Feature Story - 12 December, 2011
UN climate talks in Durban have ended the same way they began, in failure. Governments at the UN climate talks have chosen to listen to the polluters over the people and failed to reinforce previous climate saving measures and have steered clear of new global rules for tackling climate change.
Despite the rallying calls that filled the hallways of the conference center yesterday, polluters have won this round of talks with politicians making little progress on a global deal to tackle climate change.
Two years ago in Copenhagen, politicians promised a US $100 billion fund would be set up to help the poorest countries adapt to and mitigate climate change. They came to Durban two years later only planning to design a way to collect and distribute the money. It turns out they could not even manage to do that.
While the details of the talks may be complex the truth is simple. We are nowhere near where we need to be to avert catastrophic climate change.
Chief among the blockers for a success at the negotiations by far is the US, which is clearly operating at the bidding of the carbon cartels. Its negotiators have no place in the room. Other powerful governments and blocs, like the EU, China, and India should have already outmaneuvered them, joining together to side with the most vulnerable to make real progress.
“The grim news is that the blockers lead by the US have succeeded in inserting a vital get-out clause that could easily prevent the next big climate deal being legally binding. If that loophole is exploited it could be a disaster. And the deal is due to be implemented 'from 2020' leaving almost no room for increasing the depth of carbon cuts in this decade when scientists say we need emissions to peak," said Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace International Executive Director.
“Governments, INCLUDING AUSTRALIA'S departing the UN talks should be ashamed. Australia arrived in Durban with reason to be proud, having succeeded in putting a price on domestic carbon pollution but our political leadership failed to prosecute the argument for a fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement when it was needed,” said Paul Winn, Greenpeace Australia Pacific forest campaigner.
“Instead of listening to the people demanding action or to countries like the low lying Pacific nations who are most at risk from climate change, our leaders have pandered to the polluters – the global corporations making a fortune from pulling dirty coal and oil out of our fragile earth,” concluded Winn.