TH!NK post

COP 16 Cancun day 3: Lukewarm Mood Under a Hot Climate

Published 02nd December 2010 - 0 comments - 2155 views -

It is already the 3rd day of COP16 and despite a lot of "marketing" efforts it seems to be that Cancun conference will be pure work conference not a place of big historic deals and breakthrough. It will be more working on scientific details, financing, technology, re-forestration (REDD), possibilities of renewing the soon expiring Kyoto Protocol and paving the road to the next conferences (Durban 2011, Rio 2012).

While last year Copenhagen COP15 many top world political leaders, head of states attended now in Cancun COP16 only very few of them are expected to attend.

If the top leaders of the most developed nations will finally not attend Cancun for the national statements days (7-10 Dec.) it will be a clear sign to the world that they leave the planet alone in its troubles.

Until now Cancun is on very low media attention which is a big fault.

The Hungarian delegation

In contrast of Copenhagen now parties understood that here is still a lot of work in the details till a new global agreement.

Meantime of course polar's and glacier's ice is melting, global temperature and green house gas levels are raising, weather is getting crazy and extreme...

Nevertheless to work on the details is also important and as I emphasized it here before: we are advancing with small but clearly positive steps. As Mrs Connie Hedegaard (EU Climate Action Commissioner) said before: just look back for 5 years, we were nowhere compared to that today’s ECO political, technological stage, which is much advanced.

Speaking to the media on the third day of the conference, Christiana Figueres said that Cancun can deliver on adaptation, technology transfer, forests and funding, and can also clarify what to do about the Kyoto Protocol and how to anchor targets and actions.

Compromise is the key word, she stressed, adding that she sees the spirit of compromise in important areas.

 

Source of Video: UNFCCC

As Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN climate convention, said: "At this point, everything I see tells me that there is a deal to be done.

Cancun will be a success, if parties compromise."

Unfortunately the "IF" is still there and the big bunny US still did not hop out from the bush while China and India seems to be ready to step forward.

Although I do not think nations need to wait any more for US. Hundred of nations are there in Cancun they can step forward either with or without US.

It seems to be the media and governments are more interested now in the WikiLeaks scandal details and meantime might lose the opportunity to agree in Cancun. We still do not perceive what we are playing with if we do not make strong steps against climate change and global warming. Just look at the situation in EU during this week caused by the early heavy snowing.

It would be better to have hot mood conference in order to assure ambient temperature for the future.

(KL)

Category: Climate Politics, | Tags:



Comments

Adela on 20th December 2009:

I’ve been so pissed all day than I don’t have enough words to express my disappointment.

I also put up a post on the outcome, from a more personal point of view. You’ve done a great job in reporting it objectively.

Paul Montariol on 20th December 2009:

Andreas, you are young and it is a chance.
If you want to understand what arrives, please look at the history and the geography.
An example:
In 1950 India had 400 million of very poor inhabitants.
Europe (very poor at that time) helped India with the Western techniques.
Today India is much richer and there is more than one billion Indians.
Who can ask Europe to still pay for India?
Geography:
For the African continent:
An article of the newspaper “Jeune Afrique” recalls that this continent has an enormous potential of hydraulic energy production.
This has as consequences that to enter a cleaner world Africa is the richest continent of the world!
Do you think that we must help Africa?
I say no!
There are many things to negotiate but not like the project of Copenhagen.
NB: China exploits Africa harder than Europe!
ETC ... more if you want as well!

Federico Pistono on 20th December 2009:

You’ve done a great job in reporting it objectively.

Yep, many links and sources too.

I guess I fell like Adela right now, it was kind of emotional to be there and share the general disappointment, maybe in a few days I’ll be more objective and rational.

Paul Montariol on 20th December 2009:

I wish you to start to put back you and to find a little happiness with your friends and your family.

Aija Vanaga on 21st December 2009:

Someone have said that only way to take is - forward. So let’s move on and keep being t/here for our believes and visions!

Ankur Bhatnagar on 08th February 2010:

I await your comments on comments on present scenario, is COP 15 still a failure, when 55 countries with 80% of global emission have submitted their targets.
Despite being a failure in your terms, I saw a strong positive outcome from the Conference. 192+ nations stands united to fight a common cause ‘Global Warming’. It was a common consent in disguise in support of climate change control. The only disputes were: Base Year for new agreement, Temp. level (2 Degree C or 1.5 Degree C), and mostly on targets of emission cuts. This should have been main agenda of discussion from Day 1 of COP 15, but some countries didn’t allowed discussion on these most critical issues. It was discussed only after a group of countries lead by India left the conference hall showing their disappointment on unnecessary discussions.

For those who think ‘Why Europe should pay for India?’ or why developed countries should pay for developing countries? The answer is in simple questions: Who is responsible for their undeveloped economies? Who exploited resources of these developing countries? Would the scenario had been same if these countries were not colonized by today’s developed countries?
Despite of all these facts developing countries have taken targets for emission and well as emission intensity cuts. Now compare their target with targets taken by developed countries, and then compare per capita emissions of these countries.
COP 15 was not a failure, but yes it’s a bit difficult for 192+ nations to arrive at a common consensus.

Paul Montariol on 08th February 2010:

@Ankur,
Good comment!
Your point of view is “Ethic”.
Do you understand that we are in politic!
We have to choose between peace or war.
Can you find in any time in the history a moment where your point of view were applied?
Do you understand that peak oil will change the question.
In some years oil production will decrease of 6 to 8% each year!
That is a spring of war.
When you look what China makes with Tibet: all the trees cut and the same with culture.
Now they make the same in Africa ..
Colonization were hard but not so much.
You say that we have used oil .. and so on ..
Do you think that any other civilization is able to make in another direction.
We have brought a lot of good technologies with!
When you look at mankind you have every time the good and the bad.
All that makes me think that the good solution is to develop new energies 3% (of all energy consumed) more each year.
With that we have peace and development every where.
More: Africa will be the Saudi Arabia of the world!
Are they able to be really rich?

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