Press release - 25 October, 2007
Greenpeace welcomes the initiative of the Indonesian government to host this informal meeting of ministers prior to the next round of climate negotiations in Bali in December. It builds on the momentum created at the recent high level UN summit on climate change and sends a strong political message that governments are ready and willing to negotiate seriously in Bali.
The Bali meeting must produce an ambitious negotiating framework
that results in deeper emissions cuts from developed countries,
broader country participation, and a reduction in carbon emissions
through the elimination of deforestation.
It should create a mechanism that will deliver an energy
revolution based on renewable energy and energy efficiency and
include a way of paying for the impacts of climate change that can
no longer be avoided, especially in the developing world.
We welcome the acknowledgement from Ministers that these
negotiations must begin in Bali. They must also recognize the need
for urgency and set a deadline of 2009 for agreement on this
package.
Strengthening and deepening the Kyoto Protocol for its second
phase post 2012 should be the focus for all governments. Recent
initiatives outside of this process have promoted 'aspirational'
targets and a voluntary regime. These are at best a distraction
from the crucial task of protecting the climate and at worst a
deliberate attempt to derail Kyoto, allowing business as usual. We
urge governments to resist being led down this 'road to
nowhere'.
Other contacts: Athena Ronquillo Ballesteros, Greenpeace International Asia regional climate campaigner (m) +63 9178131562Nur Hidayati, Greenpeace Southeast Asia climate and energy Campaigner, (m) +62 812 997 2642Martin Baker, Greenpeace International communications officer, (m)+852 9014 5259