Poland and Germany Shamed — France receives Ray of the Day
RAY OF THE DAY: FRANCE
France wins tonight’s Ray of the Day—the second in history—for leadership in fighting the EU’s shameful position on LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry). On the first night of the COP, Sweden, Finland, and Austria were Fossilized for pushing a loophole in the accounting of emissions for forest management.
Tonight, the Fossil/Ray Supreme Command Council is pleased to announce, France has come forward with concerns about the EU’s proposal, and calling at the EU Council meeting to close the loophole. If France prevails, Europe’s target will be far more credible; emissions from Europe’s forests will be properly accounted—and the negotiations here in Copenhagen will receive a much-needed jolt of positive news. Other EU member states, take notice!
FIRST PLACE: POLAND
Poland scores first place for actively blocking the proposed unconditional upgrade of the EU’s carbon emissions reduction target to 30%. The Polish EU affairs minister, Mikolaj Dowgielewicz, who told the EU Observer, “Clearly, in Copenhagen begins a sequence of events that will end, we hope, in Mexico City and there we will have the tools to assess whether we can make the transition from 20 to 30 percent EU objective.”
Raising Europe’s target this year is absolutely key to a real climate deal in Copenhagen. CAN urges the European Union to move, in fact, to a 40% cut from 1990 levels by 2020. Trying to block even a move from 20% is more than enough to secure a first-place Fossil for Poland.
SECOND PLACE: GERMANY
Germany wins second place for failing to clarify that climate finance should be additional to existing aid. A week ago, several leaders of the ruling coalition–with support from Development Minister Dirk Niebel, who will be here tomorrow–proposed to the Bundestag that no climate finance should be additional to money already pledged for development assistance. It’s an insult to imagine pulling away money promised for famine relief, malaria medicine, and primary school in the developing world, and using that to bargain on climate change. Seven long days have passed, the EU meeting has begun… Germany: break your silence and promise to push for Europe’s climate finance to be additional! The world is watching!
THIRD PLACE: NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand for statements yesterday by Prime Minister John Key: “I am not focused on increasing New Zealand’s target. What I am focused on is going to Copenhagen and making sure that New Zealand can successfully negotiate the conditions that we think are important in order for us to achieve a target of 10 to 20 percent. If we do not negotiate those conditions, we will not be able to achieve a target of 10 to 20 percent and we would have to have a lower target. …If New Zealand were to achieve a target of 10 percent less, that would be a significant milestone.”