CAN Presser: Progress is slow, developed nations must step it up
6 October 2009
Today’s press conference updated media and CAN partners on how negotiations are going at the UNFCCC climate negotiations underway in Bangkok, Thailand.
Speaking at the press conference were Tove Ryding representing Greenpeace International, Angela Anderson of US CAN and Wael Hmaiden from IndyAct.
Ryding reported that the negotiations are not accelerating by half the speed that the effects of climate change are. She outlined two major problems contributing to the slow pace. The first is a practical one, in that the text of the agreement remains too unstructured to be useful. The goal of the negotiations here in Thailand is to see progress in paring down the international climate treaty to be considered by world leaders at the world summit scheduled for December in Copenhagen.
Earlier in the week CAN representatives hoped to see the negotiating document pared down to 50 pages, but while some progress has been made, that goal has not been reached.
The second major problem Ryding outlined was a political one. Developed nations are not moving quickly enough to firm up commitments to significant greenhouse gas emissions targets and transfers of funds to developing nations to assist them in developing clean energy options. On the other hand, Weal Hmaiden from IndyAct reports that developing countries like China, Indonesia and Egypt have signaled that they are willing to deviate from business-as-usual and make stronger commitments to greenhouse gas reduction targets.
“Looking at the big picture there has been a little movement,” said Hmaiden. “This little bit of development has come from the developing nations. So the ball is now in the hands of developed nations.” Hmaiden reiterated that two main points developed nations must address this week are increased commitments to reduction targets and a soild financing package.
US CAN’s Angela Anderson gave an update on the political landscape in the United States, highlighting two recent positive developments. The first is the introduction last week of a Senate clean energy and green jobs bill sponsored by Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer. The second is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent announcement that it would move to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from hundreds of electricity production plants and other major industrial polluters.
While Anderson was somewhat optimistic she was quick to point out that the “million dollar question remains… will these two tracks help us get a fair, ambitious and binding deal in Copenhagen.”
Check back on Eco-Digtial regularly as we report out on the negotiating road to the world summit on climate change scheduled for December in Copenhagen.