At the COP17 in Durban, governments need to move away from making unclear emission pledges and start making real commitments. If we are to keep global temperature rise to 1.5°C recommended by scientists and supported by a majority of countries, all governments must increase their ambition now. –> Greenpeace calls upon governments to stop listening to large corporations that pollute our world, and instead listen to its people. The global climate negotiations are still reeling from the aftermath of the COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009, where the talks ended in a disaster. No progress was made on tackling climate change and the effectiveness of the multilateral system came into question. A year later, Cancun achieved little to combat climate change and was more focused on building trust and commitment at the UNFCCC process. This left many of the ‘sticky’ issues to be discussed in Durban, including the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol, ambitious emissions reductions targets and source of funds for long-term finance. It is no surprise that the expectations and demands for Durban are high, as many are fed up with the slow progress being made at these negotiations and are demanding that there is an adequate response to climate change. The second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol urgently needs to be adopted and a legally binding instrument under the convention should be adopted no later than 2015.For the COP15 in Copenhagen, a broad civil society coalition of non-governmental organizations, community structures and movements, called for a fair, ambitious and legally binding deal. Developed countries should commit to reducing their emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 and deliver international climate finance at the scale of 150 billion US dollars. So far, most of the developed countries have completely failed to show the necessary global leadership. In Durban, they must urgently improve their emission reduction targets and ensure the delivery of the financial and technological support they have promised.
The best possible outcome from the COP17 for the people of South Africa is a mass movement to ensure that government and private sector do what is needed to safeguard our future from catastrophic climate change impacts.
The science hasn´t changed. Much time has been wasted since Copenhagen, hence the urgency is even greater to achieve these objectives. Greenpeace still calls for the climate agreement the world urgently needs in order to prevent runaway climate change. –> Sadly, it is already clear that our governments are not willing to deliver this in Durban. Realistic hope is for the governments to use the opportunity at COP 17 to at least decide on the most crucial building blocks of a global agreement, which can provide the solution to the climate crisis. The danger is imminent, the situation is clear, and people have been demanding action. For South African civil society, this is the beginning of building a broad environmental movement in SA. This stronger environmental justice voice must be harnessed to continue to challenge the government. The best possible outcome from the COP17 for the people of South Africa is a mass movement to ensure that government and private sector do what isneeded to safeguard our future from catastrophic climate change impacts. The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground. People are tired of not being included in the fate of their future and the earth. Governments should listen to its people, not the polluters. For Durban we expect governments to show leadership and: agree to peak global emissions by 2015 and reduce emissions by at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, in accordance with the recommendations of the IPCC. Any delay of the peak year will increase the environmental and economic costs and diminish the probability of keeping temperature rise to 1.5 °C which is supported by more than 100 countries. close the gap between the current mitigation pledges and the reductions needed to prevent catastrophic climate change. In Cancun they acknowledged that the current level of ambition is inadequate and not in accordance with the recommendations of climate scientists; in Durban, this gap must be closed; Ensure that the Kyoto Protocol continues and provide a mandate for a comprehensive legally binding instrument. Deliver the necessary international climate finance. Address the needs of the most vulnerable countries and communities exclude false solutions such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) or nuclear energy through the clean development mechanism (CDM) and other international mechanisms. Ferrial Adam is Greenpeace Africa’s Climate Change and Energy Campaigner
– By Ferrial Adam, Greenpeace
