Your Daily Guide to COP16
What’s happened in the negotiations?
The negotiations started with an opening ceremony where parties outlined their expectations but no calls for ambitious outcomes were heard in the plenary.
The discussion was centred on organisational matters including the COP decision making process. Should countries start to vote on the outcomes instead of pursuing consensus? The latter is still the only way to include the voices of ulnerable countries that will be the most affected by climate change.
USA and China are still fighting over what ‘similar commitments’ would look like. So far, no-one has offered concrete leadership on the main issues.
We have heard today that the Mexican government has invited some Heads of State and not others to Cancun, which may lead to an unfair and undemocratic process.
For Cancun to deliver a successful outcome in line with the Convention, developed countries must honour their commitments and the voices of those most affected by climate change. The EU still has to show its willingness to act. Although it is good to see that they are not happy with the voluntary pledge-based system that is the essence of the Copenhagen Accord, they still seem to be quite flexible about an outcome here in Cancun. More to come in the next days!
Update on Time for Climate Justice activities
This weekend the South-South civil society organisations’ meeting took place. It shared very little optimism for the ongoing climate change negotiations. The organisations, drawn from Latin America, Africa, and Asia said that the climate negotiations seem to lack the clear understanding that climate change is a real threat to the lives of poor communities.
Focusing on the issue of climate finance, speakers and participants at the meeting lamented that the rich industrialised countries have played games with the financial commitments made in Copenhagen last year. Speaking at the meeting, Mithika Mwenda, coordinator of PACJA, reported that some of the finances have been used to manipulate any developing countries in Africa to sign the Copenhagen Accord.
The meeting further recommended that any kind of climate finance must be seen first as reparation of ecological and climate debt that has been accrued by rich industrialised countries as they plundered the earth’s resources at the expense of people in developing countries. This debt has to be paid in the form of adaption and mitigation funds, not carbon trading. Payment of that debt must be in addition to deep emission cuts by the Annex 1 countries at home, and not by offsetting.
What you can do today
Send your message to the world leaders
Visit the Time for Climate Justice stand between 3-5 pm and take part in our photo petition. The photos will be uploaded on www.climatejusticeonline.org and exhibited during COP16 in South Africa. Our stand is located in Cancun Messe, close to the main entrance. Look for booth number 136 and the Time for Climate Justice signs.
Side event
State of play in the negotiations. How can we ensure that the climate regime delivers equity and protects human rights? Tosi Mpani, chair of the Africa Group, and a representative from the EU will exchange views with civil society groups. The side event is organised by APRODEV and PACJA.
Time: Tuesday 20.15 – 21.45
Venue: Room 2 (Jaguar), Hall C, Cancun Messe
Looking forward – issues and events to come this week
Side event
Climate change, food security and agriculture. Today’s globalised food system increases hunger. Discussion on
the ecological, resilient and productive alternatives, highlighting the policies needed to transform food provision and feed the world in 2050. The side event is hosted by Practical Action, Development Fund Norway, BftW and EED. Time: Wednesday, 15.00 – 16.30
Venue: Room 1, Cancun Messe
Download this newsletter in PDF format.
Categories: COP16 blog, News, UN Talks