PHM-Exch> Bolivia creates a new opportunity for climate talks that failed at Copenhagen

[Claudio Schuftan]

fromAIS Bolivia <aisbol at entelnet.bo>



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>  Bolivia creates a new opportunity for climate talks that failed at
> Copenhagen
>
> *Bolivia** will host an international meeting on climate change next month
> because it is not prepared to 'betray its people'*
>
> By Pablo Solón Romero
>
> The Guardian, March 19, 2010
>
> In the aftermath of the Copenhagen climate conference, those who defended
> the widely condemned outcome tended to talk about it as a "step in the right
> direction". This was always a tendentious argument, given that tackling
> climate change can not be addressed by half measures. We can't make
> compromises with nature.
>
> Bolivia, however, believed that Copenhagen marked a backwards step, undoing
> the work built on since the climate talks in Kyoto. That is why, against
> strong pressure from industrialised countries, we and other developing
> nations refused to sign the Copenhagen accord and why we are hosting an
> international meeting on climate change next month. In the words of the
> Tuvalu negotiator, we were not prepared to "betray our people for 30 pieces
> of silver".
>
> Our position was strongly criticised by several industrialised countries,
> who did their brazen best to blame the victims of climate change for their
> own unwillingness to act. However, recent communications by the European
> Commission have confirmed why we were right to oppose the Copenhagen accord.
>
> In a report called International climate policy post-Copenhagen (pdf), the
> commission confirmed that the pledges by developed countries are equal to
> between 13.2% and 17.8% in emissions reductions by 2020 – far below the
> required 40%-plus reductions needed to keep global temperature rise to less
> than 2C degrees.
>
> The situation is even worse once you take into account what are called
> "banking of surplus emission budgets" and "accounting rules for land use,
> land use change and forestry". The Copenhagen accord would actually allow
> for an increase in developed country emissions of 2.6% above 1990 levels.
> This is hardly a forward step.
>
> This is not just about gravely inadequate commitments, it is also about
> process. Whereas before, under the Kyoto protocol, developed countries were
> legally bound to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a certain percentage,
> now countries can submit whatever targets they want without a binding
> commitment.
>
> This dangerous approach to climate negotiations is like building a dam
> where everyone contributes as many bricks as they want regardless of whether
> it stops the river.
>
> The Copenhagen accord opens the dam and condemns millions. Various
> estimates suggest that the commitments made under the accord would lead to
> increases of between three to four degrees celsius – a level that many
> scientists consider disastrous for human life and our ecosystems.
>
> For Bolivia, the disastrous outcome of Copenhagen was further proof that
> climate change is not the central issue in negotiations. For rich countries,
> the key issues in negotiations were finance, carbon markets, competitiveness
> of countries and corporations, business opportunities along with discussions
> about the political makeup of the US Senate. There was surprisingly little
> focus on effective solutions for reducing carbon emissions.
>
> President Evo Morales of Bolivia observed that the best way to put climate
> change solutions at the heart of the talks was to involve the people. In
> contrast to much of the official talks, the hundreds of civil society
> organisations, communities, scientists and faith leaders present in
> Copenhagen clearly prioritised the search for effective, just solutions to
> climate change against narrow economic interests.
>
> To advance an agenda based on effective just solutions, Bolivia is
> therefore hosting a Peoples' Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of
> Mother Earth on 19-22 April, and inviting everyone to participate. Unlike
> Copenhagen, there will be no secret discussions behind closed doors.
> Moreover the debate and proposals will be led by communities on the
> frontlines of climate change and by organisations and individuals dedicated
> to tackling the climate crisis. All 192 governments in the UN have also been
> invited to attend and encouraged to listen to the voices of civil society
> and together develop common proposals.
>
> We hope that this unique format will help shift power back to the people,
> which is where it needs to be on this critical issue for all humanity. We
> don't expect agreement on everything, but at least we can start to discuss
> openly and sincerely in a way that didn't happen in Copenhagen.
>
> *• Pablo Solón is Ambassador to the UN for the Plurinational State of
> Bolivia. He is a sociologist and economist, was active in Bolivia's social
> movements before entering government, and is an expert on issues of trade,
> integration, natural resources and water.*
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