CAN Intervention in the COP18 High Level Event, 7 December, 2012

CAN Intervention in the High Level Event, 7 December 

Delivered by Lama El Hatow from IndyAct

 

Your Excellencies, Honorable Ministers.

My name is Lama El Hatow, from Egypt, speaking on behalf of the Climate Action Network.

The world faces deeply distressing prospects as this COP ends. Recent catastrophes including in the Philippines have caused huge damage and loss of life. We cannot afford to wait. Climate change affects all countries, in  particular, those islands risking disappearance under rising sea levels.  As COP18 nears its close, we can seize this opportunity now in these final hours to take real, substantive action.

The KP is at risk of being taken forward with little environmental integrity or ambition, we commend those striving to avoid this.

On Loss and Damage, states must agree here to establish the international mechanism. Post-Doha we must continue working on this.

We salute developing countries that have increased or pledged  mitigation ambitions here in Doha. Developed countries must be inspired to follow suit. While commending those announcing financial commitments, we caution that they are insufficient. Without trust and security, the COP process becomes obsolete.

We would like to enforce an ambition for regional pledges by the GCC because they have the capacity to do so.

Honorable Ministers, please do not fail us now. Our future, much more so that of the world's youth, depends on today's outcomes.May this COP – held in my Arab region – demonstrate true determination by all countries to effectively meet the threatening challenge of climate change.

Thank you.