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friday, 18 may
2001
lifeboat to rescue the world climate
treaty !
Friends of the Earth bring thousands to Kyoto
Protocol negotiations, Bonn, July 21st
Today Friends of the Earth International
[1] launches a massive mobilization effort
towards this yearís largest mass action on
climate change ! Thousands of people from all
over the world are expected to participate in
the mega-BOAT ACTION, July 21st at the UN
Kyoto Protocol negotiations in Bonn.
Participants will physically construct the
Boat in the town centre and drag it to the UN
conference. The Boat will be decorated with
banners, flags and slogans from groups and
individuals around the world: an unavoidable
message from the outside world to politicians
on the inside of the negotiations. Supporters
of the Boat action have already booked buses
in countries as far apart as England and
Estonia.
Daniel Mittler, Climate Action organiser,
Friends of the Earth Germany (B.U.N.D.):
ìThe Boat is a simple symbol. The disastrous
consequences of man-made global warming are
the result of our own hubris, unrelenting
pollution without thought of the
consequences. The Boat will serve as a symbol
of rescue and hope, it is only through
collective action and human innovation that
we may cope with the catastrophic impacts of
accelerated climate change.î
Over 150,000 people participated in last
monthís FLOOD BUSH! e-protest campaign,
initiated by Friends of the Earth, targeting
the White House for the US attempt to wreck
the climate treaty. The BOAT actionís message
is simple: Donít Sink The Kyoto Protocol
!
Last Novemberís climate talks in The Hague
saw Friends of the Earth bring over 5000
members of the public for the construction of
a sand-bag dike around the UN conference
hall. People came from over 45 countries,
from Norway to Nigeria, and from Chile to the
Czech Republic to build the dike. Klaus
Toepfer, the Head of UNEP, and Jan Pronk, the
Chair of the UN climate talks also
participated. Sandbags from the dike
decorated the podium in the plenary sessions
and became a symbol of hope for the
conference.
Ricardo Navarro, Chair of Friends of the
Earth International adds:
ìPeople all over the world are outraged at
the scandalous attempts of fossil-friendly
governments, in particular the US, Canada and
Australia, to sabotage the Kyoto Protocol.
Friends of the Earthís Boat will be built
with the determination and sincerity that we
expect from the politicians inside the UN
climate conference. Political lip-servicing
and a weakening or abandonment of the treaty
from any of the Parties will not be
acceptable. The climate will not wait.î
Friends of the Earth believes that the
Kyoto Protocol rules to be negotiated in Bonn
must ensure:
- fossil fuel emissions targets agreed at
Kyoto are maintained;
- investment is accelerated in renewable
energy and energy efficiency not nuclear
power, so-called "carbon sinks", large
hydroelectricity or coal projects;
- industrialised countries make most CO2
emission reductions at home;
- funding made available to vulnerable
countries for climate disaster preparedness
and management;
- the inequitable use of the worldís
resources is recognised: developing countries
have a right to develop sustainably and
industrialised countries must encourage more
greener energy consumption.
www.foeeurope.org/lifeboat
More information:
Kate Hampton, Climate Change expert: +44 207
490 1555
Mark Helm, Friends of the Earth US,
Washington press contact: + 1 202 270
3650
Howard Mollett, Press Officer, FOE Europe:
+32 2 542 01 89 / 32 4786 03374
Daniel Mittler, Action Organiser in Germany:
+49 30 275 86468
Climate Press Packs available
containing
: "What next !" A guide to citizensí climate
activism,
Pictures from last yearís mass DIKE action +
sandbags in the UN climate talks in The
Hague,
Politics of Climate briefing
Dike Pictures + Interviews with
dike-builders / climate campaigners / local
Friends of the Earth activists available in
over 60 countries worldwide !
Notes
[1] Friends of the Earth International is
the world's largest federation of
environmental groups, uniting close to one
million activists worldwide. FoEI's member
organizations in 68 countries and 13
affiliate groups campaign on the most urgent
environmental and social issues of our
day.
political background
4th March,
G8 Environmental Ministers Communique: "We
commit ourselves ... to strive to reach an
agreement on outstanding political issues and
to ensure in a cost-effective manner the
environmental integrity of the Kyoto
Protocol" (signed by the head of the US
Environment Protect Agency: Christine
Whitman)
6th March,
Christine Whitman in a memo to Bush: "The
Kyoto Protocol is the only game in town in
their eyes (EU and others). There is a real
fear in the international community that if
the US is not willing to discuss the issue
within the framework of Kyoto the whole thing
will fall apart. They feel that they can move
ahead toward their goals on their own, but
would need the U.S. to really get things
done. ... I would strongly recommend that you
continue to recognize that global warming is
a real, and serious issue."
13 March,
Bush Letter to conservative republicans: "I
oppose the Kyoto Protocol"
22 March,
Condoleeza Rice (National Security Adviser)
tells EU Ambassadors: "The Kyoto Protocol
process is dead".
25 March
EU Council Conclusions Stockholm: "The EU
reaffirms its strong commitment to the Kyoto
Protocol as the basis for such action and
expresses its deep concern at the fact that
this Protocol is being called into
question."
28 March
White House announces that the
administration has "no interest" in
implementing or ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.
Reactions from EU and others generally
condemning the course of action. "dismayed
and deeply disappointed" (Japan, NZ, EU)
"appalled" (Sweden). Australia and Canada
criticise the US but also claim that "the
Kyoto Protocol is unjust because it only puts
obligations on us" (Prime Minister of
Canada). The EU is still calling on both
Canada and Australia to openly declare their
support for the Protocol.
9 April
New President-compromise paper released. It
offers Parties "free gifts" in form of
further widening of the loopholes and get-out
clauses in the ëFlexible Mechanismsí annex to
the Treaty. Most Parties are not happy with
it, particularly Japan and the EU stand to
loss more and gain less on almost all
issues.
20-21 April
Commission on Sustainable Development, High
Level Meeting held in New York to discuss the
resumed COP6. There is a very clear message
from the US that they i) will not ratify the
Protocol ii) will attend the July meeting.
There is no indication on whether they will
forward a "new proposal" to completely
undermine the years of negotiations on the
Kyoto Protocol or what other form of
ëparticipationí they envisage.
next steps:
Bush reveals new National Energy Plan
today
Jan Pronk, Chair of the UN talks, is
discussing a meeting in June to discuss
Treaty again with the US and other
Parties.
The US president will attend the EU summit
in G–teborg on the 15-16th June, it is
believed that he will forward the US proposal
for an alternative to the Kyoto Protocol.
The UN Conference of the Parties (COP6)
resumes its meeting on 16th July in Bonn,
Germany.
Ian Willmore
Media Co-ordinator
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood Street
London N1 7JQ
Mobile: 07887 641344
Work: 0207 566 1657
Home: 0208 885 3779
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