Climate talks ‘risk disaster for the climate and developing countries’

Guest post by Murray Worthy, used to be the policy officer.

With three days to go at the UN Climate Talks new negotiating texts have emerged for the establishment of the Green Climate Fund, and for decisions on issues including emissions reductions for developed countries outside of the Kyoto Protocol, emissions reductions for developing countries and for long term finance to help developing countries deal with climate change.

The current texts show little sign of progress or agreement on key issues, and during negotiations earlier today many developing countries spoke out against developed countries’ lack of progress in increasing their emission reductions. The Marshall Islands said that the conference cannot ‘kick decisions down the road’ on emission reductions and Bolivia reminded negotiators that the world is currently on track for 4C of warming, that would “leave most of the world uninhabitable”.

In response to the lack of progress in the negotiations, Murray Worthy, policy officer at the World Development Movement said:

On the talks:
“Unless developed countries take serious action over the next three days to reduce their emissions and provide finance to developing countries, Durban risks disaster for the climate and for the world’s poorest people”

On emissions reductions:
“Agreeing a mandate for a new deal may save the UN negotiations, but it will not save the climate or developing countries. Current ‘pledges’ of emission reductions would lead to 4C of warming which would lead devastating damage around the world,  hitting the poorest hardest. With just three days to go we have seen no increase in ambition from rich industrialised countries to close the gulf between what is needed and what they have put on the table. Developed countries must commit now to much greater legally binding action on emissions if this conference is not to condemn the world to catastrophic climate change. By 2020 it will be too late."

On finance:
“Rich industrialised countries are blocking progress on a deal for long term finance to help developing countries tackle climate change and deal with its devastating impacts. Current promises of finance will run out at the end of next year and there has been no commitment for further finance. They must commit to real plan for long term finance to achieve any deal in Durban.”

On the Green Climate Fund:
“The Green Climate Fund, held up as a key intended outcome of the talks, is in severe danger of being turned into a ‘Greedy Corporate Fund’. Proposals to allow public finance to flow directly to subsidise multinational corporations will not help the people most affected and least responsible to deal with climate change. Instead it stands to benefit many of the multinational corporations who hold the responsibility for causing climate change. This would clearly not be a just outcome. The UK and US must stop opposing the demands of developing countries and ensure that this fund meets the needs of communities, not the profits of corporations.”