Greenpeace worker holds the teather of the Balloon near the Utah Olympic Sports Park.
The final PrepCom for the Johannesburg Earth Summit has broken
down without a final resolution on key issues. Greenpeace launched
its countdown to Johannesburg today, calling on governments to
seize the 80 days between now and the Summit to fulfil the promises
they made in Rio 10 years ago.
Since yesterday afternoon, negotiations here in Bali have
focussed on the question of whether or not the rich nations of the
world would come up with the cash to pay for the implementation of
the Rio agreements. For a time, it looked like a deal would be
struck between the EU and G-77 and China, isolating the US, Canada
and Australia completely. In the end, however, it was agricultural
subsidies that broke down the negotiations.
Rich countries spend hundreds of billions of dollars every year
subsidising agriculture, fisheries, and the fossil fuel and nuclear
industries. At the end of the day, they wouldn't agree to practice
the liberal economics that they preach, and continue to squeeze
poor farmers, fishermen and the renewable energy industry into the
margins. The extraordinary hypocrisy of demanding subsidy reduction
and neo-liberal economic policies in the countries of the south,
while practicing old fashioned protectionism at home, is not lost
on most here in Bali. They sing the praises of globalisation and
the WTO, but when push comes to shove, they won't abide by the
rules that they try to impose on the developing world.
Plenary will reconvene at some point late tonight, at which time
it is expected that the 'current' text will be forwarded wholesale
to Johannesburg.
Greenpeace International Political Director Remi Parmentier
said: "The shameful hypocrisy of the rich countries have brought
this unfortunate episode to a close, but all of the key issues are
still in play for Johannesburg. It's not too late for governments
to take their responsibilities seriously and agree a meaningful
action plan in Johannesburg. They must seize the next 80 days.
Greenpeace launched its Countdown to Johannesburg today, an
action-oriented public campaign to bring home the message that the
public will accept nothing less than a real action plan from
Johannesburg, which tackles poverty and the environment, and
climate change, with concrete goals, time-tables and means of
implementation.