Archived press release

Bali climate talks: press briefing

30 November 2007

On 3-14 December, the thirteenth annual negotiating conference for members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will take place in Bali, Indonesia. Friends of the Earth is lobbying parties at the talks for an ambitious roadmap to make real changes that are urgently needed in order to address the climate crisis.

The outcome of the UNFCCC talks in Bali could determine the shape of global climate policy. The first commitment period of the Kyoto-Protocol ends in 2012 and the Bali talks (the third Meeting of the Kyoto Parties) should result in a mandate to assure international action on climate change after 2012.

Complex negotiations will take place between representatives from 192 countries worldwide. The main issues to be discussed are:

• A timetable and process for reaching a post-2012 global agreement for tackling climate change;
• Measures to reduce deforestation in developing countries to limit greenhouse gas emissions;
• Implementing an operational adaptation fund. [1]

The UK Government has introduced a new law to Parliament to cut Britain's contribution to climate change. This will be the first national legislation anywhere in the world to set legally-binding targets for cutting carbon dioxide emissions. Friends of the Earth, which led the campaign for a climate change law, has welcomed the move but is calling on the Government to strengthen its proposals. The environmental campaign group says the bill must be strengthened to ensure a cut of at least 80 per cent in emissions by 2050, include pollution from Britain's share of international aviation and shipping, and set annual milestones to ensure that we stay on track. The bill could be law within six months but to prevent damaging climate change, global action is also necessary.

Friends of the Earth wants to see a firm commitment by developed countries and a strengthening in some of the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms that currently allow industrialised countries to offset their carbon emissions at the expense of people in developing countries. Friends of the Earth is concerned that a reliance on market-based solutions is failing to reduce global carbon emissions whilst allowing companies to continue business as usual.

Friends of the Earth is urging negotiators to:

• Commit to at least a 40% reduction in 1990 levels of greenhouse gases by 2020 from industrialised countries
• Agree a timetable for negotiations to establish an international framework for major emission cuts post 2012, with legally binding burden-sharing of emissions reductions based on historical responsibility;
• Agree a major increase in funding for the world's most vulnerable countries to enable them to develop low carbon economies and adapt and build resilience against the impacts of climate change;
• Establish an independent verification system to ensure emissions reductions and financing obligations are met, with stringent penalties for non-compliance.

Friends of the Earth International Climate Campaign Coordinator Joseph Zacune said:

"Industrialised nations must commit to stringent targets and timetables that ensure emissions peak by 2015 and continue to fall. A comprehensive range of mitigation and adaptation efforts are needed, including changes in the lifestyle and unsustainable consumption patterns of the richer industrialised nations. They are responsible for the pollution causing climate change and must repay their ecological debt to poor communities who are bearing the brunt of its damaging effects. These countries need funds to help vulnerable communities adapt and build resilience against climate change impacts."

The group is also concerned by the promotion of agrofuels as a solution to climate change - despite clear evidence that industrial-scale agrofuel production is damaging the environment and in some cases increasing the level of emissions. [2]

In Indonesia it is estimated that 100 million people, of which 40 million are Indigenous Peoples, depend mainly on forests and natural resource goods and services. [3] Large areas of forest lands traditionally used by Indigenous Peoples have already been expropriated for monoculture plantations, particularly for palm oil.

Reducing emissions from deforestation (RED) is a key issue on the agenda for the post 2012 period. Friends of the Earth believes forest protection programs must uphold community rights and land rights of Indigenous Peoples and other local communities, prohibiting any actions that seek to exclude Indigenous Peoples and forest dependent communities from 'conservation' areas. Failure to prohibit such action is an endorsement of environmental racism and threatens the continuation of sophisticated cultural practices of conservation.

Financial mechanisms for reducing deforestation cannot allow trading of 'certificates' or credits which will create a global offset for the failure to reduce emissions in industrial and transport sectors - weakening the environmental integrity of the post 2012 agreement.

The proposed inclusion of `sinks' in carbon trading - through deforestation reduction schemes - also carries huge risks for forests and those that are dependent upon them by allowing countries and corporations to buy up forest lands to allow continued pollution at home.

WALHI (Friends of the Earth Indonesia) Deputy Director Farah Sofa said:

"Indonesia, the host of these climate talks, has been used as a testing ground for a major, false solution to climate change - agrofuels. The destruction of tropical forests in Indonesia, including the draining and burning of peatland to clear land for plantation crops such as palm oil releases so many tons of carbon that Indonesia ranks in third place behind the US and China as the top emitters of greenhouse gases."

Friends of the Earth believes that adaptation should be designed to help the world's poorest people, and should protect ecosystems, livelihoods and human security. Community-based adaptation provides the best opportunity to ensure that adaptation projects are culturally, technically and socially appropriate, and that they increase resilience to the impacts of climate change.

The United Nations Development Programme has estimated that financing adaptation would amount to US$86 billion per year. [4]

Friends of the Earth International Climate Campaign Coordinator Joseph Zacune said:

"The industrialised world has clearly profited significantly from over a century of producing greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, billions of dollars are spent annually on military defense while developing countries struggle to repay odious debts causing undeniable environmental and social costs. A comprehensive package of mitigation and adaptation efforts is required and false solutions such as agrofuels, nuclear power and carbon offset projects - including monoculture tree plantations - must be resolutely excluded."

Notes

[1] Set up under the Kyoto Protocol, the Adaptation Fund was designed to support modification to climate change in developing nations. It is financed by a 2% levy on the value of credits gained from emissions reduction projects as part of the CDM. However the fund is not yet operational, and implementing it will be a key focus of the Bali negotiations.

[2] www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/ ¬
governments_must_say_no_to_29112007.html

[3] Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Sixth session, "Oil Palm and Other Commercial Tree Plantations, Monocropping: Impacts on Indigenous Peoples' Land Tenure and Resource Management Systems and Livelihoods." May 2007

In the developing world, agriculture and land use changes such as deforestation are the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions. A recent report on "Indonesia and Climate Change", published by the World Bank and the British government, shows that deforestation puts Indonesia as the world's third largest emitter after the US and China.

World Bank news release, "Carbon dioxide emissions on the rise" (PDF† ) , May 2007

{4] http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_en_complete.pdf (PDF† )

Article 4.3 of the UNFCCC commits Annex II countries to "provide new and additional resources to meet the agreed full incremental cost of implementing measures…" including "preparing for the adaptation to climate change." In addition Article 4.4 states that Annex II countries "shall also assist the developing country Parties that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in meeting costs of adaptation to those adverse effects."

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust