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The problem

Climate change is an international issue with the emission of greenhouse gases causing destruction around the globe. Due to geographic, social and economic vulnerability, the impacts of climate change are being felt in the Global South yet the problem has been caused by a minority of countries – mainly those in the Global North.  These shared global experiences and the international responsibility of historical polluters requires a comprehensive and effective international agreement to ensure where those responsible reduce their emissions and pay their climate debt to those often suffering the worst effects of a problem they did not create.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted in 1992 at the Rio Summit and recognises the rich, industrialised nations’ overwhelming contribution to historical emissions and therefore their responsibility in acting first to bring down their national emissions.

The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012 and governments are currently negotiating the second commitment period of the Protocol, scheduled to be completed in December 2009. The negotiating schedule for the second commitment period was agreed in Bali 2007 – see the Friends of the Earth International Bali round-up  and Poznan reports for more details.

Despite strong scientific evidence and the experience of climate change threatening the lives and livelihoods of people across the globe, governments of the Global North are failing to live up to their convention obligations to lead in emissions reductions and assist the Global South in adapting to climate change.

The solution

Addressing climate change requires justice: Climate justice will be done when rich countries pay their 'climate debt'. That debt involves meeting the costs of resilience building and adaptation as well as the costs of sharing appropriate, sustainable mitigation technology for the poorer countries. Meeting the climate debt also involved halting the destructive economic practices of mass resource extraction that fuels both climate change and exacerbates vulnerability.

Addressing climate change requires sufficient reductions: We require radical and urgent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions first and foremost in industrialised countries. We believe that Northern countries (known as Annex I) must agree to reduce their emissions by at least 40% on 1990 levels by 2020.

We demand a total phase out of carbon emissions by mid-century with the ambition to return atmospheric concentrations to an upper limit of 350 parts per million. The sharing of this burden must be based on historical responsibility and capacity to act. To ensure that the Global South doesn’t adopt the same carbon intensive economies as the Global North, the North must fulfil its legal obligations to enable the development of technology and sustainable infrastructure in the South.

There are false solutions to climate change which must be exposed and rejected: Friends of the Earth International rejects the practice of 'offsetting' of continued emissions by Northern countries by purchasing reduction in the Global South warding off legislation and real measures to tackle climate change. If we are to avert a climate catastrophe, it is clear that we need domestic net reductions of emissions in Northern countries now and not just uncertain emission reductions elsewhere.

We also reject the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), an arrangement that allows Annex B countries (industrialised countries with a commitment to reduce their greenhouse gases) to invest in projects that reduce emissions in developing countries as an alternative to reducing their own emissions.

We favour cutting the world's dependence on fossil fuels, consuming less and enabling genuinely sustainable renewable sources of energy, such as wind and solar. Investment in real solutions is possible by redirecting spending on fossil fuels and uranium, and militarisation and through the use of public subsidies and innovative taxes for sustainable solutions.

We have to recognise that too many people are consuming too much and we therefore need to curb consumption habits. Continuing unsustainable production and consumption patterns is not an option – many of us need to radically alter the way we live our lives.

What we do

To achieve these solutions we need to apply pressure at national and international levels, and in collaboration with social movements and civil society organisations to demand action from our political leaders. Politicians will not adopt the emissions reductions, international transfers of funds and transformation of energy and trade systems necessary, without pressure from the citizens of the world.  An effective international movement is necessary to achieve climate justice. Friends of the Earth International is committed to being part of that movement.

We are a registered observer of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We attend all the major negotiation sessions and lobby governments, share our analysis with the media and educate citizens on the activities of their governments in international forums.

Numerous Friends of the Earth International member groups, affiliates and allies run national campaigns on emissions reduction and building resilience to climate change, targeting their national governments and corporations active in their countries.