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Archives for: December 2007, 07

12/07/07

With Temperatures High in Bali, the US Blows more Hot Air

Day four from the Bali UN Climate Conference brought an announcement from the United States delegation. Was it that they had decided to join Australia and become the final industrialized country to ratify the Kyoto Protocol? No. Was it that they were prepared to agree to targets and timelines for emissions reductions and join the Europeans and others in support of a 25% to 40% reduction target by 2020? I am afraid not. Their big announcement was that they have invited the world’s 17 largest greenhouse gas emitters to the second in their series of Major Economies Meetings, or as we like to call it, “The Big Emitters”.

It doesn’t come as a shock that their announcement was process and not substance, but to add insult to injury, they have made clear the meetings WILL NOT lead to country specific reduction targets. It is simply a process to run out the clock on the Bush administrations final year in office. We understand that as of now, while the caterers and hotel rooms have been booked, none of the countries have yet RSVP’d.

The second in the series of the Big Emitters meetings, this time scheduled for Hawaii, distracts from the process that will begin here in Bali. By the end of next week, in order for the Bali meeting to be considered a success, delegates must agree upon nothing short of a strong Bali Mandate. That Mandate must create a clear negotiation process that leads to an agreement for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol by no later than 2009, This mandate must ultimately produce an agreement that with reduction levels for industrialized countries of at least 25% to 40% and broaden the number of willing to take on targets. President Bush’s Major Emitters meeting is simply a distraction from the process that will be required to produce this post 2012 agreement.

Perhaps countries should consider sending low-level staff to the Major Emitters Meeting in January. Hawaii in January is a lovely place, and the lower level staff deserve a trip once in a while. But high level staff should stay home and work towards delivering the Bali Mandate. Time is short, and we cannot afford to waste it with meetings that blow nothing but hot air.

Day 3 Bali Climate Conference

The negotiations are moving fast and furious but we still have a long way to go. While there has been an unprecedented level of focus around the world on the issue of global warming throughout 2007, the conference has yet to be infused with a sense of urgency. With the United States making it clear that they will not support targets or timelines for greenhouse gas pollution reduction, we are still working hard to push other countries to lead. While members of the European delegation have been saying the right words, they have not yet been playing the leadership role we need. But we are working hard here to change that.

As we begin to move towards the end of the first week of the conference the level of public activity is growing. We are all excited for tomorrow, when Greenpeace's flagship the Rainbow Warrior will sail into Denpasar. A flotilla of dozens of boats will great her arrival. The Warrior will host delegates from all over the world over the course of the next week and give us a platform from which we can highlight the importance of a strong Bali Mandate.

Saturday brings the global day of action on climate change. Events all over the world will shine a spotlight on negotiators in Bali, demanding bold action here. Nothing short of a strong Bali Mandate that charts a course toward the adoption of the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol by 2009 will be acceptable.

On Sunday, thousands will gather on the beach just a short distance from the conference to create a human beach art image of the earth. Students from Step It Up here helping to organize the image. Look for pictures early next week.

And finally on Monday, the high level segment of the negotiations will begin as many of the Ministers begin to arrive. While there is much talk during the first week of the meeting, in most cases the real work begins once the ministers arrive.

I am incredibly impressed with the large number youth attending the conference. Greenpeace's Solar Generation students are here in force joining a large and focused youth movement. The youth delegation has been working the delegates hard, and have becoming an increasingly powerful force at these meetings.

Stand by for more from Bali.