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Montreal: U.N. Summit holds key for battle against climate change
But summit will fail without strong leadership by the EU, says Friends of the Earth Europe

Montreal/Brussels -- At the start of the United Nations climate change negotiations today, Friends of the Earth Europe has warned European governments that a lack of strong leadership by the European Union will leave the summit in a dead end. Negotiators begin discussions on future action after 2012, when the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol will end. But talks are set to be difficult because of differences on the way forward. [1]

Jan Kowalzig from Friends of the Earth Europe said:
"Governments here in Montreal must not forget that they're negotiating the future of our planet, with millions of lives and livelihoods at stake. Climate change is proceeding apace. Freak weather events are intensifying, deserts are expanding, agricultural production is decreasing. It is no secret that the international community's response is not meeting real needs."

Friends of the Earth fears that while officially the EU is expressing support for the Kyoto Protocol and its founding principles, some of the EU's governments might be hoping for weaker or no binding targets to cut emissions for themselves in a future regime. Friends of the Earth calls such hopes cynical given the increasing evidence on the devastating impacts of climate change.

Jan Kowalzig continued:
"The Montreal talks offer a unique chance to move ahead in the battle against global climate change. The European Union must make sure that this meeting agrees a process for negotiating the future of the international climate regime, with further, deeper and mandatory reductions of greenhouse gas emissions by industrialised countries."
"Europe has a special role to play. Not only is the European Union among those mostly responsible for the crisis. Europe has also begun to understand that limiting climate change will have net benefits for our society, through triggering innovation and employment in clean technologies; through reducing oil dependence and the additional costs of pollution from burning coal, oil or gas -- but also by avoiding the devastating impacts of unabated climate change. This is the message that the EU must hammer home."

Friends of the Earth Europe urges the European Union to ensure that the Montreal summit agrees a robust negotiation process on a future, equitable climate regime. Such negotiations must be completed by 2008 latest and lead to emission cuts of 30% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. [2]

Commenting the position of the United States, Jan Kowalzig concluded:
"The US Administration is constantly making clear that they will continue to free ride on the planet. Hurricane Katrina's wake-up call has gone unheard. Yet the door to join the climate regime at a later stage will remain open, and it is likely the US will eventually join to reap the economic, environmental and social benefits of progressive action. The rest of the world cannot afford to wait."

Friends of the Earth Europe is bringing the voices from citizens across Europe to the climate negotiations. Thousands of people have written and painted 'climate messages' on wooden tiles, which will be part of a giant installation just outside the conference venue and at various other locations in Montreal. [3]

Contact:

Jan Kowalzig, Friends of the Earth Europe
In Montreal: +1-917-7095463 (mobile)
jan.kowalzig@foeeurope.org

Catherine Pearce, Friends of the Earth International
In Montreal: +1-347-992-2505 (mobile)

Notes

[1] The 11th Conference of the Parties, taking place 28 November to 9 December, is also the first meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol after it entered into force in February this year. Key issues on the agenda are the formal adoption of the rules and procedures that have been negotiated over the past years and will now make the Kyoto Protocol fully functional as well as the start of negotiations on future commitments to further cut greenhouse gas emissions after 2012, when current provisions of the Kyoto Protocol end. For the official agenda of the conference and further information see http://www.unfccc.int/meetings/cop_11/items/3394.php

[2] A detailed position the Montreal climate negotiations is available from Friends of the Earth Europe's web site at http://www.foeeurope.org/climate/download/FoEE_COPMOP_positionpaper.pdf

[3] The main installation will be at the Jean Riopelle Square, next to the conference venue, from Tuesday 29 November. It will consist of a 50m long and 3.6m high wall made of thousands of paintings from people around the world. Set up will be on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. A launch event will take place on Wednesday.

Friends of the Earth Europe campaigns for sustainable and fair societies and for the protection of the environment,
unites more than 30 national organisations with thousands of local groups
and is part of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International.

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