Climate protests turn the heat on key UN climate change meeting

November 3, 2006 — International demonstrations on climate change will take place worldwide on November 4, putting pressure on governments attending key United Nations climate talks due to start in Nairobi, Kenya on November 6, 2006. [1]

Negotiators in Nairobi are set to discuss future action after 2012, when the first phase of the Kyoto climate change treaty will end. Demonstrators in more than forty five countries around the world are calling on world leaders to take the urgent action needed to prevent a catastrophic destabilisation of global climate. [2]
Ministers will meet in Nairobi against this backdrop of growing calls for action on climate change, with demonstrations and rallies planned from Vancouver to Taipei, from Stockholm to Dhaka and from Paris to Abuja. Demonstrations are also planned in Nairobi on Saturday the 11th of November, midway through the climate talks. [3]
“Climate change is rapidly becoming the number one global justice issue and these global demonstrations reflect this fact. Faced with thousands of people across the world all demanding action on climate change, Ministers arriving in Nairobi must not forget they’re negotiating the future for the planet,” said Catherine Pearce, Friends of the Earth International climate campaigner. “We have learnt this week that climate change could push the world into the worst recession in recent history, comparable to the downturn of the great depression and two world wars [4]. Meeting in Africa, a continent already hit hard by our warming world, we need to see far greater attention to meet the needs of the most vulnerable,” added Catherine Pearce.

Some events planned:
AUSTRALIA : Friends of the Earth Australia participates in a ‘Walk Against Warming’ in Brisbane. For more information: http://www.walkagainstwarming.org/
BRAZIL : Awareness raising activities by Friends of the Earth Brazil. For more information contact Carolina Herrmann, Friends of the Earth Brazil, Carolina@natbrasil.org.br , Tel: + 55 51 3332 8884
FINLAND : Friends of the Earth in Finland is among the organisers of ‘climate marches’ in six different cities to demand that the Finnish government takes a leading role in tackling climate change. For more information contact Meri Pukarinen from Maan Ystavat on +358 50 329 3479.
GERMANY : Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) plans an event in front of the Brandenburg Gate on the 6th of November. For more information contact presse@bund.net
UNITED KINGDOM : Friends of the Earth is part of the Climate Chaos Coalition, and part of the group organising a major rally in Trafalgar Square, London. The event involves a mass gathering of thousands of people to hear music, entertainment and inspiring speakers – all demanding that the UK Government puts in place year on year emissions reductions in the UK, and shows leadership internationally by taking action on climate change. Various feeder events will also join the event – a big march of campaigners from a rally in Grosvenor Square outside the US embassy and thousands of students from People & Planet. Friends of the Earth is also part of the ICount campaign, signing up thousands of people to take personal and political action. Check for more info at http://www.icount.org.uk/ For more information: Neil Verlander, Friends of the Earth Press Office in London. Tel: + 44 20 7566 1649/ + 44 7712 843 209

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Catherine Pearce, Friends of the Earth International climate campaigner, Tel: + 44 7811 283 641 (mobile)
Jan Kowalzig, Friends of the Earth Europe climate campaigner in Belgium Tel: +32-496-384-696 (mobile)

NOTES
[1] For more information about the UN climate talks in Nairobi see our briefing here https://www.foei.org/media/2006/1031.html
[2] For more information about the demonstrations visit www.globalclimatecampaign.org
[3] the agenda of the UN talks is online here: http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_12/items/3754.php
[4] A new report by commissioned by the UK government draws a gloomy picture on climate change impacts on the global economy but also says that averting the crisis is well within our hands – at the costs of 1% of global GDP, avoiding economic damages of about 10% of global GDP. See ‘Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change’, published October 2006, see http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_index.cfm