Is it something we said?
The Africans walked out – from under the collective banner of the G77 states.
The G77 developing countries, blocked the United Nations climate talks overnight by walking out of several of the key meetings in protest over the failure of wealthy nations to put firm targets on the table under the Kyoto Protocol. (In case you’re wondering how many countries belong to G7 – it is 120. The original G77 was founded in 1964 by the “Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Countries” and was originally a loose coalition of developing countries. The group includes China)
”It is regrettable that we appear to have reached a deadlock on process,” the Climate Change Minister, Penny Wong, said last night. ”But a range of countries are working hard to get these issues resolved.”
The walk-out had been brewing all week but came unexpectedly as ministers arrived to take over the negotiations from officials, indicating that the deep divisions are not going to be resolved easily and currently it looks odds-on that the whole circus will be extended by a few days so that when Obama arrives, there will be something to sign.
The reason for protest by the developing countries is the refusal of the wealthy nations to clearly state they will keep alive the Kyoto Protocol, the treaty that imposes legally binding cuts on their Carbon Dioxide emissions.
The G77 countries have been demanding all week that the wealthy nations agree to a second round of cuts under the Kyoto Protocol before they will agree to a new treaty. As the whole Kyoto exercise was a farce anyway, it is looking increasingly likely that very little will happen in Copenhagen during the next few days. So far there has been a beautiful display of political window dressing, lots of talk and eating but little promised action.
In the intervening 12 years, most developed countries have been studiously ignoring the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and the Copenhagen meeting has the air of “Let’s start again” about it. The African states are taking the opportunity to help the rich states to salve their collective conscience by relieving them of even more cash. Cash for famines, cash for water, cash for development, cash for Swiss bank accounts and now cash for carbon. They never miss a trick.
There a lots of scientists milling about and as mere increases in temperature have become a bit “passé”, new angles are needed to further panic the world into action. Once again, the scientists have not disappointed
A report prepared specially for the Copenhagen meeting has found growing acidity in the oceans caused by the soaring amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The acidity is irreversible in the short term and it poses an immediate threat to marine life.
The report warns that by 2050, the ocean acidity could increase by 150 per cent.
”This dramatic increase is 100 times faster than any change in acidity experienced in the marine environment over the last 20 million years, giving little time for evolutionary adaptation within biological systems,”
The report, which was prepared under the UN Environment Program and the Convention on Biological Diversity, highlights the link between soaring greenhouse gas emissions, the health of the oceans and the huge potential cost of reversing the trend.
”Ocean acidification is irreversible on timescales of at least tens of thousands of years, and substantial damage to ocean ecosystems can only be avoided by urgent and rapid reductions in global emissions of CO2. Attention must be given for integration of this critical issue at the global climate change debate in Copenhagen.” said Ahmed Djoghlaf, the Head of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Apparently, the seas and oceans are absorbing about one-quarter of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. As emissions soar, the percentage is increasing.
The only amazing thing about these new reports is that they appear to come out of nowhere and according to the study, this particular phenomenon seems to be occurring independently of climate change but will no doubt give the African states even more ammunition in their demands for more money to “help them to deal with climate change”.
So yesterday, after a couple of hours, it became clear that the “walkout” wasn’t really a walkout. Then the talking was going to resume; then it seemed to resume. The problem was that this “talking” was informal and not a proper negotiation. The WRONG kind of talking! So it doesn’t look as if it counted as talking. Confusion reigned.
Some African delegates confirmed that the negotiations would not resume until today (Tuesday) but others were already involved in a meeting. However, technically both factions were correct because there WAS talking but the talking wasn’t negotiation.
This is rapidly developing into a meeting about semantics and procedures. The Danish hosts have called for “informal consultations on major issues requiring political guidance.” It seems that all issues need to be discussed formally, although most discussions are being carried-out over a sandwich and a drink without the benefit of an agenda, stenographers or TV cameras. Chaos rules.
The major stumbling block is that the Africans want to continue-with and develop what was agreed in Kyoto, whereas the Danes want to bring everything together under a new singleagreement which will supercede Kyoto. That gives the impression that the Kyoto Protocol is dead and the handouts to the African states will be re-negotiated – or is that re-discussed? Doubtless, the African leaders will moderate their views soon after the chequebooks appear.
In spite of the logistical and organisational cock-up, there is hope. Gordon Brown is flying in.
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