Blog JD part 2: The best has yet to come?

Half way through COP18″ it’s time for a status update. During the opening ceremony, the atmosphere was very positive about the negotiations and possible results. All coalitions of countries pressed the urgency of the top, and of getting agreements on how to combat climate change, of which the most important one the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, president of COP17 in Durban stated: “If you want to walk far, walk together”, thereby referering to the results of Durban, and that such agreements are only possible to be made on the multilateral channel. Subsequently Mrs. Nkoana-Mashabane handed the presidency over to H.E. Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah of Qatar. He saw the upcoming days as a golden opportunity: “Doha will complete and complement other agreements. We must achieve a second term for Kyoto.” Coalitions of countries seemed to have a similar ambition. The representative of Australia, also speaking on behalf of, among other, New Zealand, the United States, Japan, the Russian Federation and Ukraine illustrated this by stating: “We should make promise of Durban a reality.” Let the negotiations  start!

Exactly one week later, during the informal stocktaking of the president, de atmosphere turned by 180′. Whereas Western countries were still positive, the developing countries were very worried about insufficient results. Therefore they pressed the urgency of the top once again, seen the fact it was already Tuesday, and only 2 days of negotiations were left. From Wednesday onwards, ministers will have have to negotiate about the most fundamental issues. Nauru, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States reacted the most emotional: “We met yesterday on the status of negotiations. It was a sobering assessment. We do not see urgency, we do not see ambition. Not any movement of parties, we are locked in a low level of ambition.” The most important subjects that itches the developing countries are mitigation and finance. Developing countries think it’s cowardly that the West, since it now recently has been having less funding due to the economic crisis does not want to live up to past intentions and promises. Developing countries have always had difficulties to fund climate change policy, and so the west shouldn’t either avoid investment. This apart from the fact that developing countries are hit harder and more frequently by consequences of climate change.

The atmosphere is not longer positive and inclusive: there is a clear division between developed and developing countries. Only partial results are being booked. As a consequence, the need for a climate conference like this is again doubted, also in the media. However we do see positive developments in Doha, and we do see the urgency. More on this in a next blog. And as far as the negotiations are concerned, we hope the best is yet to come!

Foto: Openingsceremonie 26 november 2012, Ms. Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary

UNFCCC

Getting warmed up for the COP18

1 december 2012

Van 26 november tot 7 december zal een delegatie van twee JDers en zeven YLC-leden (Young Liberals of Canada) namens IFLRY aanwezig zijn op de COP18 Klimaattop in Doha, Qatar.

Onderhandelaars uit bijna tweehonderd landen zijn sinds maandag bijeengekomen om te bespreken hoe de opwarming van aarde beperkt kan worden tot 2°C. Al twee decennia wordt erover gepraat, maar gesprekken hebben nog altijd niet geleid tot minder uitstoot van broeikasgassen.

Het belangrijkste onderhandelingspunt op de agenda van de COP18 is een verleningen van het Kyoto-protocol, het enige internationale klimaatverdrag. Dit verdrag loopt eind 2012 af. De EU heeft onlangs ingestemd met een verlenging. “De EU en onze globale partners moeten hun beloftes nakomen. Het is tijd voor actie”, zei Matthias Groote, de Duitse voorzitter van de milieucommissie en van de EP delegatie. Dit steven lijkt echter betekenisloos nu de meeste andere landen hier geen gehoor aan willen geven. Naar verwachting zal hierdoor ook dit jaar geen baanbrekend verdrag gesloten worden.

In achterkamertjes en op de wandelgangen worden weldegelijk afspraken gemaakt tussen landen. Ook de vele bottum-up initiatieven die worden gepresenteerd tijdens side events geven blijk van een hoopvolle ontwikkeling. Wetenschappers en multinationals zullen praten over stimuleringsmaatregelen voor innovatieve duurzame productie. NGOs en internationale jongerenorganisaties willen met een sterke, gemeenschappelijke, positieve boodschap richting de onderhandelaars treden.

Onze missie is een verslaglegging over deze positieve ontwikkelingen. Wil je een keer een ander verhaal horen over de VN Klimaattop, volg dan de komende week hier onze blog!

Lees ook de verslagen van Jacqueline op haar website.

Meer in blog