|
friday 23 march
2001
survival of the kyoto protocol depends on
europe's politicians &
parliamentarians
open letter to eu parliamentarians
Today Friends of the Earth groups across
Europe send the following letter to
parliamentarians expressing their concern
over the Kyoto Protocol process: the UN
treaty on climate change.
For further information contact Roda
Verheyen, FOEE climate expert: tel: 0049 179
465 2979
Dear Parliamentarian,
On the occasion of the EU Heads of State
summit in Stockholm, Friends of the Earth
call on you, Parliamentarians in the national
Parliaments and in the European Parliament,
to help to prevent global warming. Climate
change will be discussed by Heads of
Governments in Stockholm. Conclusions and the
follow up from Stockholm - both from the EU
and national Governments - will determine the
future of the Kyoto Protocol, the only
instrument to tackle global climate
change.
The EU must provide the political
leadership to build a positive momentum
towards the resumed Conference of the Parties
to the Climate Change Convention in Bonn,
July 17th to 28th (COP6 bis). A successful
COP6 bis would enable all Parties to ratify
the protocol by Rio+10: the World Council on
Sustainable Development in South Africa, 2002
– the precondition for real global action on
climate change.
The current positioning of the United
States administration is cause for serious
concern. We are appalled by the open
statement of President Bush that he opposes
the Kyoto Protocol and that he believes the
science of climate change to be "incomplete"
[1]. We applaud the EU Presidency statement
by the Swedish Minister for the Environment,
Kjell Larsson, which pledged to engage the
USA in an urgent dialogue towards the
COPVIbis talks in Bonn. We similarly applaud
all the other statements from European
politicians, expressing concern over the US
administration's stance regarding the Kyoto
Protocol. The current statements of the US
administration give rise to doubts over
whether COP6 bis will be conducted in good
faith and in a constructive atmosphere to
enable the adoption of such rules. A repeat
of last November’s fiasco in The Hague and a
further weakening the Kyoto Protocol would be
morally indefensible and environmentally
catastrophic.
Therefore, the EU must be prepared to show
that they are willing to move the Kyoto
process forward without the USA, should this
be necessary.
To this end, it is vital that Europe
engages with partners such as Japan, the
Russian Federation, Japan, Canada, New
Zealand and Norway to move towards a common
agenda and procedure for the talks in July.
It is also vital that Europe engage with key
partners in the developing world to make sure
developing country issues are tackled
appropriately in Bonn. Should it become clear
that some Parties are not willing to
negotiate in good faith in July, the EU must
call on them not to obstruct progress for all
other parties.
European Parliaments have ratified the
Climate Change convention of 1992 and will be
asked to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. MEPs and
national MPs alike have endorsed the Kyoto
Protocol as global action plan to stop
dangerous climate change. We therefore urge
Europe's Parliamentarians to call on their
Governments to move the Kyoto process forward
with all diplomatic force available - if
necessary without the participation of the
USA in the short term - and to call on their
colleges in Parliaments around the world to
work towards the same aim.
The climate change talks in Bonn will be
the definitive make or break test of the
environmental credibility of politicians in
Europe.
Thousands of people took to the streets of
the Hague in November 2000 to show that they
want their politicians to implement the Kyoto
Protocol now. They expect Europe's
Parliamentarians, their representatives, to
do what they can to ensure rules are signed
in Bonn in July and the Kyoto Protocol
becomes a binding international instrument
for climate protection.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Martin Rocholl,
Political Director, Friends of the Earth
Europe
Roda Verheyen,
Climate Change Campaigner, Friends of the
Earth Europe
Footnote
[1] President Bush's letter to 4 Senators
says "As you know, I oppose the Kyoto
Protocol because it exempts 80 percent of the
world, including major population centers
[sic] such as China and India, from
compliance, and would cause serious harm to
the U.S. economy."
President Bush's letter can found on:
http://www.globalclimate.org/BushLetter.htm
For further information contact:
Roda Verheyen, FOE climate expert, on:
0049 179 465 2979
Howard Mollett, FoE Europe, Press &
Information: 0032 2 542 01 89
|
