In the face of Doha’s failure and worsening climate change impacts, social movements, civil society and communities in the North and the South must reinvigorate efforts to organize and mobilize people, resist false solutions, resist operations of big business that contribute to climate change, build alternative systems, and set the world on the path to sustainability from the ground up.
As COP18 slowly draws to a close, much doubt remains as to whether agreement on immediate and meaningful measures to tackle climate change will be reached–hardened by unconfirmed reports that UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon may convene a High-Level Forum on Climate Change in 2014, which could take the momentum away from the COP process with ministers reluctant to make commitments in advance of the high-level forum.
The US often projects a self-ascribed role of acting for the benefit of others in the world. At COP18 it, along with the EU, must move beyond a concern for its interests alone, and live up to its obligation to act for the other people inhabiting this planet. The world’s richest have both the responsibility and power to breath life into a process they have done much to stall – at the expense of the world’s poorest. If they do not, then the cost, which will be measured in human lives, will be on their shoulders.
It has become obvious that the continued lack of mitigation ambition and inadequate resources to implement adaptation actions are causing increasing suffering and significant loss and damages of assets and properties in poor and vulnerable countries. M. Shamsuddoha, Chief Executive of the Center for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD), reports on the state of expected COP-18 deliverables on “loss and damage”.
As the first week of UNFCCC COP18 in Doha, Qatar draws to a close, fault lines between developed and developing countries are becoming clearer.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is seen to be the subject of yet more intense debates at the UNFCCC’s COP-18 climate change talks in Doha.
The US chief negotiator at COP-18 issued a strong rebuke to NGOs in an off-the-record meeting, which has now been published in Indian media.
The Subsidiary Body for Implementation chair circulated a draft text on the SBI agenda item on “loss and damage” (from climate change) for further discussion and negotiation by country Parties. Country Parties agreed to continue their work on the text while they expressed their concern on few specific paragraphs.
Four main items were discussed at today’s meeting of the Contact Group on Finance, i.e., general statements on the report on the work programme on Long Term Finance, the report of the Standing Committee, report on the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and initial guidelines; and on the arrangements between the Conference of Parties and the GCF.
The UNFCCC COP-18 opened this week in Qatar. More pressure than ever before rests on this COP process ending with a meaningful outcome characterized by developed country ambition in achieving emissions reductions, equity between developed and developing countries in emission reductions and climate financing, and legally binding commitments on all of these.
Farjana Akter of VOICE (Bangladesh) writes a pithy and passionate piece for urgent climate action, saying that “exercising rights and justice at their maximum standard are the expectations of the people during the climate talks in Doha.”
IBON Key Asks at COP-18 states: People of the world are demanding from the world’s leaders gathered at COP18 an ambitious, equitable and binding framework to address this planetary emergency.
IBON Key Asks at COP-18 states: People of the world are demanding from the world’s leaders gathered at COP18 an ambitious, equitable and binding framework to address this planetary emergency.
EDM (Vol. 11 No. 6) COVER STORY Doha COP18: Gateway to more climate injustice US and EU must show leadership and responsibility in climate
Civil society organizations and social movements from the global South have banded together and pledged to Campaign for People’s Goals for Sustainable Development. The CPGSD common statement urged governments to abandon the current development model that grants rights and liberties to capital over the rights and freedoms of people and the protection of the environment, and vowed to fight for a new development framework that is founded on the principles of human rights, equality, self-determination, and social, gender and ecological justice.
Civil society organizations and social movements from the global South have banded together and pledged to Campaign for People’s Goals for Sustainable Development. The CPGSD common statement urged governments to abandon the current development model that grants rights and liberties to capital over the rights and freedoms of people and the protection of the environment, and vowed to fight for a new development framework that is founded on the principles of human rights, equality, self-determination, and social, gender and ecological justice.