20 November 2000
dike now symbol of hope at climate talks
but what's the price of a deal
The Chair of the Hague summit, Dutch
environment minister Jan Pronk, has described
the massive dike built by Friends of the
Earth International as a symbol of hope for
the success of the talks
But inside the Conference Centre,
discussions are not going well. The United
States and its supporters (Canada, Japan,
Australia) are still trying to water down the
Kyoto agreement. These countries want to
avoid as far as possible having to take
domestic action to cut emissions from fossil
fuels. They are arguing for all kinds of
loopholes including "sinks" (for example
forests), which would count towards their
Kyoto targets. The European Union argues in
public for binding commitments to domestic
action, but may agree a deal, such a "50/50"
domestic/loophole split. Under pressure and
in private, they may even accept forests and
other sinks as counting towards an agreed 50%
domestic contribution. This would mean that
the U.S and others could reach Kyoto targets
with barely any real action to cut fossil
fuel emissions at all!
FoEI has been analysing US and other
countries' policy papers to discover what
price - per tonne of carbon saved - developed
countries are prepared to pay for a deal at
the talks? What price will the politicians
put on the lives, homes and jobs lost in
weather disasters?
Commenting, FoEI Climate Expert Frances
MacGuire said: "Thousands of citizens came
from all over the world last weekend to build
a dyke. It is now the symbol of hope for the
success of these talks. But inside the
Conference Centre, the politicians are still
fighting over every loophole and escape
clause they can find.
"What price per tonne of carbon saved are
the US and other countries prepared to pay
for a deal in the Hague? What value do they
put on the lives, jobs and homes that are
being lost as a result of climate
change?"
A news report on the building of the dyke
will be shown on the internal TV system at
the Conference Centre every hourfor the
remainder of the week. Minister Pronk has
promised to put sandbag from the dike on the
table at plenary sessions of the
Conference.
view the
dike is
done
pictures
For further infomation please contact:
Press Officer - Ian Willmore Tel: 0044
7887 641344 (FoEI)
Climate Expert - Roda Verheyen Tel: 0044
7712 843216
Frances MacGuire Tel: 0044 7712 843460
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