Report

LYON COMPLETE DISASTER FOR CLIMATE

The climate negotiations are going as planned, some technical issues are being resolved. "Carbon Sinks" (forests and soils) are now the issue because they can negate the entire reduction targets and lead to more plantations all over the world, and thus threaten environmental integrity of the Protocol. Governments are talking, but not the right ones. The USA, Canada, Japan and others are making absolutely unreasonable demands (in all areas) and the EU is not strong enough to counteract them. The developing countries are split, with oil producing countries still hijacking the agenda. All the contentious issues are still on the table. Nuclear power projects can still go ahead, and so can plantation projects to create so-called carbon sinks. The clean development mechanism might still serve as a vehicle for installing more coal fired power plants and other dirty technologies. It is unclear whether the Kyoto Protocol will have a strong compliance system. It is likely that Annex 1 countries will be allowed to achieve a major part of their target through accounting for sinks - do-nothing-tons of huge proportions. The need of developing countries for adequate disaster relief and funding for adaptation is not acknowledged. Equity is not on the agenda. Generally, the need for more political pressure is evident.

For a detailed evaluation of the Lyon talks, please contact:

Roda Verheyen
Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland