Stay Tuned for Updates: Thousands to Protest at COP 17 in Durban: Demanding Action to Save the Planet

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CLIMATE CHANGE

Thousands to Protest at COP 17 in Durban Demanding Action to Save the Planet

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, 3 December 2011 –  The people demand that governments have to radically change their behavior at the UNFCCC negotiations, if the world is to have a chance of avoiding catastrophic climate change.

Today is the GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION.  Thousands of ordinary people from across Africa and the World are coming together to make sure their voices are heard. Some of those most affected by the impacts of changing climate will be taking part in the march including indigenous peoples,  peasant farmers from across the continent and hundreds of women from South African rural communities.

C17 Global Day of Action committee convenor Desmond D’sa: “World leaders are discussing the fate of our planet but they are far from reaching a solution to climate change. If they fail to make progress we will see drought and hunger blight our country and continent even further.”

The first period of emission cuts agreed under the Kyoto Protocol expires at the end of 2012. A new round of emission cuts must be agreed in Durban to avoid gaps between the first and second periods.

But developed nations are trying to shift their responsibilities for drastic emissions cuts onto developing countries that have done the least to cause the problem, while developing countries, joined by the European Union,  try to kill the Kyoto Protocol, and  call for a “new mandate” for the UN climate negotiation, trying to escape their responsibilities for climate action.

It would be disastrous if the internationally binding emission reduction commitments  would lapse or end altogether in Durban.

The US is leading the rich countries demand for a replacement of the Kyoto Protocol with a totally inadequate voluntary pledge where countries would decide their own emissions cuts on a national basis.
It seems that only the Africa Group of countries are united in their demand to hold industrialised countries accountable to their previous commitments, while rich industrialized countries are busy trying to carve out new business opportunities for multinational corporations and their financial elites.

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Filed under Actions / Protest, Climate Change, Climate Justice, Pollution, UNFCCC

0 Responses to Stay Tuned for Updates: Thousands to Protest at COP 17 in Durban: Demanding Action to Save the Planet

  1. JEONG CHUN PHUOC

    “DRAFTING THE ASEAN MODALITY AND IMPLICATION FOR COP-17: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES FOR MALAYSIA”

    Introduction
    Malaysia’s has been a vocal voice of developing countries in all COP meetings and negotiation.

    Critical Analysis
    Her approach toward a “common but differentiated responsibility” is rather holistic and in compliance with ASEAN spirit and ASEAN CHARTER.

    This is rather different when compared with the US approach along this framework of working reference.

    India, China and the majority of developing countries have contributed tremendously toward the targets set in the 1st Commitment Period of the Kyoto Protocol.

    Conclusion
    Developed countries unfortunately made not made significant achievement and performance as agreed according to the 1st Commitment Period. Perhaps, there will be positive development at the next COP-18.

    ……………………
    Jeong Chun Phuoc
    Expert Consultant at a major law firm in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
    and a Lecturer-in-Law
    and a pioneer advocate in Competitive Legal Intelligence(CLI)
    and a Reader in Syariah Competitive Legal Intelligence(sCLI)
    He can be reached at Jeongphu@yahoo.com

    **The above professional analysis is the writer’s personal view and in no way represent the view/position of the research institutes/thinktanks/organisations to which he is currently attached to.

  2. Africa Group and Small Island States realized long ago they had to keep holding the developed N to the FIRE to keep them doing any of their “committments”. Corporate America is gung-ho on giving u[ on any committment that does not make it a profit.
    How can we who want to help make our govts do the right thing?? Please DO keep us posted, u in Durban, we in the embarrassed USA, we’ll be supportive as we can: Do u mean ‘thousands preparing to protest’ as our govts prep to overturn the whole convention, Kyoto Protocol??? No hope of negotiating anything useful that will get us anywhere near 350 again??

    Sigh…. wish I was there…we can’t just protest. Got to renegotiate, with better elected officials and laws to enforce our envt’l committments. No one will take a protest seriously after the votes and statements are in, leaving the Durban Dust just as embarrassing as the Copenhagen Coverup (cough cough)!!:(
    Hot under the collar…. but not only protesting….
    TEA

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