
It is up to my generation. We have to make the voices heard over the rumble of money and corruption. Please, consider participating in, or organizing, other actions. Consider joining environmental organizations or getting involved in the political process.
While not surprising, Canada’s Environment Minister’s latest announcement is an outstanding example of our government’s loyal service to the fossil fuel industry. Just hours after returning from Durban, Kent blamed financial cost for a Canadian pull-out from the Kyoto Protocol.
Read post →Good morning from Durban
Everything is going to take place behind closed doors. Many of us have stayed up late to get their hands on the new texts. The European Union presented a text yesterday afternoon which put off a new legal regime until 2020 and only weakly supported the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol. It was rejected by most parties other than Australia, Canada and the United States. Mostly because the text did not include a timeline for ratification or indication of how to close the gap other than the EU and only the EU would commit to a second period of the Kyoto Protocol.
Now, 8 hours later we have new texts for the Green Climate Fund and the working group for the Kyoto Protocol. The questions which remain open is who will govern the Green Climate Fund and where will the secretariat be located. It seems to be a major issue between developed countries and developing countries whether the World Bank should be the dealer of the Fund. The text does not make any indication about potential sources like a financial transaction tax or taxes from bunker fuels to fill the fund. It remains a big secret.
During the negotiations for a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol India pointed out that they are astonished and disturbed by the comments of their colleague from Canada who was pointing at them as to why we are against the roadmap of the EU. India stated it is “disturbed to find that a legally binding Protocol to the Convention, negotiated 14 years ago is now being junked in a cavalier manner. Countries which have signed and ratified it are walking away without even a polite goodbye. And yet, pointing at others.”
One of the big concern is that the current bigger picture text does not make any reference to “common but differentiated responsibilities” - It looks like some countries will get exactly what they are here for.
Negotiations will continue all Saturday. Stay tuned for more power plays!
The European Union presented a text yesterday afternoon which put off a new legal regime until 2020 and only weakly supported the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol. It was rejected by most parties other than Australia, Canada and the United States.
Read post →What looked like a positive shift yesterday, when the Environment Minister stated he would support a treaty by 2015 seemed to be only another distraction from on of the most destructive projects on earth.
Back home in Canada, the federal government has given the green light to a 9$ billion major mine project in the Alberta tar sands. Canada’s Natural Resources Minister announced yesterday that constructions can now start on Total E&P Canada’s Joslyn North tar sands mine.
Despite the Canadian Environment Minister statement that Canada thinks that climate change is a serious problem that needs to be tackled as soon as possible, the Canadian Delegation has faced criticism at COP17 since the first day.
Canada has stated that they will under no circumstances commit to a second-commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the only legally-binding agreement we have to prevent catastrophic climate change. The Environment Minister also made remarks about developing countries who are feeling the worst effects of climate change need to do much more to prevent it, while Canada, who has been among countries with the highest per capita emissions for decades is unwilling to fulfill even small commitments it made in the past, completely disregarding the concept of common but differentiated responsibilities that this process is founded on.
Canada – you can’t have your cake and eat it too! Approving Total’s Joslyn tar sands mine during the UN climate summit in Durban is like a slap in the face for developing countries here at the international climate change negotiations.
The project will mean another one and a half million tonnes of greenhouse gas pollution each year, the equivalent to putting over 270,000 cars on the road.
There is no other way of describing Canada’s behaviour other than hypocritical. The extension of the tar sands represents the wrong direction if Canada is serious about tackling climate change. Canada’s reputation has already been battered on the world stage because we’re siding with big polluters instead of taking action on global warming, and this new tar sands mine is just another proof of who’s Canada cares mostly about – protecting their dirty fossil fuel industry.
In the past year alone, the government lobbied for the Keystone XL Pipeline and sought to weaken fuel standards in Europe. The expansion of the tar sands spells “game over for the climate,” however, the Canadian Government has publicly stated that its priority was coming to the negotiations to defend the tar sands – instead of working together with all countries to reach a fair and legally binding treaty.
While the rest of the world is desperate for a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol Canada’s Environment Minister seems to be the only person in Durban who thinks “that some countries may use the second Kyoto commitment to delay engagement on a new climate change regime,” - Canada’s favorite strategy – playing the blame game.
If Canada is really serious about tackling global warming this represents the wrong direction. Canada’s reputation has already been battered on the world stage because the current government is putting big polluters ahead of people.
Where is the Canada that once was well respected on the international stage? I don’t know but what I know is that it will be my generation who will pay the price for these failures.
Canada – you can’t have your cake and eat it too! Approving Total’s Joslyn tar sands mine during the UN climate summit in Durban is like a slap in the face for developing countries here at the international climate change negotiations.
Read post →Some people just didn’t like the speech Canada’s Environment Minister delivered at COP17. The speech seemed to be an oxymoron in itself. “… reasonable Canadians generally—recognize that global issues like climate change require global solutions. … Canada is a willing partner … At home, Canada is already making great progress toward our ambitious target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent over 2005 levels by 2020.” Excuse me, but this is not an ambitious target – an ambitious target would be science-based. I guess the six Canadian youth who turned their back on him were not the reasonable Canadians he intended to address in his speech.
It is getting hot at the ICC during the second week of COP. With one days left in the conference parties have started to forget about diplomatic manners.
“Reckless and irresponsible” are the words the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) called the indication of governments that they might just keep this process going for another 4 to 9 years!
“Some are angry and some are depressed, but whatever the expression made by each delegation, they are united in their criticism of Canada,” stated China’s official news agency Xinhua.
What are the challenges these negotiations are facing? Well, the same old challenges as last year. Annex 1 countries are accusing non-annex 1 countries of not doing enough and the other way around. Developing countries want compliance measures; a bit like in school, you have to prove you have done your homework but apparently homework unlike in the climate negotiations, which are on a voluntary basis. So please developing countries – compliance has nothing to do in a legally binding framework that is voluntary.
A financial transaction tax and bunker fuels are out of fashion this year but there is potential for next year’s new line of “How to fill the Green Climate Fund?” Government’s are just not ready yet to commit to new shoes with higher heels. Actually, the United States just decided not to fill the Green Climate Fund at all if developing countries do not agree to emission reduction targets – NOW!
Instead of relaxing intellectual property rights on clean technology and providing a fair flow of finance and prevent the Green Climate Fund to become a corrupt instrument of the World Bank, governments decided that carbon capture and storage as part of clean development mechanism is a major achievement – if you are not living in a developing country. Sorry but thanks for being our guinea pigs. There is not a single CCS coal plant operating anywhere in the world, yet. This option simply leaves a devastating legacy for future generations if leakage occurs – Oh well, let them deal with it.
While you may think ambitions should come from the polluting class of nations instead of developing countries, it is China and India who stepped up. Both countries indicated to take on legally binding targets by 2020 if developed countries raise their stakes and commit to a second round of the Kyoto Protocol. The answer: ah ah ah – no loose statements here, you have to prove you are really committed – by taking on targets today. Remember – Saving tomorrow, today. My final words: I believe the polluting class knows that putting off an agreement to 2020 will ensure climate change happens, and then they will be able to argue that there’s no point in cutting emissions – we might just keep polluting.
Thanks for another COP FLOP.
What are the challenges these negotiations are facing? Well, the same old challenges as last year. Annex 1 countries are accusing non-annex 1 countries of not doing enough and the other way around.
Read post →Members of the Canadian Youth Delegation staged a walk out today as Environment Minister Peter Kent delivered his opening address at the United Nations climate negotiations in Durban, South Africa. Just as Kent began his speech, six youth stood and turned away from the Minister revealing the message “Turn your back on Canada” prominently displayed on their shirts. After standing for a few minutes, while Peter Kent spoke, representatives from the Canadian Youth Delegation were removed by security as the plenary applauded their action.
“Our so-called Environment Minister entered these talks by going on record that he would be defending the tar sands. I have yet to hear him say that he’s here to defend my future,” said James Hutt, one of the youth delegates who participated in the action.
As the negotiations have progressed in Durban, 12 ‘Fossil of the Day’ awards leave no doubts as to where the priorities of the Canadian government lie. Over the past week and a half youth have challenged Canada’s irresponsible negotiation strategies, indicative of the close relationship between Canada’s climate policy and dirty fossil fuels. While the Canadian government claims that the decision not to continue with a second commitment period of Kyoto does not affect other nations, allegations have surfaced that they are using foreign aid packages to pressure vulnerable nations to abandon Kyoto as well. Added to this are rumours that Canada may even pull out of Kyoto early, further degrading faith in the UNFCCC process and jeopardizing the potential success of a second Kyoto commitment period.
“This extraction-happy government hasn’t limited their reckless behaviour to the climate talks here in Durban,” said Canadian youth delegate Tasha Peters. “Canada has been called out for lobbying to lower EU fuel quality regulations to allow the expansion of the world’s largest and most destructive mega-project – the Alberta tar sands.”
In 2011 the world also watched as the Canadian government pushed through approvals for the Keystone XL pipeline, despite huge environmental risks and vocal protests on both sides of the Canada-US border. While a staggering 1.4 billion in tax dollars is spent on fossil fuel subsidies every year in Canada, the country is lagging on clean tech investment, well behind countries like the US and China. This misallocation of funds reveals Canada’s commitment to the well-being of its oil and gas industry, and disregard for the devastating impacts climate change.
“By stalling international progress, the actions of this government put the future of our country and our generation in danger; we won’t take that sitting down,” said James Hutt, another youth delegate who stood in plenary. “As long as Canada is at the negotiation table promoting industry over human rights, we will never see the climate agreement the world needs. It’s time to leave Canada behind.”
Just as Kent began his speech, six youth stood and turned away from the Minister revealing the message “Turn your back on Canada” prominently displayed on their shirts.
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