Nick Berning, Friends of the Earth US: nberning@foe.org
Henry Rummins, Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, +44 776 16 01 666
“There is a growing climate justice movement and more and more people are getting involved. This is the beginning of change. Everyone can pressure their government to take a stronger stance. Everyone can take action to tackle climate change, consuming less, saving energy and improving energy efficiency for instance,“ said Palle Bendsen from NOAH / Friends of the Earth Denmark.
- Rich, developed countries did not commit to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% in comparison with 1990 levels by 2020. These cuts should be made at home - with no offsetting. Offsetting, including through the 'Clean Development Mechanism', is a false solution and should be rejected.
- Rich, developed countries did not acknowledge the climate debt that they owe to developing countries as a result of decades of pollution.
- The World Bank and its climate funds have not been rejected despite the fact that they are set to increase developing country debt and promote dirty energy such as “clean” coal.
- Forests are still included in ‘carbon offsetting initiatives’ and this does not help to combat climate change. It diverts attention from the real solutions to climate change and deforestation. Copenhagen talks did not state that plantations are not forests. Damaging monoculture tree plantations have not been excluded from the UN climate negotiations.
- False solutions like nuclear energy and agrofuels have not been
excluded from the UN talks.
Asad Rehman, Friends of the Earth England, Wales & Northern Ireland, + 44 7720 147280 (+45 6178 2833)
Henry Rummins, Friends of the Earth England Wales and Northern Ireland
email: henry.rummins@foe.co.uk or call +44 776 16 01 666 (UK mobile) or
+ 45 617 20 747
Nick Berning, Friends of the Earth US communications: NBerning@foe.org
"Our organizations represent millions of people around the world and provide a critical voice promoting climate justice inside the UN. On the inside and the outside, all the rules have gone out the window - organizations such as Friends of the Earth that support peaceful action are being barred while developing countries concerns are being trampled in the plenary.
"Solving climate change needs participation from all of us, not just the rich and powerful,” said Nnimmo Bassey, Chair of Friends of the Earth International.
From 8 am until 1 pm Friends of the Earth representatives held a sit-in in the main entry lobby near the conference registration desks.
Images of Friends of the Earth members displaying their badges are
available at www.flickr.com/foei
Friends of the Earth representatives from countries ranging from Nigeria to Japan to Denmark have been taking part in the negotiations over the past two weeks, but when they arrived today all were denied access, despite the fact that they were holding official UN badges as well as secondary admission passes.
Friends of the Earth International Chair Nnimmo Bassey had the following statement:
“We are surprised and shocked that Friends of the Earth member groups from around the world and other non-governmental organizations have been denied access to the negotiations this morning. Our organizations represent millions of people around the world and provide a critical voice on behalf of climate justice inside the UN. We are currently attempting to discuss the situation with the UNFCCC to understand and resolve the situation.”
As of 09:30 am Friends of the Earth representatives were in the main entry lobby near the conference registration desks and available for interviews.
Ten thousand people voted in the Angry Mermaid Award, named after the iconic Copenhagen mermaid who is angry about corporate lobbying on climate change.
Eight candidates were put forward for public vote at www.angrymermaid.org and individuals at the Klimaforum were also invited to vote.
Agriculture giant Monsanto was nominated for promoting its genetically modified (GM) crops as a solution to climate change and pushing for its crops to be used as biofuels. The expansion of GM soy in Latin America is contributing to major deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. The Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) of which Monsanto is a member, is helping to promote the company’s cause by allowing GM soy to be labelled as “responsible”. Monsanto also wants GM soy to be funded under the Clean Development Mechanism.
Speaking for the award organisers, Paul de Clerk from Friends of the Earth International said:
"Monsanto has attracted thousands of votes from individuals who are outraged that such an environmentally-damaging form of agriculture should be put forward to tackle climate change.
"Big business must not be allowed to sabotage action against climate change by promoting their vested interests. All the candidates for the Angry Mermaid Award have lobbied to protect their own profits and prevent effective action to tackle climate change. Governments need to stop listening to them and choose real solutions to the climate crisis."
The Angry Mermaid is organised by Attac Denmark, Corporate Europe Observatory, Focus on the Global South, Friends of the Earth International, Oil Change International and Spinwatch.
Nina Holland, Corporate Europe Observatory + 45 5268 5295
Paul de Clerk, Friends of the Earth International 32 494 380 959
Dorothy Guerrero, Focus on the Global South +45 5010 8908
Helen Burley, Corporate Europe Observatory, + 45 5399 5927
Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist and author of the New York Times and #1 international bestseller, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism.
The eight nominees for the Angry Mermaid Award were:
American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity
American Petroleum Institute (API)
European Chemical Lobby (Cefic)
International Air Transport Association (IATA)
International Emissions Trading Association (IETA)
Monsanto
Sasol
Shell
Monsanto was nominated for lobbying for carbon credits for their RoundupReady crops, which are being grown for agrofuel. RoundupReady soy doesn’t need ploughing because it can be heavily sprayed with herbicides. Not ploughing the fields leaves more carbon dioxide in the ground, but the vast spread of soy monocultures in Latin America have caused deforestation, the displacement of people, and massive amounts of toxic weed-killer being used instead.
Monsanto also wants GM soy to be funded under the Clean Development
Mechanism which would allow polluting industry in the developed world to offset their emissions by buying credits from GM soy projects. Offsetting is a false solution to climate change and does not lead to emissions reductions in developed countries.
Full details of all the nominations at www.angrymermaid.org
“Carbon offsetting has no benefits for the climate or for developing countries –
it only benefits developed countries, carbon speculators and major polluters who want to continue business as usual. Friends of the Earth International denounces carbon offsetting as a false solution to the climate crisis, and urges governments to search for fair and sustainable solutions.”
Palle Bendsen from NOAH / friends of the Earth Denmark stated:
“It is amazing to see so many people from around the world coming together to form a flood of public opinion against offsetting and to demand climate justice in Copenhagen. The flood for climate justice sends a clear signal to decision makers that the world is watching, and we expect them to find fair and strong solutions to the urgent climate crisis.”
Friends of the Earth International believes that it is the rich industrialised countries, who have the historical responsibility for emitting greenhouse gasses, that must cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2020, compared to 1990 levels. These cuts must be made without offsetting.
More information on the problems of offsetting carbon emissions can be found in the publication: “Carbon Offsetting: A dangerous distraction”
http://__www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefing_notes/dangerous_distraction.pdf
The “climate capsule” project of Friends of the Earth International
has gathered statements from people and communities affected by climate
change, and those struggling against false solutions. See some of the
materials online at:
http://www.foei.org/en/what-we-do/un-climate-talks/global/2009/climate-capsule-1
]]>KLIMAFORUM
Purple Hall
DGI-byen
Tietgensgade 65
1704 Copenhagen
A selection of messages from the climate capsule can be seen online here
The eight nominees for the Angry Mermaid Award are:
American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity
American Petroleum Institute (API)
European Chemical Lobby (Cefic)
International Air Transport Association (IATA)
International Emissions Trading Association (IETA)
Monsanto
Sasol
Shell
The Angry Mermaid Award is organised by Attac Denmark, Corporate Europe
Observatory, Friends of the Earth International, Focus on the Global
South, Oil Change International and Spinwatch.
"President Obama has been rewarded the Nobel Prize in large part due to his vision for a better future and his ability to inspire hope that bold change is possible. We congratulate him on this honor, but he has not kept true to the vision he articulated during his campaign.
"President Obama pledged to solve climate change, but the United States is now playing a harmful role on the global stage. At climate negotiations in Copenhagen, U.S. delegates are working to undermine existing agreements and shirk their country's responsibilities as the world's largest historical polluter. They are working to protect the interests of rich nations that caused the climate crisis, instead of heeding developing countries' call for a strong and fair treaty.
"President Obama's legacy will not be determined by an award; it will be determined by his accomplishments. We urge President Obama to find in his award the inspiration necessary to re-think his administration's approach. He must commit the United States to partner with the world's poorest nations to solve climate change in a just and equitable way, with far larger emissions reductions and much more money on the table than he is currently proposing."
"President Obama is doing a better job than his predecessor, but this does not mean he should receive a Nobel Prize. Indeed, he is holding the world back from solving the climate crisis -- the most pressing global challenge of our time. We welcome many of the steps our president has taken to promote clean energy, including making job-creating investments in clean technology and moving to implement to the Clean Air Act after years of Bush administration delay. But the fact remains, we cannot solve global warming without a strong and just global agreement, and President Obama has thus far refused to partner with developing countries in a way that could make such an agreement possible."
"President Obama comes to Norway to receive his Nobel Prize even though he has failed to show the leadership on climate change that should be expected of a Nobel Prize recipient. This provides an opportunity to Norweigan Prime Minister* *Jens Stoltenberg. He can use the Nobel Prize Ceremony to make a profound impact on the climate summit in Copenhagen by urging the Obama administration to start supporting a truly fair and effective agreement -- and to stop standing in the way."
“African countries are among the most affected by climate change but have contributed the least to it. We Africans demand at least 40% emissions cuts without offsetting in Europe, and in all other developed countries which have got rich emitting the gases at the root of the problem.“
Sonja Meister, climate campaign coordinator for Friends of the Earth Europe, said:
“Europe must up its commitment and agree to at least 40% emissions reductions by 2020 at home. At the same time European governments must close all the loopholes which would make the targets meaningless. Achieving at least 40% cuts within Europe by 2020 is technically and economically feasible - there are no excuses for governments not to act now.”
“Young Friends of the Earth is saying ‘up yours’ to the EU about its targets. To prevent dangerous climate change Europe must take ambitious action on both emission cuts and climate finance for the most vulnerable people in the world and for future generations. Real solutions to the climate crisis exist – false solutions like carbon offsetting must be rejected,” says Young Friends of the Earth campaigner Job van den Assem.
A study produced by Stockholm Environment Institute in partnership with Friends of the Earth Europe shows for that at least 40% emission cuts within Europe by 2020 are feasible and affordable.
This is the minimum scale and speed of reductions science says is
necessary from rich countries to avert the worst impacts of climate change, and is the kind of deep cuts needed if industrialised countries are to repay their climate debt and make a just and effective global climate agreement possible.
Friends of the Earth International also demands that the EU makes a strong financial commitment to pay its fair share of the finances needed by developing countries for mitigation, technology and adaptation. This needs to be new, public money additional to existing development aid. Short-term commitments alone will not satisfy developing country negotiators in Copenhagen. Long-term predictable financing is needed to enable those countries least responsible for climate change but hit hardest by its consequences to adapt and to develop cleanly.
The money must be administered by the UNFCCC in a central fund, the world’s largest grassroots environmental network said. Any funding outside of the UN, including the World Bank’s climate investment funds, and any financial transfers made as part of offsetting schemes should not count as fulfilment of developed country commitments.
So far EU leaders have failed to put a firm financial offer on the table though developing countries are already suffering the effects of climate change.
A new study published by Friends of the Earth Europe and Stockholm Environment Institute on December 1 proves for the first time that Europe could achieve at least 40% domestic emissions reductions by 2020 without resorting to false solutions like agrofuels, nuclear or carbon capture and storage.
]]>
*Including forests in ‘carbon offsetting initiatives’ does not help to combat climate change. Instead, it diverts attention from the real solutions to climate change and deforestation. Plantations are not forests. Monoculture tree plantations must be excluded from the UN climate negotiations.
More information, including a link to the full Danish text, can be found here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/08/copenhagen-climate-summit-disarray-danish-text
More information about the Copenhagen UN talks can be found on
http://www.foei.org/en/media/cop-15-resources
This is the minimum scale and speed of reductions science says is necessary from rich countries to avert the worst impacts of climate change, and is the kind of deep cuts needed if industrialised countries are to repay their climate debt and make a just an effective global climate agreement possible.
Europe has so far set a 20% emission reduction target for 2020, and pledged to increase this to 30% subject to an international agreement.
The chances of reaching an agreement in Copenhagen which delivers climate justice are currently extremely slim since Europe and other developed countries have not committed to steep emission cuts and to provide the finances needed to enable developing countries to tackle climate change, says Friends of the Earth International, the world’s largest grassroots environmental network.
Dr Charles Heaps of Stockholm Environment Institute, lead author of the report and a senior scientist in SEI’s climate and energy program, said: “Our analysis shows that deep cuts in emissions can be achieved in Europe at reasonable cost between now and 2050, even with rather conservative assumptions about technological improvement. The scale and speed of changes required may seem daunting, and indeed it will require a mobilisation of Europe’s economies, but the potential costs of inaction for Europe and the whole world are so large that doing nothing presents a far more implausible and dangerous future pathway for Europe.”
Nnimmo Bassey, chair of Friends of the Earth International, said: “Rich countries are responsible for the vast majority of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere today and must immediately commit to steep and legally binding reductions of their emissions at home of at least 40% by 2020. These reductions are technically possible and financially feasible, but above all they are morally undeniable. Europe and other rich countries can have no more excuses for not living up to their historical responsibilities.“
The research, ‘Europe’s Share of the Climate Challenge: Domestic Actions and International Obligations to Protect the Planet’ [1] describes a comprehensive pathway for Europe to cut domestic emissions by at least 40% in 2020, and by 90% in 2050, compared to 1990 levels without resorting to dangerous or unproven solutions. The scenario rules out nuclear power, agrofuels and carbon capture and storage.
The research shows that the cuts can be achieved through a combination of radical improvements in energy efficiency, the accelerated phase-out of fossil fuels, a dramatic shift towards renewable energies, and lifestyle changes.
Lifestyle changes envisaged by the study include a shift to public transport with only 43% of trips being made by car in 2050 compared to 75% in 2005. Such changes could make the carbon footprint of the average European 8 times smaller in 2050 than today.
The report estimates the costs of the scenario, and outlines the EU’s fair share of the finances needed for developing countries to fight climate change.
Aggressive actions to cut emissions at home coupled with adequate finances for developing countries are the two-fold obligation which Europe must fulfill to fight climate change in a fair and just way.
Francesca Gater, communications officer for Friends of the Earth Europe, +32 4 85 930 515, francesca.gater@foeeurope.org
Henry Rummins, communications officer for Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, henry.rummins@foe.co.uk
Ruediger Rosenthal, communications officer for Friends of the Earth Germany/BUND, +49 171 8311051 (German mobile), presse@bund.net
Charlie Heaps, Stockholm Environment Institute, +1 978 3192472, charlie.heaps@sei-us.org
“The divide-and-rule tactics of rich countries have cast a dark shadow over the run-up to Copenhagen, which has led to legitimate and strong opposition by developing countries. If Copenhagen is to be any different developed countries must change their mindsets or potentially face more delays, walk-outs or a collapse of the talks.”
“Climate justice will be achieved when the countries that have the most historical responsibility for causing climate change do the most to prevent further damage, and substantially reduce their own emissions at home,” added Meena Raman.
To demonstrate their desire for climate justice, thousands of people are expected to ‘flood’ the streets of Copenhagen in the morning of December 12 in a march organized by FoEI to demand climate justice and an end to carbon offsetting, which is a false solution to climate change. [2]
“Carbon offsetting – when developed countries buy carbon credits from developing countries to avoid cutting emissions themselves – has no part to play in a just international agreement to fight climate change. Developed countries must tackle climate change by making immediate and real change at home,” said Ricardo Navarro from Friends of the Earth El Salvador.
During the Copenhagen talks Friends of the Earth International campaigners will lobby negotiators and deliver a petition signed by more than 30,000 people urging world leaders to do the right thing in Copenhagen by effectively protecting our climate and people all over the world. [3]
Campaigners will also strengthen the climate justice movement through mobilizations, debates and activities at the alternative civil society summit known as ‘Klimaforum’ [4] with allied organisations such as La Via Campesina and the World March of Women. Thousands of voices demanding climate justice will also be presented in a ‘climate capsule’ exhibition at the Klimaforum and Bella Center.
Friends of the Earth International believes that:
- Rich, developed countries should cut their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% in comparison with 1990 levels by 2020. These cuts should be made at home - with no offsetting. Offsetting, including through the 'Clean Development Mechanism', is a false solution and should be rejected.
- Rich, developed countries owe to developing countries a climate debt that is the result of decades of pollution. This debt must be recognised and repayed, for example through massive emission reductions and through the provision of sufficient public funds democratically through the UN to fight climate change.
- The World Bank and its climate funds must be rejected as they are set to increase developing country debt and promote dirty energy such as “clean” coal.
- Major corporations and polluters are lobbying to undermine a just climate agreement and are advancing their own economic interests at the expense of people and the planet.
- Including forests in ‘carbon offsetting initiatives’ does not help to combat climate change. Instead, it diverts attention from the real solutions to climate change and deforestation. Plantations are not forests. Monoculture tree plantations must be excluded from the UN climate negotiations.
Nnimmo Bassey, Friends of the Earth International, Tel: +234 80 37 27 43 95 (Nigerian mobile number) or email nnimmo@eraction.org
Meena Raman, Friends of the Earth Malaysia, Tel: + 60 12 43 00 042 (Malaysian mobile number) or email meenaco@pd.jaring.my
Ricardo Navarro, Friends of the Earth El Salvador, Tel: + 503 78 88 75 67 (El Salvador mobile number) or email foeelsalvador@hotmail.com
For more spokespeople contact details in Copenhagen (from December 7) please send a request for our ‘spokespeople contact sheet’ to media@foei.org.
Friends of the Earth International media line: +31-6-51 00 56 30 (Dutch mobile number)
[1] For more information about the Copenhagen UN talks please send a request for our Copenhagen media briefing to media@foei.org.
[2] For more information about the Copenhagen Flood please send a request for our ‘Flood briefing’ to media@foei.org.
[3] For more information about the petition signed by more than 30,000 people see http://www.demandclimatejustice.org/
[4] For more information about the Klimaforum see www.Klimaforum09.org
Friends of the Earth International is the world's largest grassroots environmental federation with 77 national member groups and more than 2 million individual members and supporters.