Archived press release

African delegation protest at UN climate talks in Barcelona

2 November 2009

African negotiators at the UN climate talks in Barcelona have this evening refused to continue formal discussions about offsetting and are insisting instead that the talks focus on real carbon-reduction targets for rich countries.

Commenting on the move, Friends of the Earth's international climate campaigner Asad Rehman said:

"Developing countries have been driven to this action because rich countries, including the UK, have ground negotiations to a halt by failing to agree their new targets under the Kyoto Protocol.

"It shows that we need to focus on achieving real and binding cuts in rich countries' emissions of at least 40 per cent by 2020, without getting sidetracked by cons such as carbon offsetting.

"More and more countries, including the African delegation, are rightly demanding that carbon offsetting is thrown out of the negotiations because it's nothing more than dodgy accounting which allows rich countries to avoid taking real action at home to slash their emissions.

"Rich nations must urgently show bold and decisive leadership to get the talks moving again, by committing to strong cuts in their emissions and putting real money on the table to enable developing countries to grow cleanly and adapt to the effects of climate change."

Friends of the Earth is demanding that the UK Government changes its approach to climate change with its Demand Climate Change campaign. The green campaign group is asking everyone to sign its international petition to world leaders for a strong and fair climate deal at http://www.demandclimatechange.org/.

Friends of the Earth is calling for:

* The UK Government to abandon its promotion of carbon offsetting - a con which means avoiding real action at home through dodgy accounting - and pledge to cut emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2020 at home;

* Rich countries to acknowledge their legal and moral responsibility to provide new money for developing countries, distributed through the UN, so that they can grow cleanly and adapt to the effects of climate change which are already putting millions of lives at risk;

* Proposals to be scrapped which would allow rich countries to buy chunks of forest whilst continuing to pump out emissions: an approach which won't solve climate change or halt deforestation.

Notes to Editors:

1. At UNFCCC negotiations, most rich countries are referred to Annex 1 countries, and have a legal obligation to reduce their emissions as part of the Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1997.

2. Friends of the Earth is part of Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, the UK's largest group of people dedicated to action on climate change and limiting its impact on the world's poorest communities. The coalition's supporter base of more than 11 million people spans over 100 organisations, from environment and development charities to unions, faith, community and women's groups. Together we demand practical action by the UK to keep temperatures well below an average 2 degree rise. For further information visit http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust