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monday 13 june
2000
kyoto climate treaty heading for the
rocks
environmental groups issue global
warning
Bonn. The leading industrialised nations are
undermining the effectiveness of the world's
only agreement to combat global climate
change, an international coalition of
environmental organisations including Friends
of the Earth, Greenpeace and WWF warned
today[1].
The Kyoto treaty is supposed to reduce
emissions of climate changing pollution by 5
per cent over the coming decade. But the
world's most industrialised nations are
looking for loopholes to allow their (OECD)
emissions to increase by 15-20% per cent. The
green groups single out the United States,
Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand as
the main culprits, as more than 120 nations
convene in Bonn this week for ten days of
climate talks.
Roda Verheyen of Friends of the Earth
said:
"Too many industrialised countries are
protecting their selfish interests rather
than acting to prevent a climate catastrophe
which will hit the whole globe. The situation
is becoming desperate. This is why so many
environmental organisations have joined
together to issue this warning. We must act
now before it is too late."
Bill Hare of Greenpeace said:
"These Governments are trying to create the
impression that they are moving ahead on
climate policies while in reality, in the
smoke-filled backrooms of these negotiations,
they are systematically attempting to shred
every last bit of environmental integrity
from the Kyoto Protocol."
Jennifer Morgan of WWF International
warned:
"If governments don't pull the helm over,
the Kyoto Protocol is headed for the
rocks."
The environmental movement wants the Kyoto
Protocol to meet its stated purpose to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions as a first step to
avoid dangerous climate change. But loopholes
in the rules could permit the worst polluters
including USA, Japan, Australia, Canada and
New Zealand to continue increasing emissions,
and avoid domestic action. One big loopholes
is the rules on forestry activities. Canada,
Japan, Australia, USA, New Zealand, Sweden
and France want rules which would encourage
the chopping down of old-growth forests,
replacing them with new plantations from
which they can claim pollution credits.
The treaty allows countries to meet their
targets by trading pollution "rights", via
projects in each other's countries and by
relying on forests to soak up carbon
pollution from the air. Governments now
appear determined to stretch this flexibility
to breaking point.
Environmental groups also want to prevent
Canada, Japan, France, Australia, the USA,
New Zealand and the UK from having nuclear
power accepted as a "Clean Development
Mechanism".
The coalition of environmental groups
which has issued the climate warning to world
leaders includes: CAN INDONESIA * CLIMATE
NETWORK EUROPE * CLIMATE NETWORK AFRICA *
CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK AUSTRALIA * CLIMATE
ACTION NETWORK CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE *
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH * GREENPEACE * KIKO
NETWORK JAPAN * PELANGI INDONESIA * MALAYSIAN
CLIMATE CHANGE GROUP * NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL
TRUST * OZONE ACTION * SIERRA CLUB * US
PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP * WORLD WIDE
FUND FOR NATURE
Notes to Editors:
(1) Undermining the Kyoto Protocol:
Environmental Effectiveness vs. Political
Expediency. A briefing is available from the
FOE (London) Press Office.
For more information (in Bonn):
Roda Verheyen, Climate Change Campaigner,
Friends of the Earth. Tel: 07712 843 216
(mobile).
(Speaks English, German, Norwegian), or
Frances Maguire, Climate Change Campaigner
FOE; Tel. 07712 843 220
Bill Hare, Climate Policy Director,
Greenpeace International. Tel: +31 6 2129
6899 (mobile).
(Speaks English)
Jennifer Morgan, Director, WWF Climate
Change Campaign. Tel: +1 201 873 0034
(mobile)
. (Speaks English, German)
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