Earthlife Africa
27 July 2001
document
Johannesburg — Negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol, an instrument of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has produced a decisive positive result.
Non-government organizations were not allowed negotiating meetings but informal reports suggest that the South African delegation made productive inputs to the round-the-clock sessions that resulted in a political agreement announced on Monday 23 July.
Richard Worthington of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Partnership, a project of Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, spoke on behalf of CAN South at a press conference with Greenpeace, WWF and Friends of the Earth, following the announcement:
"We have a positive result. It is not what it should be, far less than it could be, but it is a positive second step towards meeting the challenges facing the world as a result of our fossil fuel addiction. This clearly establishes that Bush and his administration cannot hold the world to ransom; that a multi- lateral approach to tackling environmental problem can succeed even in the face of concerted and outright US opposition.
The hopes of Africa, the most vulnerable continent, the needs of the majority of G77 nations, which stand to lose the most due to the effects of anthropogenically induced climate change, have not been fulfilled. This text does not adequately address issues of South-North equity, it does not make a serious dent in the historically accumulated ecological debt and the greenhouse gas emissions of the rich of the world, but it does establish a legally binding basis to begin to address the impacts of current unsustainable energy practices.
Because of this, we have no doubt that the vested interests of the fossil fuel and nuclear industries will be stepping up their efforts to further weaken the Protocol. This is already a compromise deal, catering primarily to the interests of the North, and this instrument will need to be complimented by other efforts within the framework of the UN Convention.
We finally have a progressive outcome from the Kyoto Protocol process, a victory in the face of US and corporate opposition, and every country should immediately initiate the ratification process.
This is not a solution to global climate change; it falls far short of action required by the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the concessions in the political agreement in effect reduce existing targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction to less than half the value agreed in Kyoto, in particular through allowance for 'sink' activities for Japan, Canada and Australia.
The 'deal' does not adequately address the development needs and challenges facing the South. We clearly welcome the political declaration on financial commitments, led by the EU, that will allow some activity on technology transfer and capacity building, and call on other nations to commit to funding additional to existing channels such as ODA and replenishment of the Global Environmental Facility. We will need additional instruments to address the adaptation needs of most vulnerable and least developed nations.
The agreement reached in Bonn is not an optimal result but it is welcome progress and all parties should now work for entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol well in advance of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Sept 2002)."
Contact: Sustainable Energy & Climate Change Partnership, EARTHLIFE AFRICA, Johannesburg Branch, PO Box 11383, Johannesburg, 2000. Tel: (011) 339 3662 Fax: (011) 339 3270. e-mail: seccp@earthlife.org.za website: www.earthlife.org.za
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