tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16234437833432776502024-03-14T00:12:37.724+05:30Climate Sustainability PLATFORMAn open platform for climate negotiators and sustainability influencers from various stakeholders coming from countries across the world. Share your voice! Let our voices be heard! Let us together ensure climate sustainability on earth!Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-62238994977329504262010-12-06T19:31:00.005+05:302010-12-06T19:46:32.487+05:30CANCUN PLATFORM Article #6 for OUTREACH at COP16<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNtLQrfwAwjzZV1HbbfHmWyWV7dQSP2R697KAtZGFfQqpcfPknn0q7Z71K2ihKxWjAlsf64WZmYo6Eng-9rEsEe_S8_dreMZoOLGMr5y67Gl88n31s290itt_d9rYakm4GZ2QrBfpgyA/s1600/Uchita+picture+for+article+6.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNtLQrfwAwjzZV1HbbfHmWyWV7dQSP2R697KAtZGFfQqpcfPknn0q7Z71K2ihKxWjAlsf64WZmYo6Eng-9rEsEe_S8_dreMZoOLGMr5y67Gl88n31s290itt_d9rYakm4GZ2QrBfpgyA/s400/Uchita+picture+for+article+6.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547570676372381122" /></a><span><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span><span><span><span></span></span></span></span></span></b></div></span><span><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >TRADING THE FOREST GODS FOR CARBON CREDIT</span></b></div></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: medium; ">by Uchita de Zoysa (Convener-Climate Sustainability PLATFORM)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></b> </span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span">Carbon trading is like exchanging bad karma for the good; while the rich climate sinners keep living their destructive lifestyles, the poor are asked to continue to conserve the environment so the sinful emissions could be absorbed. The price to sin is just a few dollars, and then they get to keep profiting from the prevalent dirty brown economy. If the brown economy is serious being challenged, then the plan would be to green wash it and find another marketplace to keep the exploitation alive. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Trading ecological space for a few dollars</b> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span">Sadly, some developing country governments are rushing into trading their forest gods and ecological space for a few dollars. That money will not be worth the cost that all nations will have to spend to adapt to climate change. But not like nations and communities, governments are only there for a few years and money matters more to be in power than serving the future generations! During that short period their partners in crime, the corporations, have been generous to show them the way to money. A New York Times article reported that “carbon trading is one of the fastest-growing specialties in financial services and companies are scrambling to get a slice of a market now worth about $30 billion and that could grow to $1 trillion within a decade. Carbon will be the world's biggest commodity market, and it could become the world's biggest market over all.” </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span"> Intra-national level climate justice and equity</span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span">While some developing country governments are looking at trading their forest gods, Indian mountain ecologist Prof. Jayanta Bandyopadhyay writing to the Calcutta Daily Telegraph had said, “Although about half of the Indian population has historically not emitted any significant amount of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, it will face the greatest impacts of global warming and related climate change. The question of delivering climate justice at the intra-national level is equally significant. The rich in India should not seek protection behind the vast numbers of the poor to present a low per-capita emission figure. India’s demand for climate justice at the international level can be more authentic if steps are taken within the country to advance climate justice and equity”. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span">Adding to the Indian debate Pradeep Mehta, a consumer activist from the ‘Consumer Unity Trust Society’ writing to the Economic Times said, “as an emerging power, India should also assume the responsibility of leading by example in climate issues. The resulting moral pressure on the rich to clean up their act is sure to have a greater impact than expressions of resolve not to compromise, which have had ‘zero success’ in mitigating climate change. After all, the impacts of climate change through decreased agricultural yield, floods, droughts and desertification will be felt mostly in the tropical zone, and therefore on India, China and their neighbours.” </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"> <b>Changing games of the carbon race</b> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The Chinese President Hu Jintao, last year prior to COP15, pledged that China will change its fossil fuel based development course with significant cuts to their emissions, and that would be only if the developed countries can make their due commitments. China is the largest carbon dioxide (CO2) emitting country today even though their per capita emissions are low. The Americans have helped China to beat them in the emissions race simply by inducing an investment regime that saw a process which is called ‘made by America in China’. Now that the Chinese have inherited a new consumption culture, they would want to experience it for some time and that would increase the pressure on climate. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The world today is a place of inequity and injustice, and a new world needs to ensure equity in consumption, production, trade and wellbeing opportunities for all across the world and across society within nations. The struggle to achieving a better quality of life for consumers in developing countries is clearly denied by the over consumption lifestyles in developed countries. If the rich consumers in the emerging economies start consumer higher and if the consumers in the industrialised countries continue on the current consumption patterns, we will require more than several planets of resources to sustain them. If not, and if they still wish to consume the same volumes on this single planet, they may as well get rid of all the poor, and that would mean to eliminate half of the global population. In such a scenario, forest gods are the last to be remembered and the first to be traded.</span></div><div></div><span><span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">send your comments to uchita@sltnet.lk </span></span></span><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"> for more information on Cancun COP16 see OUTREACH Magazine @ http://www.stakeholderforum.org/sf/outreach/ </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">for more information in Climate Sustainability visit http://www.climatesustainabilityplatform.blogspot.com/ and http://climatesustainability.blogspot.com/</span></div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt"><a href="http://climatesustainability.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:windowtext"></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;color:#002060"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i></span></p></div></div></div>Global Sustinability Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14362867913305789396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-53218923233302156482010-12-03T20:36:00.002+05:302010-12-03T20:41:38.829+05:30CANCUN PLATFORM Article #5 for OUTREACH at COP16<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJhZF1lmIMLhFQS5Cmb6VzdmvziwBpy1K_AjHXcjhPg1R5ASLdfL67-ayAOMUv6h_uFqPBezCPO0xpxRC1St1eu7Ki3shc6sy_NNKuu9som7Y6QUnds0CRTLbYD3k-tDPqo2K-OoaWiw/s1600/Picture+for+Uchita+Article+%25235.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJhZF1lmIMLhFQS5Cmb6VzdmvziwBpy1K_AjHXcjhPg1R5ASLdfL67-ayAOMUv6h_uFqPBezCPO0xpxRC1St1eu7Ki3shc6sy_NNKuu9som7Y6QUnds0CRTLbYD3k-tDPqo2K-OoaWiw/s400/Picture+for+Uchita+Article+%25235.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546473781479763234" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:36.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"></span></b></p><span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Another Green Revolution </span></b></span></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">or a One Straw Revolution? </span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">By Uchita de Zoysa (Convener – Climate Sustainability PLATFORM) </span></b></span> </span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am one of those billions of people who love a simple plate of rice and curry. Another is Khuong Sopheak, of the Cambodian NGO Network. But the recent floods in Banteay Meanchey province in Cambodia have left his people in the region to give-up their traditional rice cultivation and find new agricultural practices. Cambodia is country that has produced a surplus of rice. In 2009 they had 7.3 million tonnes harvested and exported over 8,000 tonnes of milled rice mainly to Europe, Africa and the rest of Asia. Now the same people who provided rice to rest of the world may have to find their own pot of rice in neighbouring countries as climate refugees? Sopheak said “this is a new climate change related situation. People are asking the government for support because they do not have enough food as they could not produce rice during this year. But, the costs are too high even for the government. If they do not have enough food, illegal migration will increase as they will go to Thailand to earn money to survive and to support their families.” </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Climate refugees will add to the food crisis as well as urbanization issues. While half of the world’s population is concentrated in urban areas, climate security and prosperity of the predominantly agrarian rural population needs more focus of the policy makers? In the aftermath of the financial downturn in 2008, a new green revolution is being proposed by the green economy initiatives and it appears to be another green technology drive. The first green revolution that mechanized agriculture and food production could not solve the worlds hunger problem, and a second may not provide the true answers. In this respect “One-Straw Revolution” by Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese scientist who proved that chemical and machinery use in agriculture are not necessary to harvest good yielding crops should be revisited. Fukuoka practiced a system of farming he referred to as “natural farming.” The essence of Fukuoka’s method is to reproduce natural conditions as closely as possible. Fukuoka in an interview had said “if modern agriculture continues to follow the path it’s on now, it’s finished. The food-growing situation may seem to be in good shape today, but that’s just an illusion based on the current availability of petroleum fuels. All the wheat, corn, and other crops that are produced on big American farms may be alive and growing, but they’re not products of real nature or real agriculture. They’re manufactured rather than grown. The earth isn’t producing those things... petroleum is!” </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now that we all have agreed on a future non-dependent on petroleum, what is the way forward? Have those negotiating for a deal on climate change considered a One-Straw Revolution or just believe that another Green Revolution would provide the miracles? The climate negotiations rather annoyingly continue to debate the issue of technology transfer. Why would someone want technology that is known to be destructive? Why should someone withhold technology that is vital to meet the challenges of climate change across the world? Why should another negotiate to preserve the right of ownership, when the entire world is challenged by a changing climate? Perhaps because these people see the challenges of climate change as a market opportunity and they also know that technology will remain a critical mode to bargain for the best deal? </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If climate change is becoming the greatest challenge to be faced by humans according to the IPCC and the scientific community, then why worry about bargains? Well, firstly we are human and not any other animal; and are selfish by nature. Secondly, because we also know that while natural disasters will strike us time and time again, the real threat will be in another thirty to forty years time, and during that period we will not be equally affected? It is also not a secret that during the transition, technology will play a critical role in the global trade balance and economic power politics? The green economy is therefore being designed on a technological platform and the advantages are still held by the corporations in the North. Whatever the reasons, if the negotiators are coming with bags to fill up for their individual countries or corporations, then they are not negotiating for a better world. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" >(send your comments to uchita@sltnet.lk and for more information visit http://www.climatesustainabilityplatform.blogspot.com/ and http://climatesustainability.blogspot.com/)</span></span></span></span></span><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;color:#002060"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><o:p></o:p></i></span></p></div>Global Sustinability Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14362867913305789396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-29233062131312527132010-12-03T05:15:00.003+05:302010-12-03T05:26:55.733+05:30CANCUN PLATFORM Article #4 for OUTREACH at COP16<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6Uk-7ELYM9OzWcXMSjinZOVHzGiAAmrUcpjynARIvG04hQK6H1u-vMDCoTPaafww-V1a8HrJIWrpO1hhoeQhyphenhyphenbuer-mCDmLlm3judvC0TE9iQbey9997jPtqh3Lu9YpawJc831NyPfM/s1600/Picture+for+uchita+atrticle-4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6Uk-7ELYM9OzWcXMSjinZOVHzGiAAmrUcpjynARIvG04hQK6H1u-vMDCoTPaafww-V1a8HrJIWrpO1hhoeQhyphenhyphenbuer-mCDmLlm3judvC0TE9iQbey9997jPtqh3Lu9YpawJc831NyPfM/s400/Picture+for+uchita+atrticle-4.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546237684041937010" /></a><span><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >SHOW US POLITICAL WILL </span></span></b></div></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >UCHITA DE ZOYSA (CONVENER – CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLATFORM) </span></span></b> </div><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Two weeks before Cancun COP16, rain started pouring into the Capital City Colombo in Sri Lanka crippling life activities and destroying roads, walls, houses, vehicles, etc. To start with, the parliament went under water and the MP’s had to be rescued by the armed forces. The flood waters came rushing through the road to my house and the neighbours’ parapet wall collapsed onto mine. Few miles away my friends home went under water and he called me and said “so this is what climate change is going to be like and we now need to adjust to the new conditions”. Many in the city had similar and sadder stories and all ended with new hardships and extra expenses. All of us down here are already preparing for the now frequent climate disasters; adaptation is already costing us! </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> <b>Equity, mitigation and adaptation </b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Speaking to me on Cancun responsibilities, former Vice Chair of IPCC-AR4 Prof. Mohan Munasinghe demanded that political will to raise the resources to accelerate adaptation is demonstrated during the current round of climate negotiations. He said; "Even if progress on mitigation is slow, there is no excuse to delay more rapid progress on agreements to reduce climate change vulnerability and promote adaptation among the poorest and hardest hit groups in all countries. We know what needs to be done. We have the frameworks like Sustainomics, tools, policies and practical examples to start this process immediately, but sadly, the political will is lacking. Adaptation can be accelerated dramatically using funding amounting to just a small fraction of the USD 5 trillion that was raised so quickly to halt the recent financial meltdown. Equity and ethical principles should be used when negotiators consider how the burdens of both climate change impacts/adaptation and mitigation are distributed. The most effective way of addressing climate change is to integrate both adaptation and mitigation measures into sustainable development strategy. Civil society and business need to be more pro-active in pushing governments to take action now." </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">UN climate change negotiations are failing </span></b></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">International climate change negotiations are failing because they are not based on such foundations that offer equity, wellbeing and happiness of all. These negotiations at the United Nations are designed as a process of bargaining led by short sighted political leadership and their representatives. It is a bargaining place for the managers of the prevailing erroneous global governance and economic system. UN negotiations are not places where the countries congregate with mutual trust or confidence. Each of them tries to bargain for their own best share, rather than for the betterment of the planet. Therefore, these negotiations can hardly provide hope of a radical change in the approach or attitude towards creating a different system for a better world. If the international climate negotiations continue to fail in reaching an implementable agreement very soon, we would be allowing our global leadership to design for us an ultimate destiny to perish.</span></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><b>The frequency of natural disasters </b></span></div></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">We are already experiencing natural disasters at a regular frequency across the world like no other time in human history. Seeing highly developed cities in USA and Europe getting submerged in flood waters, regular landslides in China, and earth quakes in Pakistan, tsunami’s in the sea close to Indonesia is driving fear in the minds of millions. If we are to believe the fourth assessment report of the IPCC and the warnings by the climate scientists, then we may well get ready for a life on earth filled with catastrophic natural calamities. While such dangerous climate change can still be evaded, there is simply no faith, trust and confidence in the current global leadership in making commitments required to face that challenge. Even if promises are made by them, there is no assurance that they will actually meet the commitments made. </span></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><b>The next generation </b></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So we do fear our fate on earth. The worst part of this fear is not really for me or my generation, but to understand that my daughter and her generation will suffer a destiny of uncertainty and destitution. My daughter is only eleven years old. In 2050 she will be over fifty years and would have gone through all the changes in the climate as predicted by scientists of our times. Worst is that she might have to face the consequences of the mistakes made by our generation. By that time my daughter would be having her own children and perhaps grand children as well, and she would be living in a state of constant worry for her family. Her worries will be much greater than mine; and that worries me no end. I am just one father of several billion who worries about the future of their children. Can leaders in Cancun show more compassion towards our children and their futures? Can that compassion become the fuel necessary to ignite the political will that we desperately seek? </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Send your comments to uchita@sltnet.lk and for more information visithttp://www.climatesustainabilityplatform.blogspot.com/ and http://climatesustainability.blogspot.com/ </span></span></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div>Global Sustinability Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14362867913305789396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-50955917312640851462010-12-01T19:22:00.006+05:302010-12-01T20:33:07.592+05:30CANCUN PLATFORM Article #3 for OUTREACH at COP16<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLEswisOTsWMnuboPwjEsABnnfi1KJVQHVya9ApS8Jk0Bnp9zy79YC0U_tGjbIjuSu-I69IOOsKEsGL2rFm8zbiTxNJiSkIUOoLOUoMnUmP0nit0Rb6j4PHfe2ImUssy7R9ZdrlHYVjk/s1600/picture+for+uchita+article-3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLEswisOTsWMnuboPwjEsABnnfi1KJVQHVya9ApS8Jk0Bnp9zy79YC0U_tGjbIjuSu-I69IOOsKEsGL2rFm8zbiTxNJiSkIUOoLOUoMnUmP0nit0Rb6j4PHfe2ImUssy7R9ZdrlHYVjk/s400/picture+for+uchita+article-3.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545714094161600706" /></a><span><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Challenge is not Adapting to a Livable World!</span> </span></b></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A Warmer Earth Still Could be Our Happy Planet! </span></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">by Uchita de Zoysa, Convenor – Climate Sustainability PLATFORM </span></span></span></b> </div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The focus of our challenge on earth should not be diluted or diverted towards merely adapting to a liveable world. Even in a world with increased temperature, the future human generations should be able to find wellbeing and happiness. The adaptation challenge is not to compromise on a liveable world but to take necessary action to create prosperity in a changing climate on earth. The danger of the compromised approach suggests that we humans will suffer in a 2°C plus temperature rise. Humans have shown their resilience throughout history and should be able to make a warmer world into a happy planet. But that is only if we all can agree to give away with the current system that promotes consumerist lifestyles that may take us beyond a 4°C rise in heat that is not even suited for human habitation. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The problem lay within our inherited world of false ideals that we keep on passing to our future generations. We have been told that capacity building in life is for higher income and acquisitions, and that development would mean commitment to achieve such materialistic targets. Only a few nations on earth have experienced development in the market economy based development approach. For the past many decades we have been told that some countries are developed and that some are developing. I have waited over four decades to understand 'development' as it has never reached my country - Sri Lanka. Then I meet so many people from the branded developing countries, while travelling across the world and at conferences, and they too do not seem to have a clear idea and do appear to struggle as much as I do. I also associate a lot of people from the categorized developed countries, and they do not seem to have found contentment or happiness in the development given to them. While they have already had their higher incomes and acquisitions, it is puzzling to see why they are not content and happy in life. Now that the French and British governments have understood that the GDP based economic growth approach does not reflect the nation’s prosperity in the wellbeing of their citizens, perhaps the UN and USA can start appreciating those smaller Southern nations who have been rebelling to retain their sufficiency pathways to prosperity approach. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >In these times of change, greening the existing industrial production system will not help green the economy and achieve climate sustainability. It will not take us towards a carbon neutral society and drive us away from the wasteful lifestyles. A new green world order has to be more authentic than making mountains of the green labelling and green procurement businesses. Such a new world order will have to make sufficiency based considerations more pertinent. Sufficiency can firstly reduce greed and want for over-consumption through a state of adequacy and contentment. It can also innovate on indigenous knowledge systems to produce without waste, more efficiently, become more self-reliant, and less dependent on external resources. The national economic crisis in 1997 is what lead the King of Thailand to officially pronounce a ‘philosophy of the sufficiency economy’ as the way forward in that country. Subsequently the Ninth National Economic and Social Development Plan from 2002 to 2006 in the county, adopted sufficiency economy as their economic policy and explained that its goals are to achieve sustainable development and proper well-being for Thai people. It is a balanced development which took into account the economy, society, politics, and environment, aiming to make people in the society happy, self-reliant, and abreast with the world, while still preserving the Thai national identity. Just like in Thailand, many smaller nations believe in sufficiency as the way to national prosperity and wellbeing of their people and are involuntarily dragged into suffering through a global economic and governance system that thinks otherwise. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Those who have dragged us towards a state of climate change that threatens human existence on earth are now trying to discover a way for us to survive in a liveable world. This cannot and should not be the aspiration and determination of humankind. That is a compromise that we, as a generation, are trying to make on the lives of all future generations. While enjoying the offerings on earth today, we are planning a world of lesser enjoyment for the future humans. If we are only negotiating for a liveable world for our children and their children, then we are demonstrating intrinsically our selfish nature as a generation and it is simply fighting to get the best share for ourselves. Climate change has also provided the humans a historical opportunity to act as one species, and the act needs to be mindful this time.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" > </span></span></div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">(send your comments to uchita@sltnet.lk for more information on Cancun COP16 see OUTREACH Magazine @ http://www.stakeholderforum.org/sf/outreach/ for more information in Climate Sustainability visit http://www.climatesustainabilityplatform.blogspot.com/ and http://climatesustainability.blogspot.com/)</span></span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;color:#002060"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><o:p></o:p></i></span></p></div></div>Global Sustinability Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14362867913305789396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-50040664895597092712010-11-30T20:46:00.006+05:302010-12-01T20:34:05.695+05:30CANCUN PLATFORM Article #2 for OUTREACH at COP16<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQbU1KPIH3QxEzy9QtCLJ_GDYu-9fYZqy24luSNJJN6LquPUHRySv0HRjMt7pPjDLwbsIHoy2LjJv74hWmFKyaB9LizjZ3G1fSRY5xQ8milW5Yl1zVvpXw_rAgGahgjexzJukI5BUkmQ/s1600/trackweb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQbU1KPIH3QxEzy9QtCLJ_GDYu-9fYZqy24luSNJJN6LquPUHRySv0HRjMt7pPjDLwbsIHoy2LjJv74hWmFKyaB9LizjZ3G1fSRY5xQ8milW5Yl1zVvpXw_rAgGahgjexzJukI5BUkmQ/s400/trackweb.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545362471139265282" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></b></p><span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>A dismantled train cannot take us to</b></span></span></div></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Climate Sustainability! </span></span></b></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Uchita de Zoysa (Convenor – Climate Sustainability PLATFORM) </span></span></b></div><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The whole United Nations effort on sustainability is like a disjointed train ride. While the engine is parked on one track, compartments seem to be running on different tracks and at different speeds with the railway staff trying to steer as many journeys as possible towards sustainability. This has left us passengers stranded not knowing which path leads to sustainability or which train takes us on that journey. The stations too have changed and different roadmaps drawn up since. We now have to figure out which map provides better direction; which one would direct us to the correct station to board the correct train towards sustainability. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was one of those compartments founded at the UNCED in 1992, and therefore became the mandated organization to save humanity from climate change. For the past fifteen years the UNFCCC have spent billions of dollars, burned thousands of tons of fossil fuel in the process of negotiations, and created nightmares in the minds of billions of people about the destitution facing humans on earth. Meanwhile the overall situation for us, the ordinary people, continues to deteriorate, and a new destination called ‘a liveable environment’ is being proposed. The UNFCCC is lost in a journey without a clear destination. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Now Environmental Governance is emerging high within the UN agenda. What they mean is to clean up the mess they have created by fragmenting the sustainable development functions to different agencies with different approaches. They now have realised that it is important to find a way to centrally coordinate all the multilateral environmental agreements (MEA). But by bringing together environmental concerns into one single coordination initiative would also isolate it from the social and economic concerns of sustainable development. Sustainability at the end of the day is what all these negotiations are trying to achieve. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >This fragmented approach to governance of global sustainability is why half of the world remains in poverty while the climate is changing. Poverty is a result of the prevailing hypocritical global governance systems that lacks holistic approach and care for all. If people are trapped in poverty and cannot find adequate food and other needs to fulfil their basic livelihood requirements, then the success of facing the climate challenge will be beyond human ability. Also, this would increase the frequency of wars on earth and humanity may finally perish in a combination of climate and poverty related violence. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >It appears that it is not hot enough for the establishment to get away from ‘business as usual’. A small group of rich and powerful countries, companies and people continue to drag the rest of us through great grief and a dangerous destiny that would have devastating long term consequences for all. But, the establishment is still convinced that growth, capital accumulation and development could provide answers for the survival of the people who really matter on earth. People who matter are a very few and they control the earth. They consume most of the resources, control the trade and capital, and decide what is best for all of us on earth. The rest of us, especially the half of the world that lives in poverty, is insignificant in the global decision making. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >What we need is to get the train back on track towards sustainability. The Southern country compartments are firmly stationed, and demand that the negotiations should consider a route through equity and justice. But, the developed countries do not want to pay anything extra and have held back their due commitments wishing to extend their profits of the current world order. In this stalemate, the UN may well need to rethink their role and responsibilities before the climate negotiations can agree upon sustainability as the logical destination that was found many decades ago. With this destination in mind, getting the train back together to run on a single track may be more important than finding new engines, placing new tracks, setting up new stations and designing new roadmaps. Once the destination is clear, the train is assembled, and the tracks are laid on the mapped pathway, getting to climate sustainability will be better understood. Bon Voyage!</span></span></div> </span></span></span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB"></span><i><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: rgb(0, 32, 96); "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></span></span></i></p><span><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >(send your comments to uchita@sltnet.lk for more information on Cancun COP16 see OUTREACH Magazine @ http://www.stakeholderforum.org/sf/outreach/ for more information in Climate Sustainability visit http://www.climatesustainabilityplatform.blogspot.com/ and http://climatesustainability.blogspot.com/)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 32, 96); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i></i></span></span></p></div></div></div></div>Global Sustinability Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14362867913305789396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-55153547254097285382010-11-30T05:37:00.005+05:302010-11-30T07:24:58.729+05:30CANCUN PLATFORM Article #1 for OUTREACH at COP16<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJJ2f9W9U26pp1D_-GU7CMmpQfGGQGpXxfEvZ__bF0lvrlepCjQuerKtMMZUM5vCt2-m2MG-2QdNUE4sj_Djuf6pXZgI0uc3KquQsuwBJX2Ibggpz89f9Cr5wOq6o3vlImU5-OHkzOSo/s400/01web.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 225px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545129418456374050" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:30.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:black"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></b></span></p><span><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span">From COPENHAGEN CLIMATE CARNIVAL To CANCUN CLIMATE CIRCUS </span></span></b></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Drifting Away From CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY </span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">by Uchita de Zoysa (Convenor – Climate Sustainability PLATFORM) </span></b></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; ">Those of us who were in Copenhagen a year ago for the COP15 felt like it was a carnival. While the actual negotiations did not produce any result of worth, the Danish government and their stakeholders spent loads of money, energy and resources to make Copenhagen into one big carnival to keep the seventeen thousand plus visitors entertained. It was not just during the the COP15 days, but the entire year had various preparatory events in the city to create a climax for the big carnival at the end of the year. Compared to Copenhagen, the hype around the Cancun COP16 has been rather low. It was difficult to imagine the circus going to be at the end of the year.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; ">The enthusiasm to save the world and have climate justice has not been as high as it was the previous year. Many months ago I asked some climate concerned activists who were in Copenhagen if they plan to go to Cancun. Most of them said ‘NO” and it was obvious why? If Copenhagen that promised a lot came out with close to nothing, then Cancun which is rather low key in news may not result in anything. But, from today, let’s wait and see what the Cancun Climate Circus has to offer the world. A year ago in Copenhagen the Climate Sustainability PLATFORM, a group of people representing regions and stakeholders of the world, demanded that UNFCCC delivers the following;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; "><i>“Climate and Sustainability need to be addressed together, not decoupled. Therefore, an agreement on Climate Sustainability will be decisive in coming together as one world to reverse decades of irresponsible consumption, production, and trade patterns and to build an equitable, fair, and just world. Climate sustainability must be the shared vision of the UNFCCC because it is the aspiration of the people. Climate Sustainability addresses pressing issues of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation through relevant strategies for mitigation, adaptation, finance, and technology sharing. Governments must demonstrate political will and vision by signing a binding 'Climate Sustainability Agreement' enforced through strong compliance mechanisms. Only this will empower people to live in harmony with all species in a healthy planet that ensures wellbeing and happiness to all.” </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; ">A year later the demand is the same, but the status of the climate negotiations remain as unconvincing as it was. So where are we now? Are we any closer to Climate Sustainability? Absolutely not! In fact are drifting further away from a 2°C destiny that could be a very warm and unpleasant future on earth. Launching my book ‘It has to be CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY’ in Copenhagen a year ago I said;<i> </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; "><i>"Climate change is a destiny determining phenomenon and all people need to be aware of their rights and responsibilities. But, half of the world's population remains under poverty and is being deprived of their rights towards the basic human needs. Meanwhile, the wasteful lifestyles and irresponsible behaviour of the rich and powerful continues to endanger the life of all humans on earth. A small privileged group continues to negotiate for a climate deal and they separately talk about the sustainability of the planet. By marginalising rest of the population in determining their own destinies, they have left us in destitution. A new world order is emerging, but the people are not involved in designing of it as well. A better world order needs to be created upon the mindful aspirations of the people; and should essentially be based on equitable opportunities for all to find peace, prosperity, sustainability, wellbeing and happiness. Then, it has to be climate sustainability!” </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; ">Whilst wishing COP16 in Cancun all the success, our future cannot be based on these negotiations alone and those negotiators. They will find another stop to party each year while delaying commitments. What matters is what rest of the world do to arrest our own sustainable futures. While negotiating climate change continues to be with those without a political will to radically commit to the challenge, we meanwhile need to find our own climate sustainability futures.</span></div></span></span><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(send your comments to uchita@sltnet.lk </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">for more information on Cancun COP16 see OUTREACH Magazine @ http://www.stakeholderforum.org/sf/outreach/ </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">for more Information on Climate Sustainability visit: http://www.climatesustainabilityplatform.blogspot.com/ and http://climatesustainability.blogspot.com/)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 32, 96); "><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i></span></p></div></div>Global Sustinability Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14362867913305789396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-65308323491594491062010-11-29T08:00:00.005+05:302010-11-29T08:17:03.191+05:30<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhaDTJCrB6DIS8d2PiRAL2Ex4OAlyH31ICNfneUMsbHp6eIigJeIxL5qQPLnRZ5KNjS_mAEhpTG6plF-E1JiKJ3Ox9e29z8OlQj12PFqeSTkpdQACW7t8u7vCcQxw8LF7orbcVZjxL5uk/s1600/Martin+Khor-three+redim+90p.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhaDTJCrB6DIS8d2PiRAL2Ex4OAlyH31ICNfneUMsbHp6eIigJeIxL5qQPLnRZ5KNjS_mAEhpTG6plF-E1JiKJ3Ox9e29z8OlQj12PFqeSTkpdQACW7t8u7vCcQxw8LF7orbcVZjxL5uk/s400/Martin+Khor-three+redim+90p.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544796902185447282" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">What To Expect in Cancun:</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 36pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">climate change has sunk in just a year in the world's political agenda</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Martin Khor, (</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cancun, 28 November, </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"><a href="http://www.twnside.org.sg/"><strong><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;color:windowtext; text-decoration:none;text-underline:none">www.twnside.org.sg</span></strong></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">A year after the chaotic Copenhagen summit, the 2010 UNFCCC climate conference begins in Cancun. Expectations are low this time around, especially compared to the eve of Copenhagen. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">That's probably both good and bad. The conference last year had been so hyped up before hand, with so much hope linked to it, that the lack of a binding agreement at the end of it and the last-day battle over process and text made it a near-disaster.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Few expect this year's meeting in the seaside resort of Cancun to produce anything significant in commitments either to cut Greenhouse Gas emissions or to provide funds to developing countries. Thus if Cancun ends with few significant decisions, it won't be taken as a catastrophe. It will however be seen as the multilateral system not being able to meet up to the challenge. And that system will be asked to try harder, next year. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The atmosphere at the end of the meeting will of course be crucial. The events, especially at the Ministerial segment, and how the presence of heads of states is handled, should be organised in a transparent and inclusive way, without the surprises of Copenhagen. That way, Cancun will end with the goodwill needed to carry on the work, even if there are no spectacular outcomes here.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">It would be unwise (to say the least) to try a repeat (or a variation) of the exclusive high-level small-group process of selected political leaders that clashed with the inclusive multilateral negotiating process in the last days of Copenhagen, and that produced the chaotic ending.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The process in the first week, when negotiators are expected to work hard on the 13 August text and the Tianjin revisions to text, that were both member-driven, will also be important. An inclusive, transparent process driven by members themselves is required. Even if this takes time, it is time well invested. Attempts to shorten this process by methods not agreed to or that are not transparent may instead produce a short circuit and a fire, waste even more time and result in loss of goodwill and confidence. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The lowering of expectations<br />On the other hand, the lowering of expectations indicates how low climate change has sunk in just a year in the world's political agenda. And that is bad indeed, because the climate problem has got even worse. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">2010 is already rivaling 1998 as the hottest year since records were kept. And there have been so many natural disasters in 2010; some of them like the catastrophic flooding in Pakistan are linked to climate change.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Other events, especially the spread of the financial crisis to Western Europe, and the persistent high unemployment in the United States despite economic growth, have taken over the attention of the politicians and public in the developed countries. The counter-attack by climate skeptics in questioning the science, and by politicians that don't like climate actions, has also affected the public mood to some extent. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Also, the chances of getting a global climate change agreement appear much more dim, as the issues are shown up to be more difficult and complex than earlier envisaged. And when a problem seems intractable, most politicians tend to lose interest because like other people they don't like to be associated with failure. And the problems in the negotiations are many, and they will re-emerge again in Cancun. While the need to address climate change is urgent, there is also the need for patience in getting a successful outcome.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The Fate and Shape of the Global Climate Regulatory Regime<br />The main problem is the inability of the United States administration to make a meaningful commitment to cut its country's emissions to an adequate extent, because it is now clear that Congress will not adopt a comprehensive climate bill.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">This makes the other developed countries reluctant to firm up their own commitments, or even retain the existing regulated system. Many of them are still dragging their feet in stating how much they should cut their emissions, individually and as a group, in the Kyoto Protocol's second period that is to start in 2013.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Worse, Russia and Japan have openly stated they do not want to continue with the Kyoto Protocol, because the US is not in it and major developing countries do not have to join the binding disciplines. A most depressing Kyodo agency news item was published on the eve of Cancun, under the headline “Japan will oppose Kyoto extension at COP16.” It quotes a Vice Minister and senior climate negotiator as saying Japan will not agree to extend Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012 even if it means isolating itself at the UN. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Australia, New Zealand and Canada among others have also been unwilling or reluctant to commit to Kyoto's second period. That leaves the European Union, which says it prefers to shift to a new system too but is still open to remaining in Kyoto if others do. Only Norway has said firmly it agrees to a second Kyoto period.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The death of the Kyoto Protocol, under which the developed countries except the US have legally-binding targets to cut their emissions, is something the developing countries cannot accept. They want the developed countries to cut their emissions as a group by more than 40% by 2020 (compared to 1990), and for each country to do an adequate cut, under the Kyoto Protocol. The figures have to be re-calculated to fit 2013-2017 as the second period proposed by the G77 and China. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The US was supposed to take on a “comparable effort” in mitigation as the other developed countries, but under the Convention since it is not a KP member. Para 1b(i) of the Bali Action Plan was designed for that. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">This was a crucial part of the overall understanding on mitigation reached in Bali: (1) that the Annex I parties in KP would take on adequate 2nd period commitments on aggregate and individual reduction targets consistent with what science requires; (2) that the US would make its own comparable commitment in the Convention, in accordance with Para 1b(i); and (3) developing countries would undertake enhanced mitigation actions with financial and technological support, both of which would be measurable, reportable and verifiable (MRV). </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">This three-piece Bali understanding is now unraveling with alarming speed. The KP is in mortal danger, as most of its Annex I members show clear signs of abandoning ship. The new vehicle they are looking to join is vastly inferior. It is the voluntary pledge system that the US had been advocating, in which individual developed countries state how much reduction they would like to set as their target. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">In the system, there is no aggregate target to be set in accordance with what the science says is required. There is no mechanism to review the commitments (individual and aggregate) and to get Parties to revise them so that they meet adequate levels. The mild discipline is that there will be a periodic review on whether the Parties meet their pledged targets, but not a review as to whether the pledges are adequate.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">There has been a major battle, quite indirect and under the radar screen at first and then fierce and open after that, over the model of climate regime for Annex I mitigation -- the KP model of binding aggregate and individual cuts versus the pledge and review voluntary system. At Bali the first model was adopted, but increasingly challenged in the many 2009 sessions before Copenhagen. Then the fight reached a boiling point in Copenhagen, when the US-led pledge system gained an upper hand for the first time when the Copenhagen Accord seemed to be firmly on the side of the pledge system, in its Para 4.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">However, the balance of forces in this battle of models was to some extent restored after Copenhagen when the major developing countries that assisted in the birth of the Accord reaffirmed that they needed the KP to continue into a second period, and that they wanted the binding system of aggregate and individual commitments that are comparable, and with reduction figures consistent with the science. The EU has indicated it also wants this binding system; this is important as the EU is a prime architect and was a champion of this system. For these Parties, para 4 of the Accord and the binding system are complementary and not contradictory.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">For the developing countries the retention of the binding system for Annex I parties is a touchstone, a Litmus Test to prove that those that are responsible for most of the stock of emissions in the atmosphere, are serious about the much-proclaimed “taking leadership in the fight against climate change.” If the developed countries downgrade their mitigation commitment from a binding system based on adequate efforts, to a voluntary pledge system without a review of adequacy, then it would be tantamount to giving up leadership, and to a deregulation of the system, and at the worst possible time -- when there is growing scientific and empirical evidence of the seriousness of the climate problem.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Disastrous Projection of Pledges<br />Top climate scientists in a new UN Environment Programme report show how disastrously off-mark such a voluntary system can be. Instead of cutting their emissions by at least 25-40% below 1990 levels in 2020 as required (or by more than 40%, as demanded by developing countries), the developed countries will actually increase their emission by 6% in a bad scenario (based on the lower end of pledges and the use of loopholes) or will only cut by 16% in the good scenario (based on the upper end of pledges and without the use of loopholes). The calculations are based on the pledges the developed countries made under the Copenhagen Accord.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">These pledges, together with the figures from announcements made by some developing countries, show that the world is moving in the direction of a global temperature increase of between 2.5 to 5 degrees Celsius before the end of this century, according to the UNEP report. This is far removed from the 1.5 or 2 degree “safe limit”, and is a recipe for catastrophe.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">In 2005 the global emissions level is estimated at 45 Giga tonnes (i.e. 45 billion tonnes) of CO2 equivalent and in 2009 it is estimated at 48 Gton. With business as usual, this will rise to 56 Gton in 2020, which is on the road to disaster. The scientists in the UNEP study agree that emissions have to be limited to 44 GtCO2e by 2020 to stay on a 2 degree limitation course. Based on the Copenhagen Accord pledges, the emissions in 2020 could be 49 Gton under a good scenario, but as high as 53 Gton (almost like business-as-usual) in the bad scenario.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">It is evident that all groups of countries have to contribute to improving this disastrous situation. However the Annex I countries are obliged to take the lead, and show the way. But their pledges so far are deficient, as a group. And the intended downgrading of the regulated system to a deregulated system goes in the wrong direction.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">A major turn-around in the attitude of most developed counties towards their own emission reduction will be the most important and the hardest problem to resolve in Cancun. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The Obligations Proposed for Developing Countries<br />Another contentious issue will be the proposed new obligations to be placed on developing countries. At Bali, it was agreed the developing countries would enhance their mitigation actions, and have those actions that are internationally supported to be subjected to MRV. The finance and technology support provided by developed countries would also be subjected to MRV. The mitigation actions that developing countries fund themselves do not have to be subjected to an international MRV system.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">However Bali-Plus obligations on developing countries are also now being proposed by developed countries. These proposed obligations include an “international consultation and analysis” (ICA) system to be applied to mitigation actions that are unsupported, and a much more rigorous system of reporting on overall mitigation actions through national communications (once in four years) and supplementary reports (once in two years). Since the most important elements of the national communications are also to be in the supplementary reports, this in effect means reporting once in two years. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The Bali-plus obligations also include proposals by the EU that developing countries together have a mitigation target of “deviation from business as usual” by 15-30% by 2020. And many developing countries have voluntarily announced targets for reducing emissions growth, reducing the emissions-GNP intensity, or even reducing emissions. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The situation has become complicated. There are many developing countries which did not sign on to the Copenhagen Accord, so the need to undertake ICA does not apply to them, unless the ICA becomes accepted by all. Many of the developing countries that associated with the Accord do not agree with the stringent MRV and ICA systems proposed by the developed countries, as reflected as options in the various texts.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">More importantly, the MRV concept was agreed to as part of the three-element Bali understanding on mitigation that includes the KP continuing into a second period, and the US making a comparable commitment under the Convention. These two crucial parts of the understanding involve the commitments of developed countries and they are now under threat. Many developing countries are questioning why they should continue to agree to upgrading their obligations if developed countries are wanting to downgrade their own system of commitments. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Another obligation that developed countries are seeking to place on developing countries is to give the latter a large contributory role in the overall meeting of long-term global emissions goals, such as a 50% global cut by 2050 compared with 1990. If Annex I countries take on a 80% reduction, while the global goal is a 50% reduction, this means developing countries would have to undertake a per capita emissions cut of over 50%, and a “deviation from business as usual” of over 80%. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">These are very onerous targets for developing countries, which also have priorities for economic development. Their development prospects would suffer if the targets designed for them are accepted, unless there is a sufficiently massive transfer of financing and technology. The implications of these targets are still not fully understood. The discussions on a global goal are taking place in the shared vision issue. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cancun Deliverables? New Structures in Finance, Technology and Adaptation<br />Developing countries are also saying they are willing to enhance their mitigation actions and to prepare more detailed reports, but they need the funds and affordable access to new technologies to do these. The provision of finance and technology, which are commitments of the developed countries, is also needed for adaptation and capacity building.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The possible bright spot in Cancun could be a decision to create a new climate fund in the UNFCCC and under the authority of the Conference of Parties. The discussion on this is quite advanced. Agreement to establish the new fund would be a limited gain, as the details of the fund (including its governance and the amounts it will have) would still have to be worked out later, through a process that Cancun can also decide on. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Nevertheless, it would be an advance if Cancun can make this significant decision to establish the new fund. But Cancun may be deprived of even such a simple outcome. The US made clear in Tianjin, and this was confirmed by a recent speech by its special climate envoy Todd Stern, that there cannot be an “early harvest” in Cancun such as setting up a fund.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">For the US to agree to that, there must be a Cancun agreement on mitigation, in which developing countries agree to the stringent obligations on reporting and international analysis, and in which developed countries undertake a pledge and review system.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">At Cancun, it can be expected there will be an appeal to the US to allow the fund to be set up, and not to tie this to conditions that its demands in other areas be met first. The US will be told not take the funds that can get actions going in the developing world as “hostage” or conditional on its getting its way in other areas of the negotiations. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">On technology transfer, another key issue for developing countries, there has been progress on the technology mechanism to be set up, an Executive Body and a Centre and Network. Again, a decision to establish these bodies is within reach in Cancun, and it should not be stalled on the ground that progress must first be made in other areas.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The developing countries also want a new Adaptation Committee as well as a new international mechanism to address loss and damage caused by climate change. This has yet to be agreed to. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">If Cancun can deliver the establishment of these new structures in finance, technology and adaptation, it would have something to show, and we would not leave empty handed. These are only relatively small measures, but they are still significant, if only to demonstrate that there are still results possible from international cooperation in climate change. If these are not delivered in Cancun, the smoke signals to the world will not be good at all. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> (Note: Martin Khor is the Executive Director of the South Centre</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">)</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><em></em><o:p></o:p></span></p></div>Global Sustinability Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14362867913305789396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-61444572192468761312010-11-27T09:09:00.008+05:302010-11-27T09:50:11.882+05:30<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span">news flash</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">CANCUN COP16 PLATFORM & OUTREACH MAGAZINE!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >An article series by Uchita de Zoysa will be produced for the OUTREACH magazine during the COP16 in Cancun from 29 November to 9<sup>th</sup> December 2010. Through these articles voices of the ‘Climate Sustainability PLATFFORM’ will be raised from across the world. These articles and other member statements will be published in this blog and ciculated to hundreds of organizations across the world during these two weeks. Pl send your opinion, statements and recommendations to uchita@sltnet.lk </span></span></p>Global Sustinability Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14362867913305789396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-78351596076563672322010-11-27T08:36:00.005+05:302010-11-27T08:54:59.687+05:30<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23HravRWN2ySTgfdLDO-PPAlAz704Y51r7waiBoTc9tRfWBSfPvrLeP_r79cJQ2P59flvvCEV3Uv_3NgmUkdykLv85gK569x2aeZyb5WOM4AYTWUZzD34fEp9Uz5fylgZUcvZ4Ejxx7c/s1600/11232010_AP10070117680_300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23HravRWN2ySTgfdLDO-PPAlAz704Y51r7waiBoTc9tRfWBSfPvrLeP_r79cJQ2P59flvvCEV3Uv_3NgmUkdykLv85gK569x2aeZyb5WOM4AYTWUZzD34fEp9Uz5fylgZUcvZ4Ejxx7c/s400/11232010_AP10070117680_300.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544064550788403346" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">"Nations won’t be able to agree on a legally binding climate treaty this year at Cancun COP16"</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">- </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">U.S. chief climate negotiator Todd Stern</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">By Karin Rives Staff Writer</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">Washington 23 November 2010 — Nations won’t be able to agree on a legally binding climate treaty this year, but they can make progress in a number of key areas that could — “maybe” — lead to a final deal next year, the U.S. chief climate negotiator said.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">“What we’re seeking now in Cancún is a balanced package of decisions,” U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern told international journalists in Washington on November 22. “Rather than insisting on a legal treaty before anything happens, we should move down the pragmatic path of concrete operational decisions.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">The United Nations-led 16th Conference of the Parties (COP-16) in Cancún, Mexico, between November 29 and December 10, will be the biggest climate meeting of the year in hopes of taking negotiations forward.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">The immediate goal, Stern said, is to make good on nonbinding commitments made at last year’s <a href="http://www.america.gov/cop_15.html">climate summit in Copenhagen</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">If done right, he said, representatives from 192 countries could set up a “green fund” that will handle financial climate assistance to developing countries, start implementing significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, put in place a system of transparency and accountability, and rapidly advance climate-adaptation and forest-protection programs.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">A key provision of the nonbinding Copenhagen Accord, drafted by the world’s largest economies at the 2009 summit, required developed countries to raise $30 billion from 2010 to 2012 to assist developing countries. This so-called “fast track” pot of money for developing countries, many of which are already grappling with the effects of climate change, would be followed by a much larger commitment of $100 billion annually by 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">U.S. BOOSTS FAST-TRACK FINANCING IN 2010<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">More than 110 countries have signed on to the nonbinding Copenhagen Accord to fight climate change.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">The U.S. Department of State released a fact sheet November 22 showing that <a href="http://www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/rpts/faststart/index.htm">the United States spent $1.7 billion in 2010</a> on fast-track financing programs in developing countries.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">Climate assistance from the State and Treasury departments, along with the U.S. Agency for International Development, more than tripled from $316 million in fiscal year 2009 to about $1 billion in fiscal year 2010, which ended September 30. Over the same period, the three agencies increased their assistance for nations adapting to climate change tenfold to reach $244 million.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">“This financing is being used in a range of projects all around the world, from adaptation activities in Africa and the small island states, to assisting Indonesia with efforts to reduce deforestation, to helping Andean countries address the impacts of tropical glacier retreat,” Stern said. “In our view, these investments are not only good for developing countries, they are important for our own economic, environmental and national security well-being.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) should remain the venue for future negotiations, Stern said. “It has history and credibility on its side and we should try to make progress there.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">But, Stern said, “It is incumbent on all countries there who want the UNFCCC to remain the venue for climate negotiations to make it work because year after year of stalemate will inevitably lead to a migration to other places. … That’s not something that the United States is looking for.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">EMISSIONS TARGET STANDS<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">The United States, the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter, announced last year it will reduce emissions 17 percent by 2020. Stern said he believes the country will meet that target as new vehicle-emissions standards and restrictions on factory emissions take hold and regulators and lawmakers continue to look for alternatives to fossil fuels.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">Comprehensive climate change legislation will likely remain stalled in Congress, but there could still be pieces of energy and environmental legislation passed that contribute to a reduction in U.S. emissions, he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">A Norwegian journalist asked whether the recent election of some members of Congress who openly question the science behind climate change will affect U.S. climate commitments and diplomacy. Stern said the question keeps coming up and that he’s been responding with a long-ago quote from a former New York senator, Daniel Patrick Moynihan.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">“Everybody is entitled to their opinions, but they’re not entitled to their own facts,” Stern said. “And that’s something some of our friends in Congress are going to have to learn.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; "><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. </span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Web site: http://www.america.gov </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Read more: </span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.america.gov/st/energy-english/2010/November/20101123131024nirak3.091067e-02.html#ixzz16RrbIeNN" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.america.gov/st/energy-english/2010/November/20101123131024nirak3.091067e-02.html#ixzz16RrbIeNN</span></span></a></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></span></span></span>Global Sustinability Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14362867913305789396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-63688744531838631692010-11-19T16:50:00.002+05:302010-11-19T16:54:18.653+05:30<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZeSYlBVzXF_BnCYrTIv2PYzQBBnULjjHhhf7dHk604fjTkLi2D__8VbdmrFXgo5l0jJ3vpIhO6WVK_ADshjCLenkMWHFAvynIg-nBjzy_LWGpZR4DpoKOYx3kCpPCZ1XWF36j2pL8ms/s1600/NitinDesai_big_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZeSYlBVzXF_BnCYrTIv2PYzQBBnULjjHhhf7dHk604fjTkLi2D__8VbdmrFXgo5l0jJ3vpIhO6WVK_ADshjCLenkMWHFAvynIg-nBjzy_LWGpZR4DpoKOYx3kCpPCZ1XWF36j2pL8ms/s400/NitinDesai_big_4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Climate for Cancun</span></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The worst risks of climate change can only be avoided by the acceptance that we are in one lifeboat</span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">Nitin Desai / November 18, 2010, 0:35 IST</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">About 10 days from today, the parties to the UN climate convention will have another bash at hammering out an agreement to avert what they all agree is one of the gravest threats that the world faces in the decades ahead. Is there any chance that they will do better there than at Copenhagen about a year go?</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The elements of an international agreement needed to address the threat of climate change are basically as follows:</span></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The acceptable limit for the likely temperature increase.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The implied time profile of global carbon dioxide and other GHG emissions.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The distribution of allowable global emissions among countries.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The commitments to programmes and policies that contain emissions to the agreed level.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The mechanisms that would allow flexibility in fulfilling commitments.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The mechanisms that would support adaptation actions.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The financial and technology transfer arrangements for compensating countries which take on more than their fair share of obligations.</span></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Copenhagen Accord includes a commitment to the goal of containing the likely average global temperature increase to 2º C. The time profile of global emissions needed to meet this goal is not uniquely defined as what matters are cumulative emissions. A path where emission reductions are low initially but accelerate later may have the same cumulative impact over decades as a path that paces the emission reductions more evenly. Be that as it may, a rough summary of the results of a variety of modelling studies is that:</span></div><div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Global emissions must peak sometime between 2015 and 2021.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Global emissions in 2020 should be approximately 40.0 to 48.3 Gt CO2 eq/yr.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">By 2050 global emissions should decrease by 48 to 72 per cent relative to 2000.</span></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Moving from these global goals to national action is the core of the negotiating agenda and we are nowhere near an agreement on this. The pledges and commitments associated with the Copenhagen Accord add up to emissions of 48.8 to 51.2 Gt CO2 eq/yr in 2020 and in the words of a UNEP brief, “there is low confidence that the two-degree limit will be met”*. The US pledge is a little up in the air as the Bill to give effect to it has not been passed. The main plus point is that the process has led to the announcement of goals for emission containment in the form of carbon intensity reductions by countries like China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia and Mexico. There are a whole slew of issues like the legal form of the commitments and the monitoring, reporting and verification requirements that complicate the negotiations even further. </span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The central issue is that of equity in the sharing of scarce environmental space. Unfortunately, there is no agreed interpretation of fairness. The UNFCCC recognises the principle of “common but differentiated responsibility”, the historical culpability of industrial countries which account for the bulk of the increase in ambient GHGs since the industrial revolution and the primacy of development for developing countries. But all this needs to be spelt out in terms of emission goals for countries. One concept under discussion in seminars, if not in the negotiations, is convergence to equal per capita emissions by a target date, say 2050, at a level consistent with containing emissions to ensure a 50 per cent chance of keeping the average global temperature increase to 2º C. India has already offered that it would ensure that its per capita emissions never exceeded the average for the developed countries, so that any action by them to reduce their emissions very substantially would act as a brake on India’s emission growth. Another concept that has received some attention lately is that of carbon budgeting where the available room for carbon emissions, given agreed goals on temperature increase risks, would be shared as a stock on the basis of population. A more contentious proposal would do this but also take account of cumulative use from past emissions.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Announced goals for emission reduction or containment are just aspirations and what matters is the translation of these into action. In the next decade, the main source of reductions will be energy efficiency and carbon sequestration through forest protection and reforestation. On forestry, the negotiations seem to be making good progress and there is also some real money in sight from Norway and others. If this is pursued separately and if an agreement on energy efficiency is stitched together at Cancun as part of some advance action even before a full agreement is reached, then we may well be back on the two-degree track.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Flexibility mechanisms that allow companies and countries to “buy compliance” by financing carbon saving actions by others are an attempt that purists frown upon and Pareto optimising economists love. At present, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is the main such avenue and its future beyond 2012 is in doubt because of the failure to agree on the next phase of commitments under the protocol. But the carbon market in a broader sense may still survive as long as there is some quantitative compliance obligation, even if it is nationally determined, that can be met by buying carbon credits.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On adaptation, financing of mitigation actions by developing countries and technology transfer, the Copenhagen Accord signalled some advance. But the subsequent processes, including the high level panel set up by the UN secretary general, have not brought us any closer to an agreement.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The prospects for closure at Cancun are not at all bright and everyone assumes that the game will go on at least for another year if not more. The world has become a victim of the normal framework of reciprocal concessions that dominates international negotiations and the “nothing is agreed till everything is agreed” rule. A mindset that starts from the ethical premise that national interest trumps all other considerations can never deliver an effective environmental agreement. We need sovereignty bargains in which each state surrenders some autonomy of action in order to acquire some influence on the policies of other states.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the final analysis, the worst risks of climate change can only be avoided by the acceptance that we are in one lifeboat and that steering it to safety requires that those who are most able put in a greater effort and those who are less able do what they can to avoid destabilising the boat.</span></div></div><br />
<div align="right"><a href="mailto:nitin-desai@hotmail.com"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">nitin-desai@hotmail.com</span></span></span></a></div><div align="right"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">from: </span></span></span></em><a href="http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/nitin-desaiclimate-for-cancun/415233/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/nitin-desaiclimate-for-cancun/415233/</span></span></span></a></div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-60951805585432983692010-10-31T09:45:00.000+05:302010-10-31T09:45:02.436+05:30Presentation to the UN General Assembly on 28.10.2010 by Felix Dodds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fhntjyt6-yvg4x-mKBvKrcDugwBZmCjYo6HzZ4ZWasWuBqqXFw9y1Zvvv4P3518mvX2gw1CfHPhF1-4gxSe7YAiijneTEYrAKqUhPRVE3qNr1Z0V14_o877WfRhb_mF083pEUgUxMs4/s1600/felix+pics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fhntjyt6-yvg4x-mKBvKrcDugwBZmCjYo6HzZ4ZWasWuBqqXFw9y1Zvvv4P3518mvX2gw1CfHPhF1-4gxSe7YAiijneTEYrAKqUhPRVE3qNr1Z0V14_o877WfRhb_mF083pEUgUxMs4/s400/felix+pics.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-large;">The Challenge & Spirit of Rio</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></o:p></span></b><i><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b style="font-size: small;">By Felix Dodds </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(</span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Executive Director Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">)</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thank you for inviting me to speak today and share my thoughts on Rio+20. Although I have been asked to speak on the contribution that stakeholders might play, I do want to start by making comments on the agenda for Rio+20 as well. In doing so I will draw on the article Maurice Strong and I did for the BBC in May this year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To start with I would like to commend Brazil for the leadership they have shown in persuading the world that another Earth Summit is needed. Unfortunately, some developed countries have had to be dragged to the table. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There is a simple question we should all ask ourselves -- is the world going in the right direction?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If the answer to this question is no, then we should ask what are the current challenges that the world needs to address, how can we address the challenges<b> together</b> and how long do we have to address them ?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Broken promises</span></span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The answer to the last question is “not long”. Most of the problems the world now faces have been on the international agenda for decades, some going back as far the Stockholm environmental conference in 1972 where the seminal report from the Club of Rome warned us of the ‘Limits to Growth’<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We know from the UNEP GEO4 Report, the IPCC, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment that the problems we are facing have not reduced but become more acute - not as a result of the lack of proclaimed government commitments to action, but due to their dismal performance in implementing their agreements. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Indeed, if governments had implemented the many conventions, treaties and declarations they negotiated from Stockholm to Rio to Kyoto to Johannesburg, we would be well along the road to sustainability and </span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">then we would be better placed to address the challenges we now are facing</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But governments have not done enough by far to carry out their commitments, particularly as to helping finance developing countries' movement towards sustainability. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This failure has only added to the anger of most developing countries at the continued broken promises and has undermined their ability to make commitments of their own. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As a result, we now face challenges on a number of fronts: I want to highlight five: <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Human societies are living beyond the carrying capacity of the planet <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Climate change has emerged as an out-of-control driver <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There is now becoming an increasing link between environment and security <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Governments have still not given the UN the mandate, the resources or the institutional capacities required to monitor and enforce international agreements. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The still-prevailing, consumption-based economic model is not only failing to deliver progress to enormous numbers of the world's population, but is seriously threatening the economic stability of all nations, and compromising the prospect for any of us to live on this planet sustainably.</span></span></span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Despite all that, I do believe that these issues can be positively influenced by Earth Summit 2012.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We still have time to change direction.....but this time there can’t be any more failed promises.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Successfully addressing <b>the challenges</b> we face will require an ambitious and creative agenda and us all working together governments, intergovernmental organisations and stakeholders. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The green economy in the context of poverty alleviation and sustainable development</span></span></span></b></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The current economic model, which has brought unprecedented prosperity to the more developed countries and to particular people in those countries, has only deepened the disparity between them and most developing countries.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The parallels of the ecological problems with the financial crisis are clear. The banks and financial institutions privatised the gains and socialised the losses. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We are doing the same with the planet’s natural capital. According to WWF, we are operating at 25% above the biological capacity to support life and that is before adding another billion people by 2020. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We are going to see an even greater ecological crunch in the years to come<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Our present lifestyles are drawing down the ecological capital from other parts of the world and from future generations. We are increasingly becoming the most irresponsible generation our planet has seen.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The past 30 years have been characterised by irresponsible capitalism, pursuing limitless economic growth at the expense of both society and environment, with little or no regard for the natural resource base upon which such wealth is built. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Today, the principal goal of our economy must be to improve the lives of all the world's people and to free them from want and ignorance - without compromising the planet itself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">An economy that integrates sustainable development principles with responsible capitalism can produce enough wealth to meet the needs of people in all nations, equitably and sustainably. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Earth Summit 2012 can clearly draw a roadmap to set the world on the path to a new “economy” that is sustainable, equitable and accessible to all. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></o:p></span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></o:p></span></b></div><ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Emerging issues</span></span></span></b></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Environmental and security issues are becoming increasingly intertwined. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The "environment-security/insecurity nexus" covers such overlapping issues such as climate security, energy security, ecosystem destruction, biodiversity loss, food security, water security, health security –all of which are contributing to an increase in environmental refugees. All this was reflected in the chairs text from Prepcom 1. Rio+20 should give a roadmap on how these issues will be addressed</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. Sustainable development governance</span></span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The present global institutions are wholly inadequate to deal with the Earth's major challenges. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As most of the necessary changes are economic in nature, primary responsibility for decision making cannot be made by environmental ministries. They will continue to be vested in the ministries' of finance, development and trade. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perhaps its time to ask the </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">finance, economics and industry ministers and not the environment ministers to take the leading role in preparing the Rio Summit addressing the sustainable development agenda infront of us </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">to ensure that the economic decisions will further the necessary transition to sustainability. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Earth Summit 2012 needs the input from not only the formal preparatory process but also NEPAD, the African Union, OECD, the regional development banks, the World Bank, the G20 as well as stakeholders……if it is to see take forward the green economy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Earth Summit 2012 should agree on strengthening and upgrading the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep), which should be the most influential champion of the global environment. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We need a review of the environment Conventions to reduce fragmentation and increase cooperation and coordination. Perhaps they should even be put under UNEP coordination.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Just as we have had problems mainstreaming environment we need to strengthen and mainstream sustainable development in the UN system. I suggest that it may be time to return to the idea of transforming the Trusteeship Council, a core body of the UN, into a Sustainable Development Council. Something Maurice Strong advocated in 1992. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Sustainable Development Council that can address the emerging and critical issues that will need to be addressed in the coming years would be better than the Security Council doing it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Additionally, Rio+20 should revisit the idea of a sustainable development board that was suggested by the High Level Panel on System Wide Coherence to ensure coordination of UN activities at the country level on sustainable development<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We were asked to identify gaps in the institutional architecture? I am not going to go into depth but will leave you with three thoughts on this. The gaps that some stakeholders have been suggesting are:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A framework convention on corporate accountability built from the new ISO 26000<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A global convention on Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration – access to information, public participation and environmental justice perhaps built on the UNEP guidelines<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A global framework convention on Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on the Precautionary Principle. This could then address issues like nano technology, geo engineering, cloning</span></span></span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Stakeholders Role<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For my final comments I want to share my thoughts on what stakeholders might bring to the table for Rio+20. This is considerable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">One of the indicators that sustainable development is no longer a central part of governments thinking has been the demise over the last ten years of sustainable development councils and commissions. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Infact the United Kingdom has just closed down its council in the last month. That was a mistake.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The logic of National Councils on Sustainable Development has been that involving stakeholders in the national decision making processes means that those decisions are more likely to be right and that they are more likely to be implemented often through partnerships between government and stakeholders. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For Rio+20 a minimum for governments should be the re-establishment of national councils for sustainable development. They should then take a significant role in mobilising for the Summit. Maybe one role could be national assessments and of course they should then work with governments to implement the outcome from Rio. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rio+20 should be seen nationally as a partnership opportunity for governments and stakeholders.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What we need as far as Rio+20 is a bringing together of the good practices that exist in all countries of the green economy. For example I was very impressed with what Cuba has done in becoming a low carbon economy. The work they have done on urban agriculture is something that could be shared with all of us. Collecting good practice from governments, intergovernmental organisations and stakeholders could create a knowledge bank which can help the transition to a sustainable economy. After Rio perhaps then focusing on rolling out the best five replicatable projects in each economic sector, in each region or sub region which could make a real difference.</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Stakeholders already are working through the UN Summit collaborative partners in inputting to the Rio+20 process and planning events to add substance. ICSU plan a global conference in London prior to Rio, ICLEI plan a conference in Rio around the Summit, there is to be a Global Youth Assembly the week before Rio. If you compare the preparations with Rio in 1992 there is huge interest and mobilisation of stakeholders involved already compared to prepcom for Rio when there was only 10 NGOs there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rio+20 should strengthen science-policy links, and scientists should be asked to make their work more policy relevant and solution oriented.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Governments could be asking stakeholders to bring their own targets on a sustainable and green economy to the table. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Local and regional governments have already made commitments on CO2 emission reductions. They should be encouraged to do this under Rio+20 and should be challenged to re-launch local their Agenda 21 program as a concept around the green economy. All local authorities should create a local green economy to take forward the outcomes from Rio and to engage their population in a journey to a more local sustainability. There is already being planned a Cities Climate Registry by local government prior to Cancun cities plan to sign a pact and will commit to Monitoring Reporting and Verification targets.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Industry sectors should be asked what they will do to address the key elements of a sustainable and green economy – there are some interesting examples out there with Coke Cola and Pepsi moving to water neutrality and Pepsi begin the first company I know accepting water as a basic human right. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In addition to the traditional industry groups – Rio should reach out to the social market networks and entrepreneurs . <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Companies should work with their trade unions to help green the companies’ workplace and their activities. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A move to zero carbon, zero water, zero waste strategies will require cooperation of governments and stakeholders.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As the US Summit Bureau member helpfully reminded us, Rio+20 should be a <i>'Rio for 20-somethings'</i>: there must be moves to recognize our inter-generational responsibilities towards young people, starting by ensuring that they have an education system that is re-oriented towards Sustainable Development as promised by Agenda 21. They have to be educated, empowered and mobilized to rise to their generational challenge of creating a green, post-carbon economy in their lifetimes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Youth Caucus WCSD in Johannesburg called on governments to<i> "See youth as resource, not a problem." </i>Hearing that, Kofi Annan remarked: <i>"Of course they are: youth are the most precious resource any nation possesses."</i> We need to learn to engage with them better, and hopefully, at Rio+20, we shall. For it is the youth of today who will be the major beneficiaries of a successful outcome of the Rio 2012 Summit; likewise they will be the major victims if it fails.</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rio+20 should ensure meaningful participation of relevant stakeholders on all levels in the 2012 process as we can play a significant role in implementing the agreement. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rio should become a festival of the best ideas and best practices on how we move towards a more sustainable and green economy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perhaps the RiO+20 outcome document should have an annex with all the stakeholders own commitments. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Is there a Common future?</span></span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Since 1992, awareness of the Earth's environmental challenges has become universal. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What has been lacking is the will of governments to act. Perhaps we all thought we had more time…we don’t!!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rio+20: needs to utilise communications media assertively and creatively - to engage the global public in a global conversation on how we are able to live on this "one planet" together. “One planet living” echoes the idea of equity, fairness and planetary boundaries<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We need a ‘Yes We Can’ approach to Rio+20<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We can <b>reboot</b> sustainable development<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We can <b>refocus</b> our local, national and global economies around a sustainable economy<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We can<b> reform</b> our sustainable development institutions so that they can cope with the challenges of the 21<sup>st</sup> century.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We can r<b>e-establish</b> National Councils for Sustainable Development<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We can <b>re-launch multi-stakeholder </b>partnerships for sustainable development<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We can <b>learn to live</b> on this planet together equitably taking into consideration not only this generation but future generations – who have a right to </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">a good quality of life.</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Earth Summit 2012 presents a unique platform for negotiating the co-operation needed to achieve a new deal between North and South, between rich and poor, between governments and stakeholders and between present and future generations. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This co-operation is critical to the future of all people on the planet. It is a co-operation we must achieve.</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perhaps the time has at last come for governments to adopt the Earth Charter as a value base to guide us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The future is not a gift: it is an achievement. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In 1992 governments showed considerable leadership in adopting Agenda 21 and the conventions on biological diversity and climate change <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">People are willing to make the right choice. But they need leadership. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They're hungry for leadership. The question I leave with you is can you give that leadership?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Stakeholder web site for Rio+20<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.earthsummit2012.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">www.earthsummit2012.org</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">UN web site for Rio+20<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.uncsd.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">www.uncsd.org</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-3974484345132213652010-10-12T11:45:00.009+05:302010-10-12T11:51:37.195+05:30<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-large;">Toxins of 'Progress' Flow the Streets Behind Mine </span></span></b></span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>by Jenna Goodhand </b></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhSRGifRg9ESoQLIcD3oNsuLomQq7gqy-uNP9O6BdaHh387V30IuaoAEUsyI0NTaWODlGcpjJQDrEtVeW4bzZkHJ-Q9sfsb4MfjZgq39nRNKAM-hUg-xjlx6UrAwHSwMK2289h20cEBQ/s1600/h14_25364473+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhSRGifRg9ESoQLIcD3oNsuLomQq7gqy-uNP9O6BdaHh387V30IuaoAEUsyI0NTaWODlGcpjJQDrEtVeW4bzZkHJ-Q9sfsb4MfjZgq39nRNKAM-hUg-xjlx6UrAwHSwMK2289h20cEBQ/s400/h14_25364473+(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">‘Hungary declares state of emergency’ the headlines read Tuesday morning at breakfast. As an English speaking Canadian currently living in Hungary, I am informed at the delayed rate of those who live miles away, but the catastrophe resides in my backyard. Jenna Goodhand of the 'Climate Sustainability PLATFORM' shares her researched opinion. </span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Monday, October 4, 2010 is a date now forever etched in the minds of Hungarians in what has been declared this country’s worst chemical accident. As the reservoir wall split at the Alumni Production and Trading Company in Ajka, western Hungary, red sludge filled the streets, homes and fields of 7 local villages before seeping into the Danube River Thursday. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The toxic red silt, which is the byproduct of refining bauxite into alumina, has been held in the reservoir for years. The powerful emergence of the sludge once released from its repository swept through the village of Ajka taking 7 humans lives and resulting in over 100 injuries as the pressure knocked cars, bridges and people over and sent many to the hospital with burns as the toxic waste ate through their clothing. Many animal lives have been lost and the landscape that was once relied on for agriculture has been deemed desolate of nutrients. A predicted 2cm deep of soil would have to be removed from the entire contaminated region for it to be productive. The local citizens of the area have been asked to evacuate for precautionary health measures and as fears of a second flood loom overhead. This is not just a Hungarian issue, as the Danube River where the sludge has drained, effects the neighbouring countries of Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, and Romania where it eventually reaches the Black Sea. Many experts say the full magnitude of this environmental catastrophe will not likely be known for years to come. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The definitive cause of the reservoir breach is still undetermined as accusations of who is to blame pass through online forums and city streets. Perhaps this isn’t a result of irresponsible people, but an irresponsible system, a system that is driven by short-term profit without long-term consideration. Many fingers and attacks have been made at capitalism, but in the absence of capitalism these disasters have still taken place. One may argue that the failure is not on capitalism but on the weakness to assess global production and consumption methods to minimize climate change and environmental sustainability that would prevent misfortunes such as this one. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not only do events such as these cause bewilderment and outrage but those who suffer most are local citizens working in the area, exploited to a situation that endangers their safety, health and the environment in which they live. Alternatively those who benefit live borders away, out of immediate harm, not thinking twice about the implications their business or purchases have on those who risk their lives so that they may fulfill some fictitious image of what it means to be successful. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The amount of toxic sludge that left the reservoir was nearly the size of the BP Oil Spill; an incident that had us somewhat captivated for months this past summer. Now that the oil has stopped ‘spilling’, the headlines have come to a halt and the topic rarely makes conversation. For those of us who saw the underlying cause and long-term environmental tragedies, we know this story is long from over as ecosystems and biodiversity in the area make desperate attempts to revive themselves in an area blanketed in the failures of our economic production model. My predictions are that as the clean up becomes less entertaining, as the excitement of lives being threatened fades, the disaster in Hungary will too diminish into the shadows as a forgotten blip in a production and consumption system that cannot continue to be ignored. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We seem to be living in an ever-increasing world of disasters, as tsunamis, floods and hurricanes destroy lives in every corner of the globe. But what we must realize is that this particular catastrophe is not a natural disaster. These events must cause us to question the wisdom of the prevailing development model that gambles with nature. Particularly the widespread failures to take nature, restructure it into something inorganic, and create offsets that not only threaten our own lives but the balance of the entire planet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As participants in the global consumer trade of goods and services we hold the power to support or reduce the injustices our purchases sustain. We are all guilty when an event like this happens because some way or another we support the system that has allowed this to continue. The toxic flood in Hungary may seem like an isolated event, but we all suffer when the environment does. If not today, in the future, as the borders that devise our countries do not constrain the implications of the pollutions, destructions and havoc we exert. We must begin to question where are products come from and at what cost. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(jennagoodhand@gmail.com) </span></i></div></span></span>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-17397914958970802612010-10-05T17:39:00.000+05:302010-10-05T17:39:06.833+05:30<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 8.25pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-large;">BUDDHIST ECONOMICS</span></span></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 8.25pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">by E. F. Schumacher</span></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3fK-aMgS7qf60gsLVDF3j-7TS0LR8mrUOok94q9CNxDBSU_d-f-4ypPMVHrzOj_4wJ0c2lpo8B9djH35kOoADqcucK6z8-P91J1qX1lnVVmXA3Yx3ydwd9mUS29RDhtdSEwGjS14Kfs/s1600/schumacher2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3fK-aMgS7qf60gsLVDF3j-7TS0LR8mrUOok94q9CNxDBSU_d-f-4ypPMVHrzOj_4wJ0c2lpo8B9djH35kOoADqcucK6z8-P91J1qX1lnVVmXA3Yx3ydwd9mUS29RDhtdSEwGjS14Kfs/s400/schumacher2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 8.25pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">"Right Livelihood" is one of the requirements of the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path. It is clear, therefore, that there must be such a thing as Buddhist economics.</div></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Buddhist countries have often stated that they wish to remain faithful to their heritage. So Burma: “The New Burma sees no conflict between religious values and economic progress. Spiritual health and material well-being are not enemies: they are natural allies.” </span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Or: “We can blend successfully the religious and spiritual values of our heritage with the benefits of modern technology.” </span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Or: “We Burmans have a sacred duty to conform both our dreams and our acts to our faith. This we shall ever do.” </span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All the same, such countries invariably assume that they can model their economic development plans in accordance with modern economics, and they call upon modern economists from so-called advanced countries to advise them, to formulate the policies to be pursued, and to construct the grand design for development, the Five-Year Plan or whatever it may be called. No one seems to think that a Buddhist way of life would call for Buddhist economics, just as the modern materialist way of life has brought forth modern economics.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Economists themselves, like most specialists, normally suffer from a kind of metaphysical blindness, assuming that theirs is a science of absolute and invariable truths, without any presuppositions. Some go as far as to claim that economic laws are as free from "metaphysics" or "values" as the law of gravitation. We need not, however, get involved in arguments of methodology. Instead, let us take some fundamentals and see what they look like when viewed by a modern economist and a Buddhist economist.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There is universal agreement that a fundamental source of wealth is human labour. Now, the modern economist has been brought up to consider "labour" or work as little more than a necessary evil. From the point of view of the employer, it is in any case simply an item of cost, to be reduced to a minimum if it can not be eliminated altogether, say, by automation. From the point of view of the workman, it is a "disutility"; to work is to make a sacrifice of one’s leisure and comfort, and wages are a kind of compensation for the sacrifice. Hence the ideal from the point of view of the employer is to have output without employees, and the ideal from the point of view of the employee is to have income without employment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The consequences of these attitudes both in theory and in practice are, of course, extremely far-reaching. If the ideal with regard to work is to get rid of it, every method that "reduces the work load" is a good thing. The most potent method, short of automation, is the so-called "division of labour" and the classical example is the pin factory eulogised in Adam Smith’s </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Wealth of Nations</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. </span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">4</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Here it is not a matter of ordinary specialisation, which mankind has practiced from time immemorial, but of dividing up every complete process of production into minute parts, so that the final product can be produced at great speed without anyone having had to contribute more than a totally insignificant and, in most cases, unskilled movement of his limbs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Buddhist point of view takes the function of work to be at least threefold: to give man a chance to utilise and develop his faculties; to enable him to overcome his ego-centredness by joining with other people in a common task; and to bring forth the goods and services needed for a becoming existence. Again, the consequences that flow from this view are endless. To organise work in such a manner that it becomes meaningless, boring, stultifying, or nerve-racking for the worker would be little short of criminal; it would indicate a greater concern with goods than with people, an evil lack of compassion and a soul-destroying degree of attachment to the most primitive side of this worldly existence. Equally, to strive for leisure as an alternative to work would be considered a complete misunderstanding of one of the basic truths of human existence, namely that work and leisure are complementary parts of the same living process and cannot be separated without destroying the joy of work and the bliss of leisure.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From the Buddhist point of view, there are therefore two types of mechanisation which must be clearly distinguished: one that enhances a man’s skill and power and one that turns the work of man over to a mechanical slave, leaving man in a position of having to serve the slave. How to tell the one from the other? “The craftsman himself,” says Ananda Coomaraswamy, a man equally competent to talk about the modern West as the ancient East, “can always, if allowed to, draw the delicate distinction between the machine and the tool. The carpet loom is a tool, a contrivance for holding warp threads at a stretch for the pile to be woven round them by the craftsmen’s fingers; but the power loom is a machine, and its significance as a destroyer of culture lies in the fact that it does the essentially human part of the work.” </span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">5</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> It is clear, therefore, that Buddhist economics must be very different from the economics of modern materialism, since the Buddhist sees the essence of civilisation not in a multiplication of wants but in the purification of human character. Character, at the same time, is formed primarily by a man’s work. And work, properly conducted in conditions of human dignity and freedom, blesses those who do it and equally their products. The Indian philosopher and economist J. C. Kumarappa sums the matter up as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If the nature of the work is properly appreciated and applied, it will stand in the same relation to the higher faculties as food is to the physical body. It nourishes and enlivens the higher man and urges him to produce the best he is capable of. It directs his free will along the proper course and disciplines the animal in him into progressive channels. It furnishes an excellent background for man to display his scale of values and develop his personality. </span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">6</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If a man has no chance of obtaining work he is in a desperate position, not simply because he lacks an income but because he lacks this nourishing and enlivening factor of disciplined work which nothing can replace. A modern economist may engage in highly sophisticated calculations on whether full employment "pays" or whether it might be more "economic" to run an economy at less than full employment so as to insure a greater mobility of labour, a better stability of wages, and so forth. His fundamental criterion of success is simply the total quantity of goods produced during a given period of time. “If the marginal urgency of goods is low,” says Professor Galbraith in </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Affluent Society</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, “then so is the urgency of employing the last man or the last million men in the labour force.” </span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">7</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And again: “If . . . we can afford some unemployment in the interest of stability—a proposition, incidentally, of impeccably conservative antecedents—then we can afford to give those who are unemployed the goods that enable them to sustain their accustomed standard of living.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From a Buddhist point of view, this is standing the truth on its head by considering goods as more important than people and consumption as more important than creative activity. It means shifting the emphasis from the worker to the product of work, that is, from the human to the subhuman, a surrender to the forces of evil. The very start of Buddhist economic planning would be a planning for full employment, and the primary purpose of this would in fact be employment for everyone who needs an "outside" job: it would not be the maximisation of employment nor the maximisation of production. Women, on the whole, do not need an "outside" job, and the large-scale employment of women in offices or factories would be considered a sign of serious economic failure. In particular, to let mothers of young children work in factories while the children run wild would be as uneconomic in the eyes of a Buddhist economist as the employment of a skilled worker as a soldier in the eyes of a modern economist.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While the materialist is mainly interested in goods, the Buddhist is mainly interested in liberation. But Buddhism is "The Middle Way" and therefore in no way antagonistic to physical well-being. It is not wealth that stands in the way of liberation but the attachment to wealth; not the enjoyment of pleasurable things but the craving for them. The keynote of Buddhist economics, therefore, is simplicity and non-violence. From an economist’s point of view, the marvel of the Buddhist way of life is the utter rationality of its pattern—amazingly small means leading to extraordinarily satisfactory results.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For the modern economist this is very difficult to understand. He is used to measuring the "standard of living" by the amount of annual consumption, assuming all the time that a man who consumes more is "better off" than a man who consumes less. A Buddhist economist would consider this approach excessively irrational: since consumption is merely a means to human well-being, the aim should be to obtain the maximum of well-being with the minimum of consumption. Thus, if the purpose of clothing is a certain amount of temperature comfort and an attractive appearance, the task is to attain this purpose with the smallest possible effort, that is, with the smallest annual destruction of cloth and with the help of designs that involve the smallest possible input of toil. The less toil there is, the more time and strength is left for artistic creativity. It would be highly uneconomic, for instance, to go in for complicated tailoring, like the modern West, when a much more beautiful effect can be achieved by the skillful draping of uncut material. It would be the height of folly to make material so that it should wear out quickly and the height of barbarity to make anything ugly, shabby, or mean. What has just been said about clothing applies equally to all other human requirements. The ownership and the consumption of goods is a means to an end, and Buddhist economics is the systematic study of how to attain given ends with the minimum means.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Modern economics, on the other hand, considers consumption to be the sole end and purpose of all economic activity, taking the factors of production—and, labour, and capital—as the means. The former, in short, tries to maximise human satisfactions by the optimal pattern of consumption, while the latter tries to maximise consumption by the optimal pattern of productive effort. It is easy to see that the effort needed to sustain a way of life which seeks to attain the optimal pattern of consumption is likely to be much smaller than the effort needed to sustain a drive for maximum consumption. We need not be surprised, therefore, that the pressure and strain of living is very much less in say, Burma, than it is in the United States, in spite of the fact that the amount of labour-saving machinery used in the former country is only a minute fraction of the amount used in the latter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Simplicity and non-violence are obviously closely related. The optimal pattern of consumption, producing a high degree of human satisfaction by means of a relatively low rate of consumption, allows people to live without great pressure and strain and to fulfill the primary injunction of Buddhist teaching: “Cease to do evil; try to do good.” As physical resources are everywhere limited, people satisfying their needs by means of a modest use of resources are obviously less likely to be at each other’s throats than people depending upon a high rate of use. Equally, people who live in highly self-sufficient local communities are less likely to get involved in large-scale violence than people whose existence depends on world-wide systems of trade.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From the point of view of Buddhist economics, therefore, production from local resources for local needs is the most rational way of economic life, while dependence on imports from afar and the consequent need to produce for export to unknown and distant peoples is highly uneconomic and justifiable only in exceptional cases and on a small scale. Just as the modern economist would admit that a high rate of consumption of transport services between a man’s home and his place of work signifies a misfortune and not a high standard of life, so the Buddhist would hold that to satisfy human wants from faraway sources rather than from sources nearby signifies failure rather than success. The former tends to take statistics showing an increase in the number of ton/miles per head of the population carried by a country’s transport system as proof of economic progress, while to the latter—the Buddhist economist—the same statistics would indicate a highly undesirable deterioration in the pattern of consumption.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Another striking difference between modern economics and Buddhist economics arises over the use of natural resources. Bertrand de Jouvenel, the eminent French political philosopher, has characterised "Western man" in words which may be taken as a fair description of the modern economist:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He tends to count nothing as an expenditure, other than human effort; he does not seem to mind how much mineral matter he wastes and, far worse, how much living matter he destroys. He does not seem to realize at all that human life is a dependent part of an ecosystem of many different forms of life. As the world is ruled from towns where men are cut off from any form of life other than human, the feeling of belonging to an ecosystem is not revived. This results in a harsh and improvident treatment of things upon which we ultimately depend, such as water and trees. </span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> 8</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The teaching of the Buddha, on the other hand, enjoins a reverent and non-violent attitude not only to all sentient beings but also, with great emphasis, to trees. Every follower of the Buddha ought to plant a tree every few years and look after it until it is safely established, and the Buddhist economist can demonstrate without difficulty that the universal observation of this rule would result in a high rate of genuine economic development independent of any foreign aid. Much of the economic decay of southeast Asia (as of many other parts of the world) is undoubtedly due to a heedless and shameful neglect of trees.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Modern economics does not distinguish between renewable and non-renewable materials, as its very method is to equalise and quantify everything by means of a money price. Thus, taking various alternative fuels, like coal, oil, wood, or water-power: the only difference between them recognised by modern economics is relative cost per equivalent unit. The cheapest is automatically the one to be preferred, as to do otherwise would be irrational and "uneconomic." From a Buddhist point of view, of course, this will not do; the essential difference between non-renewable fuels like coal and oil on the one hand and renewable fuels like wood and water-power on the other cannot be simply overlooked. Non-renewable goods must be used only if they are indispensable, and then only with the greatest care and the most meticulous concern for conservation. To use them heedlessly or extravagantly is an act of violence, and while complete non-violence may not be attainable on this earth, there is nonetheless an ineluctable duty on man to aim at the ideal of non-violence in all he does.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Just as a modern European economist would not consider it a great achievement if all European art treasures were sold to America at attractive prices, so the Buddhist economist would insist that a population basing its economic life on non-renewable fuels is living parasitically, on capital instead of income. Such a way of life could have no permanence and could therefore be justified only as a purely temporary expedient. As the world’s resources of non-renewable fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—are exceedingly unevenly distributed over the globe and undoubtedly limited in quantity, it is clear that their exploitation at an ever-increasing rate is an act of violence against nature which must almost inevitably lead to violence between men.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This fact alone might give food for thought even to those people in Buddhist countries who care nothing for the religious and spiritual values of their heritage and ardently desire to embrace the materialism of modern economics at the fastest possible speed. Before they dismiss Buddhist economics as nothing better than a nostalgic dream, they might wish to consider whether the path of economic development outlined by modern economics is likely to lead them to places where they really want to be. Towards the end of his courageous book </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Challenge of Man’s Future</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, Professor Harrison Brown of the California Institute of Technology gives the following appraisal:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thus we see that, just as industrial society is fundamentally unstable and subject to reversion to agrarian existence, so within it the conditions which offer individual freedom are unstable in their ability to avoid the conditions which impose rigid organisation and totalitarian control. Indeed, when we examine all the foreseeable difficulties which threaten the survival of industrial civilisation, it is difficult to see how the achievement of stability and the maintenance of individual liberty can be made compatible. </span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">9</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Even if this were dismissed as a long-term view there is the immediate question of whether "modernisation," as currently practised without regard to religious and spiritual values, is actually producing agreeable results. As far as the masses are concerned, the results appear to be disastrous—a collapse of the rural economy, a rising tide of unemployment in town and country, and the growth of a city proletariat without nourishment for either body or soul.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It is in the light of both immediate experience and long term prospects that the study of Buddhist economics could be recommended even to those who believe that economic growth is more important than any spiritual or religious values. For it is not a question of choosing between "modern growth" and "traditional stagnation." It is a question of finding the right path of development, the Middle Way between materialist heedlessness and traditionalist immobility, in short, of finding "Right Livelihood."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 8.25pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.smallisbeautiful.org/buddhist_economics/buddhistendnotes.html" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: #333333;"></span></a><a href="http://www.smallisbeautiful.org/buddhist_economics/buddhistendnotes.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #400080;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Endnotes</span></i></span></span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i></span></div></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i></span><hr size="2" style="text-align: left;" width="100%" /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The essay "Buddhist Economics" was first published in </span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Asia: A Handbook</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">, edited by Guy Wint, published by Anthony Blond Ltd., London, 1966. In 1973 it was collected with other essays by Ernest Friedrich Schumacher in </span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. The book has been translated into 27 different languages and in 1995 was named by the </span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">London Times</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> Literary Supplement as one of the hundred most influential books written after World War II.</span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">In December of 2001, Mrs. Vreni Schumacher and Hartley and Marks Publishers kindly extended permission to include "Buddhist Economics" in the pamphlet, </span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">An Economics of Peace</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">, available from the E. F. Schumacher Society, 140 Jug End Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230 USA, (413) 528-1737, www.smallisbeautiful.org.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Source: </span></i></span><a href="http://www.smallisbeautiful.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.smallisbeautiful.org</span></i></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-49839027658028045312010-06-28T08:39:00.000+05:302010-06-28T08:39:24.129+05:30Rio+20 Summit Preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuD5WGVyayfV6grWt6GBuCaN0tJSD-Uvew47alMJUbYMnfb1R8xl8nR-rG9RC2YOlH2YAYF1mnBOku69CYn2dZO0ruDnhAtRRDatwBL6CQx23lX3z4XW0ARu0-0unWn6EdVhLcfB3-XM/s1600/Plenery+at+Rio%2B20+PrepCom1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuD5WGVyayfV6grWt6GBuCaN0tJSD-Uvew47alMJUbYMnfb1R8xl8nR-rG9RC2YOlH2YAYF1mnBOku69CYn2dZO0ruDnhAtRRDatwBL6CQx23lX3z4XW0ARu0-0unWn6EdVhLcfB3-XM/s400/Plenery+at+Rio%2B20+PrepCom1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><!--[if supportFields]><b
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style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></b><![endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Another Earth Summit on Sustainable Development in 2012: Leading or Misleading the World through a Green Economy?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">by Uchita de Zoysa<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">‘Sustainable Development’ is one of the most defined, interpreted and misinterpreted words on earth. After two decades since the Brundtland Commission Report on ‘Our Common Future’ published in 1987 famous definition of sustainable development as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’, the world still appears to be unsatisfied. To most of us in the South sustainable development would mean ‘achieving an enduring prosperity, wellbeing and happiness for all where sustainable consumption and production opportunities are ensured in an equitable world that at the same time keeps the ecosystem in a healthy balance’. Yet, many Northern Governments, Multinational Corporations and the United Nations Bureaucracy are not satisfied with the plans already made way back in 1992 when the first ever Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro to achieve such world order.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">The 1992 Earth Summit adopted Agenda 21, a comprehensive global plan of action for sustainable development. A decade later, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) was adopted highlighting concrete steps for better implementation of Agenda 21. However, the progress has been slow in achieving these internationally agreed goals and sustainable development has now become a greater challenge. Therefore another Earth Summit to deliberate on sustainable development will be convened in the year 2012 in the same city of Rio de Janeiro.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do We Need Another Summit?<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">Why do we need another earth summit? According to Mr. Felix Dodds of the Stakeholder Forum in UK, a UN summit is the best way to draw global attention towards sustainable development. If not the subject continues to be conveniently neglected by policy makers and governments and does not get media attention to enable the sustainability agenda. The main strategist behind getting the UN to declare the Rio+20 Summit, Dodds draws an interesting point about keeping the sustainable development agenda alive. He believes this is not the end all be all of accomplishing the challenges ahead but that it will play a critical role in what we can or cannot succeed in doing. The conversation surrounding transforming our economy should focus on seeing a world that is about fairness, equity and where everyone benefits from the planet, not just a few as our current system allows. In the past 20 years since the Earth Summit in Rio Dodds believes we have lost the plot and emphasizes that more people now have less than two decades ago. As the next 20 years unravel, if we do not commit to remedying the current state of the world immediately, the years to follow will see insecurity of water, food, energy and health worldwide. Dodds calls the world to step up in this small window of opportunity that is presented to us to work together and use Rio +20 as the final piece to bring the family back together for a sustainable and secure future. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The First Preparatory Meeting for UNCSD<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">The first preparatory committee (PrepCom-1) of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) more popularly known as ‘Rio+20 Summit’ was held in May 2010 in New York at the headquarters of the organization. A rather poorly informed and rather quietly organized event had already attempted to finalise a programme for the proposed 2012 Earth Summit. The organizers appear to be in hurry to conclude the outcome rather early without any sense of responsibility towards national governments and its people and stakeholder groups. They framework of the summit also has been decided with four agenda items; Review of Commitments, Emerging Issues, Green Economy in the context of Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development, and Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">Why is the UN together with some countries in a mighty hurry to frame another Earth Summit agenda? What troubled the minds of many at the PrepCom-1 was the dominant agenda item called ‘The Green Economy’. While the 2012 Earth Summit is to focus on a Green Economy, everybody including the top UN officials managing this process kept asking “what is a green economy?” While many different definitions and explanations were offered by various interest groups, the closest that the official process could arrive at to justify the agenda item was to compromise on wording that read as “Green Economy in the context of Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development”.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">The Report of the Secretary General of the Rio+20 Summit released during the PrepCom-1 of the UNCSD says, “ the green economy approach is an attempt to unite under one banner a broad suite of economic instruments relevant to sustainable development”. This is distracting us away from the core strategies of sustainable development as set out in the agenda 21. Everyone is saying we do not still know what a Green Economy means. Why then are we not concentrating on what we know after 20 years of sustainable development discussions and negotiations? All human activities and human societies are not governed by the economy whether it is black or green. German social scientist Wolfgang Sachs in 1992 wrote, "In societies that are not built on the compulsion to amass material wealth, economic activity is not geared to slick zippy output. The economy is closely bound up with life, but it does not stamp its rule and rhythms on the rest of society. Only in the West does the economy dictate the drama and everyone's role in it.” </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">After 18 years since the first Earth Summit in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, how did we manage to come to a position that we define Sustainable Development under the purview of a Green Economy? Shouldn’t it be the other way round? Greening the economy was supposed to be a strategic transition path towards achieving sustainable development. Poverty eradication too was another strategic pathway. Now the UN once again is changing the direction of the global evolution of the entire sustainable development policy focus and turning it upside down. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Greening the Economy vs. Green Economy<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">But now that a summit is to take place, should the focus change from sustainable development towards a green economy? United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) backed by some Western European countries appear to be the key proponents advocating a green economy and making a sustainable development summit into a green economy summit. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">The Green Economy Initiative of UNEP was launched in 2008 as a response to the economic down turn and is designed to assist governments in “greening” their economies by reshaping and refocusing policies, investments and spending towards a range of sectors, such as clean technologies, renewable energies, water services, green transportation, waste management, green buildings and sustainable agriculture and forests. UNEP says today we need vision, urgent action and strong political engagement to direct financial flows and manage markets to deal with the even greater global challenges of our time. These range from climate change; poverty; job creation for the 1.3 billion people under or unemployed and accelerating natural resource scarcity to the need to fuel and to feed six billion, rising to nine billion people by 2050. A new Green Deal, generating businesses in renewable energies; clean tech ventures, sustainable agriculture, conservation and the intelligent management of the planet's ecosystems and nature-based infrastructure is already underway. Accelerating this transition is at the core of the Green Economy initiative and the best bet for global, sustainable wealth and employment generation for 1.3 billion poor people.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">It is rather interesting to note the comment made by the Co-Chair of UNEP Finance Initiative, Ms, Barbara Krumsiek, who is also the CEO of the Washington D.C. headquartered Calvert Group Ltd just prior to the PrepCom-1 of UNCSD. She says, "As the economy and the financial sector begin to recover, we have both an opportunity and obligation to build sustainability into the way global financial companies do business. The challenges finance and investment face on the road to the Rio+20 Summit are considerable. It is a critical time to work for progress and develop the means to deal with the next crisis - which may very well be a natural resources crisis".</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">While the Business and Industry sector is planning to thrive on the opportunities at Rio+20 by pushing for a green economy, many other stakeholder groups were more pessimistic. Ms. Leida Rijnhout of the Northern Alliance for Sustainability (ANPED) in Belgium brings to attention the wording of green economy and claims that it is the wrong choice of words to be used. Sustainable Development, which was a term that has taken shape and clear understanding these past 20 years is one in which we should continue to commit to. There is a need to re-assess our economy and reshape it in a way that is sustainable and something closer to a green and fair economy. Rijnhout strengthens this point by pointing to the need for the new economy to be based on equity and real values that fit with the carrying capacity of our planet and social needs. The goal she leaves us with leading up to Rio+20 should not be about greening our greed but about expanding our thinking to adopting sustainable lifestyles respectful and responsible towards global equality. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">Representing the Asian Indigenous Women’s Network, Vicky Tauli Corpuz from the Philippines also believes that the green economy concept is distorting what we have achieved with the concept of sustainable development. The economic model that has collapsed and we are trying to resuscitate it based on concepts that will inevitably result in our environmental collapse. We are talking about growth, but growth in the current sense is what Indigenous Peoples see as the source of the environmental problems we are facing. The developed nations encourage the developing nations to create products that we deem useless in just a matter of months. As a result those in developing nations, which are the most dependent on natural resources for survival are the ones suffering. If we continue to believe this as the process of growth, Corpus argues, we will just continue to go down in the natural resources that support our planet. She believes we need a radical restructuring of the entire economic system underpinned by the concept of sustainable development, but that also ensures the support of human rights and the respect of mother earth. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">Another veteran from the first Rio Summit, Ms. Chee Yoke-Ling of the Third World Network (TWN) in Malaysia clearly explains that the call since Rio 1992 Earth Summit was on greening the economy rather than making an all new green economy. The focus needs to be on working towards a new global economic system, one in which the ideas of a green economy are at the centre. Yoke-ling places emphasis on the need for the global systems to be collaboratively repaired, regulated and combined with a recommitment to the promises made in Rio 18 years ago. She stress how important it is to get governments moving as there is currently a strong political will to not go sustainable. She believes it is not just about Rio but also about all of the similar bodies and agreements of the United Nations that promote and work to achieve sustainability. There has not necessarily been a deficit to devise structures based on sustainable development but that the failure has come in the implementation of their mandates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rich countries are continuing to run away from their obligations and responsibilities to the South. As a result there are more inequalities today that are suspended in outdated agreements, which promote unsustainable practices that developing countries are obliged to follow.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">Dr. Palitha Kohona from the Sri Lanka Permanent Mission to the UN in New York agrees that summits are important in getting people to talk about issues but that time should not be wasted trying to define specifically what green economy means. Sustainable Development is a term he believes we should continue to work with as it embodies the idea of the carrying capacity of our planet while preserving enough resources for future generations. Providing a very raw depiction of the priorities that plague the South, Kohona says the struggles that exist for those in the South are of basic survival and immediate necessity. For those in developing countries, securing food and shelter are of primary concern and to bombard them with the pressure to green their economic and social activities is one which cannot be realistically addressed until poverty for them has been eradicated. He emphasizes our need to look at the green economy in this context and not to forget that over one billion go to bed hungry every night. This needs to be remedied before those who live in poverty can begin to focus on clean air and water. The North can think about the issues of conserving energy and water because they have the luxury of having reliable sources and are using them in its excess. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">New Green Trade Battle<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">So are these two different concepts? While greening the economy is a process that drives the worlds unsustainable consumption, production and trading process to be corrected, the object of creating a green economy appears to be focused on creating new market opportunities in the realization of the down turn of the market based economy. Greening the existing industrial production system will not help green the economy. It will not take us towards a carbon neutral society and drive us away from the wasteful lifestyles. A new green world order has to be more authentic than making mountains of the green labeling and green procurement business. Such a new world order will have to make sufficiency based considerations more pertinent. Sufficiency can firstly reduce greed and want for over- consumption through a state of adequacy and contentment. It can also innovate on indigenous knowledge systems to produce without waste, more efficiently, become more self-reliant, and less dependent on external resources.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">Are we entering into a new battle between North and South or developed and developing countries? Are we entering into a new phase of a global trading regime that favours the rich and powerful? And are we using the concepts of environmentalism to green wash the black industrial economies? And are we heading towards new conflicts and wars on earth?</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Main Issues and Proposals for the Rio+20 Summit<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">Therefore, I raise the following questions from the organizers of the UNCSD Rio+20 Summit. (a) Do we need more convincing to eradicate poverty as a prerequisite to achieve sustainable development? (b) The so called Marrakech process during the past 8 years has failed to consult nations and formulate a 10YFP. What do we need? Voluntary commitments or binding agreements to regulate unsustainable consumption and production? (c) Can we bring to focus the Climate Change challenge into the Rio+20 processes? What is the so called post Kyoto challenge in the “Green Economy”? </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">I have proposed three key international commitments to draw focus on at the Rio+20 UNCSD in 2012 to enable sustainable development on earth.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal 01: Poverty Eradication<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">The first proposal is on poverty eradication. While discussing sustainability for the past four decades, the world has failed in eradication hunger and poverty on earth. Currently half of the world humanity are under poverty and are desperately struggling to survive on a daily basis. Poverty is a result of a hypocritical global governance system. This is a system that has promoted unsustainable production regimes and over-consuming societies to grow further; a system that rewards exploitation by a few and obstructs access to resources by the majority; a system where the unconcerned and non-compassionate continue to decide the destinies of humanity. If any hope for sustainability is to be drawn in the development processes in the developing countries where the poor reside, poverty needs to be eradicated. Development that cannot ensure the wellbeing of all citizens does not have the capability to sustain itself. That is where the growth based economic model has failed. While growth has created increased gaps between the rich and poor, the lack of intent to distribute the wealth has clearly blocked the progress of development in wellbeing and prosperity. Northern governments need to recognize that climate change and the emergence of the new economic powers may well shift the zones of suffering in the world. The emerging consumer classes in the South have already started to enjoy the power over their own resources, technological advancement, market dominance and power in global governance. An emerging world order suggests that the resources for over consumption in the developed nations are becoming harder to come by the day and the Rio+20 process should take an early note to address all kinds of poverty on earth. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal 02: Sustainable Consumption and Production<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">The second proposal is on sustainable consumption and production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, or Rio+10, clearly declared that one of the greatest barriers for sustainable development on earth has been the unsustainable consumption and production patterns and that we should be regulating such activities. While the UNEP lead Marrakech Process for a 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production which is expected to commence in the year 2012 has failed for the past eight years to deliver a credible plan, and the Rio+20 fails to recognize such a programme officially in its agenda that at the same time. At this stage a weak programme that caters to the political needs of a European dominated agenda is clearly not what the Rio+20 needs to focus on but to address the Rio+10 call at the Johannesburg WSSD Summit for means to regulate unsustainable production and consumption patterns. The prevailing unsustainable consumption and production system is the largest contributory factor to both climate change and poverty on earth and thus requires greater emphasis and focus at the levels of international regulation. If anthropogenic climate change is to be controlled, then developing a regulatory framework for sustainable consumption and production must be a priority as well. In very simple terms, unsustainable consumption and production needs to be regulated on earth parallel to emission cuts as a solution to both problems of climate change and poverty. This may not be the easiest to achieve, but if the UN Rio+20 Summit plans to follow-up on the Rio and Rio+10 commitments, it will then have to stop playing the hide and seek game that the so called Marrakech Process has been playing to formulate a 10 year frame work of programmes. The true value of the other agenda item for Rio+20 as in Sustainable Development Governance would mean that the new institutional mechanisms will be more forthright and fair in its approach towards designing and implementing sustainable development programmes for its member nations. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal 03: Climate Sustainability<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">The third proposal is on climate sustainability. The continued failure by the UNFCCC lead climate negotiations to derive a global agreement is driving the world towards a climate catastrophe of magnitude that threatens the mere existence of humans on earth. Climate change is no longer a possibility but a larger reality that has already commenced its ascending. Prof. Mohan Munasinghe, vice-chair of the Nobel Prize-winning fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, points out that the world can be saved from the dangers posed by climate change by sustainable consumers and producers. “We need to look at finding integrated solutions for multiple global problems rather than trying to solve these problems separately”, and he warns that climate change is a threat amplifier for the growing risk of financial-economic crises, persistent poverty and growing inequity, shortages of energy, water and food, and other extreme events. While the Kyoto Protocol is said to be expiring in 2012 and the world is looking for a new binding agreement in 2012, the Rio+20 UNCSD Summit once again fails to include it in its agenda. Sadly, the Climate Change Convention that was signed at the first Earth Summit in 1992 has become out of reach of the sustainable development programme and has become another separate programme in the UN system.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Riding on a Dismantled Train to Sustainability: A Formula for Failure<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">In my book “It has to be CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY” I wrote that the UN process that drives the world towards sustainability is like a ride on a dismantled train. The train to sustainable development had been dismantled since the first Earth Summit in 1992 and different compartments were placed on different tracks; climate change, biodiversity conservation, poverty eradication, economic prosperity, etc. Since then many of us continued to demand that this train needs to be assembled together and placed on the correct track, and that we should proceed towards sustainability through a clear path to avoid being stranded. Today, we are dangerously stranded with possibilities of no return. Yet the UN system continues to ignore negotiating these interlinked issues in a holistic approach and continues to divide and rule.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">The Rio+20 UNCSD Summit already demonstrates another formula for failure. The hunger for dominance on earth by the different regions and countries, clearly to protect the business and trading interest of the multinational corporations that keeps the rich richer and poor poorer still is the greatest debate inside the UN rooms where negotiations take place. Therefore, another UN summit has brought us once again on to a football field where the ball will be passed from one end to the other till the game results in a stalemate; a no result that will prolong the quest for sustainability on earth and increase the threat of climate change. So, to keep the sustainable development agenda alive, we may have to organize Rio+30, Rio+40 and Rio+50 summits and by time the world will be in much desperation than today.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Optimistic Conclusions<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">I still would like to see more optimism in a Rio+20 Summit. A representative from a USA based NGO stated at a International Advisory Board meeting of the Stakeholder Forum for Rio+20 that this is the last chance to save the Earth. Well, I had to remind him that the same words were said by Mr. Maurice Strong as the Secretary General of the first Rio Earth Summit in 1992; but this is not the case. I believe that Rio+20 Earth Summit is the best chance rather than the last chance to get the sustainable development process moving proactively on earth because we no longer need to sell the concept. The concept of sustainable development is already sold and appreciated by all including the rich industrialized nations, the poor developing nations, the big and small business and industries and people across the world. But, Rio+20 now will have to target finalizing the agreed pathways and commitments. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">In doing this the United Nations will have to draw in the voices, opinions, minds and aspirations of all people on earth. Dr. Rubens Harry Born of Vitae Civilis from Brazil reminds us that often humans use different words to express the same feeling or action. What is most important is not that we agree to the term itself but that there is action to fulfill the aims this word is supposed to promote. When we look to 2012 and Rio+20 we need to start implementing a much more formal and bureaucratic process, which is bottom up participatory. Further, the representation of the current nine major groups is not enough to speak of the world’s diverse people. At Rio+20 Born argues that the whole world should have access to what takes place. With our advances in information communication technologies there is no reason that anyone should be excluded. It is now possible that those whose voices are most critical, but do not have the funding support to get there, can now be given the connection to be seen and heard in the most critical conversations that will take place this century. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">Historically human societies have collapsed when the greedy use of resources exceeds the carrying capacity of the earth. The future threatens us with great insecurities, but humans also have demonstrated resilience and endurance to rise above the challenge when survival is at stake. The Rio+20 Summit needs to be viewed in both such desperation and opportunities. However, planning cannot wait till 2012 and needs to commence now and encompass the needs of all human groups in a way that will create a sustainable and enjoyable future for everyone. For this mindfulness needs to prevail and the Rio+20 Summit will create the required impetus for a more conscious process of living and behaving on earth. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">(Uchita de Zoysa is the author of ‘It has to be CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY’ and convener of the Climate Sustainability PLATFORM, chairman of Global Sustainability Solutions and Executive Director of the Centre for Environment and Development. He was a Steering Committee Member of the Global NGO Forum at the first Earth Summit in 1992 and is International Advisory Board Member of the Stakeholder Forum for Rio+20. This article was written as a firsthand witness to the 1<sup>st</sup> PrepCom of the Rio+20 Summit held in New York recently. Please send your comments to uchita@sltnet.lk)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-60808962776221674352010-06-11T19:56:00.008+05:302010-06-14T08:05:58.110+05:301st UN Rio+20 PLATFORM Stakeholder Consultation in Sri Lanka and Workshop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUyhnnRdISZFdCfK49scJS_8RtNyZjz2QxuqGPo1y7NMKUEXFU0x4b6XBAz02jSUgmeDU-dzedDlLj9uqLG5iPgva4hvyQj9DRFZVptubaCsfmQNNIRN-Rzj71ElNjLBDBQh7u7cYtRc/s1600/GLOSS+DIALOGUE+PICTURE1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUyhnnRdISZFdCfK49scJS_8RtNyZjz2QxuqGPo1y7NMKUEXFU0x4b6XBAz02jSUgmeDU-dzedDlLj9uqLG5iPgva4hvyQj9DRFZVptubaCsfmQNNIRN-Rzj71ElNjLBDBQh7u7cYtRc/s400/GLOSS+DIALOGUE+PICTURE1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Css%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Css%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_editdata.mso" rel="Edit-Time-Data"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Css%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Css%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><style>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 23pt;">“Climate Sustainability in a Green Economy”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></i></b><b><i><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">(09th June 2010 at Galle Face Hotel, Colombo from 7-9pm)<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">SUMMARY<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">The first UN Rio+20 Summit PLATFORM Consultation in Colombo resolved that the proposed framework for a green agenda should clearly reflect the aspirations of the people in Asia, who represent half of the worlds poor, to eradicate poverty as a prerequisite for sustainable development. The way forward is to adopt and enforce sustainable consumption and production and to forge Climate Sustainability towards creating wellbeing and happiness for all. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">‘Climate Sustainability PLATFORM’ together with the Centre for Environment and Development (CED), Global Sustainability Solutions (GLOSS) along with event partners The Management Club (TMC) and Responsible Business Initiative (RBI) held its first UN Rio+20 Summit Stakeholder Consultation in Colombo on 9th June 2010 at the Galle Face Hotel under the theme of “Climate Sustainability in a Green Economy”. This was a follow up to the 1st Preparatory Committee Meeting of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, referred to as RIO+20, held in New York last May. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">The Rio+20 Summit is to be convened in 2012 with the aim of agreeing on a framework for a green economy on the 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, the event that led heightened environmental awareness across the world. Following the 1st Preparatory Committee Meeting for Rio+20, the Climate Sustainability PLATFORM has launched an initiative to engage all stakeholders in the process.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">The consultation was moderated by Mr. Uchita de Zoysa, convener of the Climate Sustainability PLATFORM. In his opening address de Zoysa said “During the past twenty years we have come a long way to bring clarity on sustainability and awareness on sustainable development. Now the transition is about to officially take place in the form of a Green Economy. There is no single definition, agreement or comprehension as to what a Green Economy is, but with lot of deliberation the 1<sup>st</sup> Preparatory Committee Meeting in New York recently has agreed that it entails Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development. I would have thought it the other way round; Sustainable development should entail a green economy, poverty eradication and also and overarching issues of climate sustainability. This is why we are calling for this early PLATFORM consultation under the theme of Climate Sustainability in a Green Economy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Mr. Felix Dodds of the Stakeholder Forum for RIO+20 in his message to the consultation said</span><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> “In two years' time, Rio de Janeiro will host another Earth Summit - 20 years after the first. The idea was proposed in 2007 by Brazil's President Lula da Silva at the UN General Assembly. It was clear to President Lula and to a growing number of others that the world has changed enormously since 1992, when the world agreed to Agenda 21 - the blueprint for creating a sustainable way of life in the 21st Century. Rio 2012 could provide much-needed new momentum to international co-operation, not only on environment and sustainable development, but also on the problems that underpin the global financial crisis.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">The consultation was organised in two main sessions. First was a Workshop with thematic session and was attended by management level representative from business, government and civil society organizations. The second was Dialogue which drew participation from leaders from government, business, civil society, academic and professional organizations and from media. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">THE WORKSHOP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">The first part of the consultations was conducted in a workshop which had four thematic sessions;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">SESSION-1: Climate Sustainability & Corporate Climate Responsibility<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1.5in;"><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">SESSION-2: Corporate Social Responsibility & a Responsible Business Framework<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">SESSION-3: Greening the Economy and the Role of Sustainable Consumption & Production<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">SESSION-4: Strategic Corporate Sustainability & Incubator for Sustainable Business Ideas<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">The main presentations were made by;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Mr. Uchita de Zoysa (Chairman – Global Sustainability Solutions – Sri Lanka)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Dr. Faiz Shah (Head of Development Management – Asian Institute for Technology - Thailand)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Dr. Lewis Akenji (Fellow – Institute for Global Environmental Strategies - Japan)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Mrs. Ambreen Waheed (Executrive Director – Responsible Business Initiative - Pakistan)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Workshop Participants agreed that;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">responsible business IS sustainable business (SB)</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">SB cannot afford to exacerbate climate challenges</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">SMEs understand their social role & may be more sustainable</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">entrenched models do not advert enough to SME’s role</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">lessons in sustainable business may be learnt from SMEs</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">answers for even big business may lie in these lessons</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">progressing from efficiency to sufficiency is a possibility</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Participants endorsed;</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">A move towards an empowered regional dialogue</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Tangible steps to consolidate Climate Sustainability </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> Participatory mechanisms for knowledge-sharing</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Establishing a wide-as-possible learning network</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Establishing a doable agenda for sustainable behaviors </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Concrete steps & role models to prepare for RIO+20</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Time for Action towards Climate Sustainability…</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">THE DIALOGUE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">The second part of the consultation was in the form of a dialogue.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">In his opening speech, Climate Sustainability PLATFORM convener, <b>Mr. Uchita de Zoysa</b> traced the evolution of the global sustainable development process since the 1<sup>st</sup> Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Emphasizing that the Rio+20 Earth Summit needs to focus its attention to coming up with binding international agreement on poverty eradication, sustainable consumption and production, and climate sustainability. De Zoysa said, even though climate change is talked about as the greatest challenge to humankind, half the world’s population continues to live under poverty, struggling for survival at this very moment. Hence, the real task for Rio+20 is to review its original commitments to ensure well-being of all citizen of the earth and to adopt practical measures towards creating a sustainable development within the member nations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Prof. Mohan Munasinghe</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">, vice-chair of the Nobel Prize-winning fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, delivering the keynote address pointing out that the world can be saved from the dangers posed by climate change by </span><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">sustainable consumers and producers. ”We need to look at finding integrated solutions for multiple global problems rather than trying to solve these problems seperately”, he said, warning that climate change is a threat amplifier for the growing risk of financial-economic crises, persistent poverty and growing inequity, shortages of energy, water and food, and other extreme events.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">The <b>Honourable Faizer Mustafa</b>, Deputy Environment Minister was the evening’s Chief Guest. Speaking on Sri Lanka’s sustainable development policy guided the ’Haritha Lanka Programe’under the vision of his excellency the President’s vision of ’Mahinda Chinthanaya’, the honourable minister invited business and civil society to join in its realization. He said that the the Haritha Lanka programme will be implemented for 2010-20-16 under the supervision of the National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD). He confirmed the Ministry of Environement’s resolve to further strengthen the role of stakeholder through an empowerd NCSD. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Opening the panel discussion, <b>Dr. Faiz Shah</b> head of Development Management at the Asian Institute for Technology, Bangkok, summarized the outcomes of the workshop preceding the Dialogue, reporting that the cross-section of business and civil society attending the workshop reaffirmed the approach indicated by Mr. De Zoysa, Prof. Munasinghe and the Honourable Minister, and reinforced the Climate Sustainability PLATFORM’s mission of greater engagement and practical solutions to issues of climate change. ”Sustainable businesses are in fact responsible businesses, and with their enormous potential, fit firmly into the clean and green economy paradigm”.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">The dialogue provided insight into how businesses are gearing up to survive in changing climate and proposer in a green economy, why sustainable consumption and production must become essential business tools, and why social responsibility is so integral to the future market place. </span><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">The dialogue panel comprising Dr. Lewis Akenji, Fellow at IGES-Japan, Mrs. Ambreen Waheed, Executive Director RBI-Pakistan, Dr. Ananda Mallawathantri UNDP Assistant Resident Representative in Sri Lanka, and Mr. Rizvi Zaheed, CEO of Hayleys presented their perspectives <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">on the emerging trends, and how to proceed from here. </span><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Participants of this well-attended dialogue event represented government, business, civil society, academia, proffessional and media.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Next Steps in the Rio+20 Process of the Climate Sustainability PLATFORM:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Producing discussion agenda for dialogues across region</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Documenting the regional recommendations – good & bad </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Developing learning materials for dissemination</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Organizing a Rio+20 Stakeholder Summit in Asia</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Collaborating with partners to ensure climate sustainability </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(for information contact Mr. Uchita de Zoysa uchita@sltnet.lk)<br />
</span></div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-89086523614835033112010-05-29T07:09:00.007+05:302010-06-03T20:15:41.960+05:30Report of the Rio+20 (PrepCom1) Side Event organised by the PLATFORM & CED (17 May 2010, UN North Lawan Building, New York, USA))<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7tjDvKTpDTo3KKWfmfbdOanTgg88vzHQez_ugYJm9Hl2LFpg9YB6c4PGoIK9N9GPaiIHzaeJK4YX_2wOXBT5u34MoBxM4_9I9YC6U2soXo7jhpXP2sCNmjXUM4qTJXznAVHVxWaGKhHI/s1600/rio20panel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7tjDvKTpDTo3KKWfmfbdOanTgg88vzHQez_ugYJm9Hl2LFpg9YB6c4PGoIK9N9GPaiIHzaeJK4YX_2wOXBT5u34MoBxM4_9I9YC6U2soXo7jhpXP2sCNmjXUM4qTJXznAVHVxWaGKhHI/s400/rio20panel.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>EQUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY IN A GREEN ECONOMY</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Including Commitments on Poverty Eradication, Sustainable Consumption<br />
and Production, and Climate Sustainability in the Rio+20 Agenda</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(A Report produced by Uchita de Zoysa and Jenna Goodhand)</span></span></i><b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Uchita de Zoysa</b> of the Climate Sustainability PLATFORM opened the discussion by discussing the years since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. He said that the train to sustainable development had been dismantled since and different compartments were placed on different track; climate change, biodiversity conservation, poverty eradication, economic prosperity, etc. Quoting from the Report of the Secretary General of the Rio+20 released the same day; “ The green economy approach is an attempt to unite under one banner a broad suite of economic instruments relevant to sustainable development” he said that the UN is once again trying to mislead us away from the core of sustainable development. “Everyone is saying we do not still know what a Green Economy means. Why then aren’t we concentrating on what we very well know after 20 years of sustainable development negotiations?” he questioned. Four plus decades of sustainable development talk and half of the world is in poverty NOW! Mr. de Zoysa raised three critical questions to the panel. (a) Do we need more convincing to eradicate poverty as a prerequite to achieve Sustainable Development? (b) The so called Marrakech process during the past 8 years has failed to consult nations and formulate a 10YFP. What do we need? Voluntary commitments or binding agreements to regulate unsustainable consumption and production (c) Can we bring to focus the Climate Change challenge into the Rio+20 processes? What is the so called post Kyoto challenge in the “Green Economy”? Or just get on to another compartment of a dismantled train?</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The conversation was then directed towards <b>Felix Dodds</b> of the Stakeholder Forum who stressed the need to look at institutional reform that surrounds Rio +20. He believes this is not the end all be all of accomplishing the challenges ahead but that it will play a critical role in what we can or can not succeed in doing. The conversation surrounding transforming our economy should focus on seeing a world that is about fairness, equity and where everyone benefits from the planet, not just a few as our current system allows. In the past 20 years since the Earth Summit in Rio Dodds believes we have lost the plot and emphasizes that more people now have less than two decades ago. As the next 20 years unravel, if we do not commit to remedying the current state of the world immediately, the years to follow will see insecurity of water, food, energy and health worldwide. Dodds ends with a call to action for us to step up in this small window of opportunity that is presented to us to work together and use Rio +20 as the final piece to bring the family back together for a sustainable and secure future. </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Chee Yoke-Ling </b>of the Third World Network stressed how important it is to get governments moving as there is currently a strong political will to not go sustainable. She believes it is not just about Rio but also about all of the similar bodies and agreements of the United Nations that promote and work to achieve sustainability. There has not necessarily been a deficit to devise structures based on sustainable development but that the failure has come in the implementation of their mandates. Rich countries are continuing to run away from their obligations and responsibilities to the South. As a result there are more inequalities today that are suspended in outdated agreements, which promote unsustainable practices that developing countries are obliged to follow. The focus needs to be on working towards a new economic global system, one in which the ideas of a green economy are at the centre. Chee concluded with the emphasis on the need for the global systems to be collaboratively repaired, regulated and combined with a recommitment to the promises made in Rio 18 years ago. </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Leida Rijnhout </b>of ANPED – Northern Alliance for Sustainability brought to attention the wording of green economy and that perhaps it is the wrong choice of words to be used. Sustainable Development, which was a term that has taken shape and clear understanding these past 20 years is one in which we should continue to commit to. There is a need to reassess our economy and reshape it in a way that is sustainable but she supports a term closer to green and fair economy. Leida strengthens this point by pointing to the need for the new economy to be based on equity and real values that fit with the carrying capacity of our planet and social needs. The goal she leaves us with leading up to Rio+20 should not be about greening our greed but about expanding our thinking to adopting sustainable lifestyles respectful and responsible to global equality. </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Dr. Palitha Kohona</b> from the Sri Lanka Permanent Mission to the UN then gave a very raw depiction of the priorities that plague the South and developing countries in the context of development and greening we had been discussing. The struggles that exist for those in the South are of basic survival and immediate necessity. For those in developing countries, securing food and shelter are of primary concern and to bombard them with the pressure to green their economic and social activities is one in which cannot be realistically addressed until poverty for them has been eradicated. Dr. Kohona emphasized our need to look at the green economy in this context and not forget that over 1 billion go to bed hungry every night. This needs to be remedied before those who live in poverty can begin to focus on cleaning air and water. The North can think about the issues of conserving energy and water because they have the luxury of having reliable sources of it and are using it in its excess. He concluded by agreeing that summits are important in getting people talking about issues but that time should not be wasted trying to define specifically what green economy means. Sustainable Development is a term he believes we should continue to work with as it embodies the idea of the carrying capacity of our planet while preserving enough resources for those of future generations </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Mr. Jeffrey Barber</b> of Integrative Strategies Forum agreed with many of the other panelists in that the economic system we have relied on to prosper from is broken. The talks that have taken place in the two weeks of CSD-18 focused heavily on sustainable production consumption and how this fits into the new ‘green’ economy we are try to build. Jeffrey believes that this has to be at the heart of economic policy as the structures are rebuilt and reshaped. As well, the discussions leading up to Rio+20 need to be more than just about a 10 year framework. The goal of the 10-year framework that is currently without significant direction should be about reversing the worsening trends, which have emerged since its original proposition and to meet the targets that have yet to be met. We should measure these aims by the number of lives that are improved as a result of these endeavours. Jeffrey concluded with a very honest and bold statement that we need to create an economic revolution that moves us to a global system that addresses everyone’s needs and that we must do this together. </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Vicky Tauli Corpuz </b>from the Asian Indigenous Women’s Network also believes that the green economy concept is distorting what we have achieved with the concept of sustainable development. The economic model that has collapsed and we are trying to resuscitate is based on concepts that will inevitably result in our environmental collapse. We are talking about growth, but growth in the current sense is what Indigenous Peoples see as the source of the environmental problems we are facing. The developed nations encourage the developing nations to create products that we deem useless in just a matter of months. As a result those in developing nations, which are the most dependent on natural resources for survival are the ones suffering. If we continue to believe this is the process of growth, Vicky argues we will just continue to go down in the natural resources that support our planet. She believes we need a radical restructuring of the entire economic system underpinned by the concept of Sustainable Development, but that also ensures the support of human rights and the respect of mother earth. </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Dr. Rubens Harry Born</b> of Vitae Civilis touched on many of the other concerns the panelists had with using the term ‘green economy’ and reminded us that often times humans use different words to express the same feeling or action. What is most important is not that we agree to the term itself but that there is action to fulfill the aims this word is supposed to promote. When we look to 2012 and Rio+20 we need to start implementing a much more formal and bureaucratic process, which is bottom up participatory. Further, the representation of the current nine major groups is not enough to speak of the world’s diverse people and human rights must become a foundation for the actions we take moving forward. At Rio+20 Rubens argues that the whole world should have access to what takes place. With our advances in information communication technologies there is no reason that anyone should be excluded. It is now possible that those whose voices are most critical, but do not have the funding to get there, can now be given the connection to be seen and heard in the most critical conversations that will take place this century. </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Platform Dialogue</span></b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">After the panelists completed their responses the audience participated in a very energetic and dynamic conversation. The issues that arose included the need for a regulated system in the wake of the collapse of our current system because of the catastrophe it created for so many developing countries who were dependant on the production of cheap manufactured goods for the West. From this idea came the discussion on the ‘Big Shift’ where an audience member created a dynamic representation of the focus she believes we need to take moving forward. To her we all have to begin working together in our respective causes like that of a orchestra, all bringing our various instruments to the table. Unlike a symphony though, we must recognize that there is not just one conductor but that we must work with one another to achieve our collective aims. </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">One audience member had an interesting perspective in response to the idea of a ‘Big Shift’. His fear was that most people believe radical change is needed, but that radical change often creates a great deal of pain and suffering, usually at the expense of the poor. He concluded however that we are living in unstable times and that the upcoming summit in Rio in 2012 is the perfect opportunity for us to collectively reshape and reframe a model that is fair as well as economically and environmentally sustainable. </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The biggest draws from the audience discussion was the question as to whether we need to stick to making the term ‘green economy’ one in which we all agree by, or whether it is best to stick with ‘sustainable development’ because the majority now have a general understanding of the term. Although as a group we did not collectively come to consensus on this debate, what was agreed was that the time being wasted on arguing the terms should be used to be acting in the direction of sustainability. </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Conclusions</span></b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Twenty years have passed since the Earth Summit in Rio and we are now just two years away from a reunion of stakeholders and world leaders for the Rio+20 conference in 2012. This discussion highlighted many times that the energy created at Rio in 1992 was not enough to achieve the aims and objectives of the Earth Summit, and in fact our planet and its people are in a far more critical scenario today then we were 20 years ago. </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">With the collapse of global economic markets and structures and the realization that the environment is reaching its carrying capacity, the term ‘green economy’ has quickly become at the forefront to being what many believe the ‘magic bullet’ to solve the current and emerging issues we face worldwide. Whether or not this term sticks or not what theme emerged significantly from the discussion was that it is imperative for the West to truly commit to the needs of the developing countries, and not continue to invest in them primarily for personal monetary gains but as an endeavour to secure the stability, security and sustainability of our collective future.</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Historically human societies have collapsed when the use of resources and the carrying capacity exceeds what the earth is able to support. We have not learned from these examples and some warn that we have already passed the point of no return. It is well agreed upon that the future will see great insecurities but as humans it is in our nature to rise to the challenge when our survival depends on it. That moment for action is now and the issues we face cannot wait to be discussed in Rio+20, the planning needs to begin in this moment and encompass the needs of all human groups in a way that will create a sustainable and enjoyable future for everyone.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>KEY QUESTIONS:</b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" />1. How can Rio+20 save the earth?<br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">a. Should ‘green economy’ be the key focus at Rio+20? If yes or no why?</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" />b. Why should Rio+20 pay so much attention to ‘environmental governance’<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. What is a ‘green economy’?</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" />a. What are the ‘equity’ and ‘poverty eradication’ challenges for a green economy<br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" />b. What are the ‘sustainable development’ challenges for a green economy<br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" />3. Do we need a 10YFP on SCP or an international agreement on SCP at Rio+20?<br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" />4. Will ‘poverty eradication’ be made binding commitment at Rio+20? Should it or not?<br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" />5. Should Rio+20 address the so called post Kyoto agreement? Can or should ‘climate sustainability’ become a Rio+20 issue?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">RESOURCES</span></b></span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Corresponding Websites</span></b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Stakeholder Forum - http://www.stakeholderforum.org</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Global Sustainability Solutions - http://www.glossolutions.com </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Centre for Env. & Development. - http://centreforenvironmentdevelopment.blogspot.com </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Climate Sustainability Platform - http://climatesustainabilityplatform.blogspot.com </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Integrative Strategies Forum - http://www.isforum.org </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Citizen Network for Sustainable Development - http://www.citnet.org </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">ICSPAC - http://www.icspac.net </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Third World Network - http://www.twnside.org </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Asian Indigenous Women’s Network - http://www.asianindigenouswomen.org </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">North Alliance for Sustainability - http://www.anped.org </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Vitae Civilis - http://www.vitaecivilis.org.br </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Further Reading</span></b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“It has to be Climate Sustainability” by Uchita de Zoysa (http://climatesustainability.blogspot.com/) </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“Still Waiting for Delivery” by Jeffrey Barber</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">CONTACTS: </span></b><b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /></b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Mr. Uchita de Zoysa</span></b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Executive Director - Centre for Environment & Development (CED)</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Convener – Climate Sustainability PLATFORM</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">253/10, Thilakaratne Mawatha, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Tel/fax: +94 11 2768459 mobile: +94 777 372206 </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">E-mail: uchita@sltnet.lk / ced@sltnet.lk skype: uchita.de.zoysa </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">web: www.glossolutions.com blog: http://centreforenvironmentdevelopment.blogspot.com/ </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">blog: http://www.climatesustainabilityplatform.blogspot.com/</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Ms. Gail Karlsson</span></b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">US Citizens Network for Sustainable Development</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Address: 258 Broadway 5A, New York, NY 10007, </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Tel: 1 212 267-4239 Cell Phone: +1 646 549-0717 </span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Email: gkarlsson@att.net </span></span></span>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-11949469330288605532010-01-04T09:03:00.003+05:302010-01-04T09:21:18.722+05:30A final commentary on COP15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00Q0OBWfmX3Cogy9YTk8hmmoykNSKZG7omldj-CmocGlLEkbJShPnw_wpMEV-ethsofJKxUCX8l5BWFtz232VJacyOrIwe2hhcGOue8L0c4ZnCO4c0hlZcihhyphenhyphenR2p4q14zBDgjp1Ituw/s1600-h/Uchita+%40+COP15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00Q0OBWfmX3Cogy9YTk8hmmoykNSKZG7omldj-CmocGlLEkbJShPnw_wpMEV-ethsofJKxUCX8l5BWFtz232VJacyOrIwe2hhcGOue8L0c4ZnCO4c0hlZcihhyphenhyphenR2p4q14zBDgjp1Ituw/s400/Uchita+%40+COP15.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Copenhagen Climate Summit Failed! </b></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Where do we go from here? Mexico?</span> </b></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>NO! It has to be Climate Sustainability </b></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>by Uchita de Zoysa </b></span><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Copenhagen Failed! Do not let a political scam "Copenhagen Accord' fool you. It is just another self-saving swindle by the establishment and a self-serving act by the rich and powerful. The United Nations finally disclosed that they have no power in global democratic governance and allowed just five national leaders supported by a twenty other opportunists to decide on the world's future. Poor country leaders, their people, and civil society were shutout from one of the worst democracy killing acts ever on earth. Twenty thousand people from across the world, leaders from 119 nations, representatives from 193 countries did not come to Copenhagen to see just a handful of people making the decisions of our destiny. Now they with a world of people watching from home will never trust the United Nations processes to democratically make decisions for the world. <br />
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Copenhagen scam was engineered by a handful of people. Firstly the A NATO presidency holding Denmark had to save their shame and manipulated the process for this wicked deal to emerge. The urgency of Danish Prime Lars Lokke Rasmussen to resign the COP15 president Ms. Connie Hedegaard was the first sign of political frustration and panic. This is why South Africa's environment minister Buyelwa Sonjica and her two top climate change negotiators said recently that part of the blame rested with the way the host guided the conference. In their first media briefing since returning from talks in the Danish capital that ended Saturday, the trio described an atmosphere of distrust and suspicion that Denmark was plotting to force its own position on other nations. South African negotiator Joanne Yawitch said, the Danes unveiled a draft at the 11th hour that was "seriously problematic". Secondly, these manipulations lead USA President Barrack Obama towards joining a small group of schemers in delivering the killer punches on the international democratic deliberations mechanism at the United Nations. However, the main architects of this closed "Copenhagen Scam" would be four wise men of the BASIC group of nations invisibly lead by the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, along with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and South African President Jacob Zuma who were the main chefs who cooked-up the situation for this 'Copenhagen Accord' to evolve. By turning on the heat on the Western leaders, these emerging giants ensured that Mr. Obama responds and the rest jump into the soup to save themselves from a global shame. <br />
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USA President Barrack Obama should not have tried to save the Copenhagen Summit. As a leader who emerged with the promise to change the practices of establishment, he should have made his usually world assuring speech and left, therefore leaving the Climate Summit to fail. This could have helped the cause of the climate sustainability movement to evolve a true climate deal on earth. However, Mr. Obama had clearly demonstrated why he is the main man in global politics today. While the negotiators were playing "Age of the Stupid", Obama worked his usual charismatic charm and usual sharp mind to make common sense look genius. Walking into the newly power hungry BASIC – Brazil, South Africa, India and China – this one smart man saved the negotiating clowns of the COP15 circus an ultimate embarrassment. The Europeans were made to look really stupid in this game, as they had no option rather than to sit round the table and endorse the final verdict of the new power brokers! The Danish Presidency of COP15 simply avoided the greatest embarrassment of the history of his nation, and the United Nations only could hide behind its own shame. <br />
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An embarrassed, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said, "Many will say that it lacks ambition, "Nonetheless, you have achieved much.". Yes, you … twenty-five powerful nations had achieved much. So much for transparency, inclusiveness, collective-will that are professed the United Nations. Out of 194 parties, 171 countries were dumped with a group of 25 parties devising this scam accord! Sadly, the G-77 and China (a Group of 130 developing countries) was dumped by the emerging economic giants from the same group demonstrating the evolving new world order. Ambassador Lumumba Di-Aping, the G-77 Chair and Sudan's ambassador to the UN was furious and was quoted saying "this is the worst development in the fight against climate change. The draft accord was in gross violation of the principles of transparency and participation by all countries that have governed all actions within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is against the poor and it lacks common sense". Mr. Dia-ping, who chairs this bloc of 130 poor nations, said the pact meant "incineration" for Africa and was comparable to the Holocaust because the process failed to have a binding agreement on commitments on reducing climate change below the 2°C dangerous levels. Asked if the G77 would oppose the draft at the UNFCCC conference plenary session due to start any moment? He said "Wait and see". Pressed further, Mr. Di-Aping had said "Sudan will oppose." <br />
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It was clear in Copenhagen that India and China now together with Brazil and South Africa had very conveniently abandoned the most important developing country block G77 in search of their own excellence. They now feel that they are in the big league. Why not? China has beaten USA in the emissions race and India is not too far following. What can the balance of the 130 poor nation's offer them that USA, Europeans and Australia cannot offer in a new world balance? Well, definitely Sudan has very little attraction in this regard. That is why the leaders of Bolivia and Venezuela walked out in protest of the undemocratic process at COP15. It is also amusing that South Africa now after the summit has condemned the Copenhagen accord that they were part of creating. South Africa just recently announced that Copenhagen's failure to produce a legally binding climate change agreement was unacceptable. Well, a little too late to play friends of the developing countries game? Or is their time to save G77 power within the climate talks? Well India may hold the key to this question, at least during the next few months and years to come. But, should the poorer countries allow them to make those critical decisions any more? Obviously G77 needs new leadership and power brokering capacity building soon. <br />
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Meanwhile, when the climate talks in <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/18/copenhagen-deal">Copenhagen ended in failure</a>, Mr. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/yvo-de-boer">Yvo de Boer</a>, the man in charge of the UNFCCC, urged us not to worry: everything will be sorted out "in Mexico one year from now at COP16". This is the same man who an year ago had said "The worst-case scenario for me is that climate becomes a second WTO … Copenhagen, for me, is a very clear deadline that I think we need to meet, and I am afraid that if we don't, then the process will begin to slip, and like in the trade negotiations, one deadline after the other will not be met, and we sort of become the little orchestra on the Titanic." Meanwhile, this "next year we can" talk is not new. We heard the same in Bali in 2007, and for nearly eighteen years of climate change negotiations. This time it is worse. The 'Copenhagen Accord' drops the expected goal of setting a deadline to achieve an international treaty by the end of 2010; the details of such a treaty will most likely require months or years of further negotiation. That is why German Chancellor Angela Merkel comes into the rescue; she has offered to host the next climate summit in mid-2010. She viewed the result "with mixed emotions" but added that "the only alternative to the agreement would have been a failure." Now that is some political honesty. But, now suddenly there is competition to hold climate talks. French President Nicolas Sarkozy intends to invite the countries that signed the Copenhagen Accord to a meeting in spring 2010. The European initiatives will not stand alone. According to News sources, Bolivian President Evo Morales too will invite countries critical of the Copenhagen Accord to a summit on April 22 in 2010. So 2010 is going to be a year of climate vocal-warfare and more emissions by people flying into participate in these events. More money will be spent and more confusing will be created before any mindfulness can be achieved. <br />
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With the world's people and civil society being shut out of the process in Copenhagen, there is only one way ahead; that is to take our own destiny into our hands. It is time right is to tell the worlds leaders what we want in the future and how we want it. That is why the emerging call for a binding agreement on Climate Sustainability is becoming crucial. Climate and sustainability need to be addressed together, not decoupled. An Agreement on Climate Sustainability will be decisive in coming together as one world to reverse decades of irresponsible consumption, production, and trade patterns and to build an equitable, fair, and just world. Climate sustainability must be the shared vision of the UNFCCC because it is the aspiration of the people. Climate Sustainability addresses pressing issues of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation through relevant strategies for mitigation, adaptation, finance, and technology sharing. Governments must demonstrate political will and vision by signing a binding 'Climate Sustainability Agreement' enforced through strong compliance mechanisms. Only this will empower people to live in harmony with all species in a healthy planet that ensures wellbeing and happiness to all. <br />
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Mr. Nitin Desai, the former Secretary General of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development believes that most of the problems on earth and climate change are related to unsustainable consumption and production patterns, and believes that the civil society should be pushing hard for an ‘International Agreement on Sustainable Consumption and Production’ by 2012 . This is the year when the Kyoto Protocol may come to an end, and when the UNCSD will be starting to implement a Ten Year Framework of Programmes on Earth. In fact this is the year that the world will be celebrating 20 years since the Earth Summit and when Rio+20 UN Summit is proposed. Mr. Desai said “In 2012 the interest would be on two themes, the Green Economy and Sustainable Consumption and Production. There is no way to talk about a green economy simply by talking about taxes and subsidies. You have to ask your self, what is the underlying consumption and production base? The time is right for this sustainable consumption and production to become central to the UN agenda. We have reached a point where nobody can say that our way of life is not for negotiation. Change comes from the global opinion and global consensus. Therefore, civil society groups would be the ones to drive this cause, and today my efforts in India too are with civil society action”. <br />
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Civil society was visibly angered by the conduct of the Copenhagen Summit. Ms. Amleset Haile, from Mekelle University Ethiopia, said with all this big talk on sustainability for the past many decades, the people still remain hungry. While we are talking here in Copenhagen, people in Ethiopia are dying from hunger. For us it is simply about survival. In Ethiopia, we have seen temperature actually rise, and diseases like malaria have increased. People are becoming homeless because of changing climate and weather patterns. It's only a matter of time that rest in the world too will be dragged into the same climate plight." Mr. Gopal Jain from the 'Centre for Environment Education' in India echoed a collective sentiment that the climate negotiations at the UNFCCC are not convincing enough to enable human wellbeing on earth and that basic sustainability issues such as poverty eradication is not adequately addressed. According to Mr. Jeffrey Barber from the 'Integrative Strategies Forum' in USA “negotiations within the United Nations system are too often based on linear or not integrative thinking. Approaches to many of the world's problems are compartmentalised and end up competing with each other, rather than working together holistically.” <br />
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I agree with them. Launching my book in "It has to be CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY" in Copenhagen I said, "by design the UN system is unable to provide solutions for a complex world of diverse societies and their lifestyles, needs and behaviours. These negotiations at the UN are historically disintegrated because they believe in focusing on each issue separately. Therefore, climate change is another great challenge to be discussed separately and decoupled from trade, poverty, peace, environment, economy or any other issue. Climate change is a single issue for them and is dealt within those chambers only. Therefore, the inter-linkages between economic growth, development, poverty, environment, sustainability and peace do not have adequate space in one package solution". <br />
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Prof. Victoria Thoresen from PERL, a large European network of sustainable consumption research was more optimistic that different UN programmes could be made better. She said, “We cannot discard the programmes available, but make sure that they are better. However, it is important that we build a global movement based on the emerging common principle of sustainable consumption and production". But, summing up the frustration of global citizens, Mr. Victor Ricco, a human rights lawyer from Argentina says; "I gave-up my job as the deputy minister for climate change in my region to rejoin the peoples' movements, as just talk and talk cannot anymore save us from the climate challenges". <br />
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Well, international climate change negotiations are failing because they are not based on such foundations that offer equity, wellbeing and happiness of all. These negotiations at the United Nations are designed as a process of bargaining led by short sighted political leadership and their representatives. It is a bargaining place for the managers of the prevailing erroneous global governance and economic system. UN negotiations are not places where the countries congregate with mutual trust or confidence. Each of them tries to bargain for their own best share rather than for the betterment of the planet. Therefore, these negotiations can hardly provide hope of a radical change in the approach or attitude towards creating a different system for a better world. If the international climate negotiations continue to fail in reaching an implementable agreement very soon, we would be allowing our global leadership to design for us an ultimate destiny to perish. <br />
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Ms. Susy Wandera from the 'Kenya Climate Change Working Group' was angry of the lack of good faith within the climate change negotiations when she said, “There is no good faith in addressing the vulnerability of women, youth and communities who are being affected by the climate change impacts right now. How much worse does the damage have to be in the South for Annex-1 rich countries to make serious commitments in their emission reductions? They were able to raise one trillion dollars Euro to respond to the global financial crisis in a short time. Why don’t they see the same urgency in supporting the South? Like they said they would.” Ms. Gail Karlsson from the US Citizens’ Network agreed with Ms. Wandera. She said; “For over ten years I have been involved in advocacy and planning related to the energy needs of women in developing countries. At this point, about 1.5 billion people are living without electricity, and many more continue to rely on traditional biomass fuels for cooking. It is generally women and girls in rural areas who are responsible for collecting firewood or other biomass fuels, and whose time, health and activities are most constrained by lack of access to electricity, modern cooking fuels, and motorized power. Financing for climate change mitigation and adaptation can help to relieve women’s poverty by engaging them in developing and distributing new clean energy options if these new opportunities are formulated in ways that benefit women as well as men. Women could particularly benefit from investments that focus on enterprises expanding access to small-scale low-emission energy technologies such as: energy efficient stoves; wind, solar and small hydro for electricity; and motorized power for water pumps and grain mills.” <br />
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At the end of my presentation on "Right to Development in a Climate Change Agenda" at the Copenhagen University during the climate summit, a young student asked me what I really wanted, and I said "happiness for my daughter and hers". Prof. Stig Jensen, Director of the Centre for African Studies of the University of Copenhagen, then questioned us what happiness means to different communities. Dr. Simron Singh from the 'Institute for Social Ecology' in Austria replied by showing how people of Nicobar Islands have lost their traditional way of life after the Tsunami due to the rapid influx of development aid. He said "these people lived simple and content lifestyles of very low economic activities; the development aid regime has now brought them the status of debt and have to engage more and more hours to earn. The social structure has been changed for ever. But, a young economics student at the Copenhagen University was more worried about the accountability of the funding sent from her country to the South. She wanted the South to abide by the programmes funded by the Western development agencies. When the members from the South explained that the funds from her government to their governments do not result in wellbeing of the people, the young economist reacted to the notion of happiness and said “if I made happiness as an indicator in my thesis, my professors will fail me in the exam”. She also questioned our expectations of COP15. “What emission reductions would make you happy?” she demanded. A young Hungarian economist from the 'Budapest University of Technology and Economics' Ms. Flora Ijjas returned her question by asking “why do you worry about the emission reductions? Do you think it is the most important thing to get the world into balance again?” So I asked Ms. Ijjas, “What is the most important thing for us to get the world in a good balance”. She said “taking care of yourself and your people and your place is more important than worrying about emission reductions or setting quotas. As an economist I believe that the responsibilities begin with the consumer, and we need to change our behaviour. Women’s nature has the sensitivity and the empathy that today’s arrogant world needs”. <br />
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Mr. Souleymanne Bassoum from Agrecol in Senegal was forthright in his reply and said, "development aid has made us hungrier. The more the aid, the more our people are trapped in debt. The simple possessions that made us happy are no longer in our own control. The system has complicated our lives. Money cannot bring our lost values back, and economic aid hasn't brought us happiness. In Senegal, we were homogenous society, which has come under strain because of the strains of modernity. We want to develop in our ways and not the way the western development aide agencies want". Contributing to the dialogue Dr. Arthur Lyon DAHL, from the International Environment Forum says that the growth based economic development model will need to end and that it will happen by the year 2050. He says, "Economic growth has failed to eliminate poverty and bring wellbeing to the poor people, and has also created more obstacles in achieving sustainability". <br />
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The right to development in a climate change agenda debate also brought in many perspectives from the business and industry reformers. Dr. Faiz H. Shah from 'Responsible Business Initiative' in Pakistan said "Equity is a human aspiration that has been translated into principles of faith and fundamental human rights. Climate sustainability can be addressed through equity. Equity is shaken when powerful business interests take advantage of powerless consumers. There is hope for climate sustainability if we can somehow make trade equitable". A more optimistic sustainable entrepreneur from Taiwan, Mr. Daniel Ku has been running around the world to find innovations and solutions for a greener world. He says “like a tree I can only spring from only the roots. The solutions are under your feet and on earth". He means that the answers to the world problems are within our own communities and their environments. <br />
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But, we are warned by the scientists and the bureaucrats that our destiny is merely within the limits of a liveable world and below 2°C temperature rise. The Failure of Copenhagen Climate Summit places humanity back at crossroads wandering if we still can manage to live in a world climate of 2°C plus temperature? Or does this now mean that we have lost our chance of reducing the damage and climate change may result in higher temperature rises. The IPCC's Nobel Prize winning 4th Assessment Report clearly tells us that anything over a 2°C rise would be dangerous for human habitation and that we my finally perish on earth as a species. According to WWF’s estimates, the contents of the Copenhagen Accord translates into “3°C Celsius of warming or more” and “millions of lives, hundreds of billions of dollars and a wealth of lost opportunities lie in the difference between rhetoric and reality on climate change action.” <br />
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Dr. Sylvia Karlsson-Vinkhuyzen, a Swedish scientist working in a Dutch University does not accept that humans will perish under the climate threat and says, "We as a species will live far beyond 2050. It is my conviction that we can rise above the climate challenges and emerge in better wellbeing as one species on earth". <br />
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The focus of our challenge on earth should not be diluted or diverted towards merely adapting to a liveable world. Even in a world with increased temperature, the future human generations should be able to find wellbeing and happiness. 'Adaptation' involves taking actions to minimise the effects of climate change; the need then is not to compromise on a liveable world but to take necessary action to create prosperity. The danger of the compromised approach suggests that we humans will suffer in a 2°C temperature rise. Humans have shown their resilience throughout history and should be able to make a warmer world into a happy planet." But, our first responsibility is not to start adapting to 2°C rise, but to work as hard and together to make is below 2°C as demanded by the Africans in the G77. For a human race sans the greed and disunity, this is a highly possible. But the truth on earth is that sustainability, peace, equity are just political words used for the benefit of maintaining the hypocritical system of global governance on earth. We are utterly lost in destiny and continue to allow the same people, processes, institutions and systems who guided us to this destitution to redesign our futures. If we allow this to happen, then we would be responsible for the sufferings of our children as well. Climate change has also provided the humans a historical opportunity to act as one species, and the act needs to be mindful this time. <br />
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Mr. Ali Rilwan, Director of BluePeace Maldives said; "less than a meter above sea level, our hope for climate sustainability is low. Even with effect of climate change felt, we still have the will survive. Our people, not governments bring us this hope. Information through the internet, facebook, twitter, and other new media is empowering us, and will help us rise above the tide. Climate change has no boundaries. If the world cannot save Maldives, then no one else will be saved as well." <br />
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With nearly eighteen years of climate negotiations, a Kyoto Protocol that spelt out some easy commitments for emission reductions, a Nobel prize winning IPCC Assessment Report, hundreds of thousands of people taking to the street to demonstrate against inaction, and even the USA President Barrack Obama wanting to move his country towards a more greener economy, the negotiators at the Copenhagen Climate Summit demonstrated the most primitive side of human animals. The circus was on public display and they will continue to elect their own head monkeys and chief clowns and entertain themselves, while mitigation obligations continue to become the scapegoat for lack of agreement to ensure humanity a chance on earth. <br />
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Discovering a way to survive in a liveable world cannot and should not be the aspiration and determination of humankind. That is a compromise that we, as a generation, are trying to make on the lives of all future generations. While enjoying the offerings on earth today, we are planning a world of lesser enjoyment for the future humans. If we are only negotiating for a liveable world for our children and their children, then we are demonstrating intrinsically our selfish nature as a generation and it is simply fighting to get the best share for ourselves. If we are not planning a better world for our children, then we are planning their unhappiness. Therefore, our responsibility should not be to compromise the lives of our children by consenting to a liveable world, but we should be demanding a better world for them. That is why it has to be climate sustainability! </span> <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>About the Author: </b>Uchita de Zoysa is the author of the hard hitting book ‘It has to be Climate Sustainability”. He has authored several international including the 'Asian Review on Sustainable Consumption', contributed to many books on the environment and sustainability, and has played a leading role in the formulation of global independent sector collective agreements such as the 'The NGO Alternative Treaties' and the “Oslo Declaration on Sustainable Consumption”. He is the Convener of the 'Climate Sustainability PLATFORM', Chairman of 'Global Sustainability Solutions', Executive Director of the 'Centre for Environment and Development', and is a member of the 'National Advisory Committee on Climate Change' in Sri Lanka. <br />
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</div><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Please send your comments to uchita@sltnet.lk) </span></span></i><br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-65830653389648629952009-12-25T07:30:00.000+05:302009-12-25T07:30:34.082+05:30MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbcURy9WyhrdEOr-pkS4bxFHttag9t2ykm799we4tHehzRCYyBJHPLZQbzQvhGFGBDUJdb5O7y6RnA6-nMpc7viED67XkHSY0a0W8SFtzXTMbdTotWGHb9o90pe_cXrHg8I8rR8krvhg/s1600-h/GREETING+CARD+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbcURy9WyhrdEOr-pkS4bxFHttag9t2ykm799we4tHehzRCYyBJHPLZQbzQvhGFGBDUJdb5O7y6RnA6-nMpc7viED67XkHSY0a0W8SFtzXTMbdTotWGHb9o90pe_cXrHg8I8rR8krvhg/s400/GREETING+CARD+2010.jpg" /></a><br />
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<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-90201319271173133122009-12-24T10:08:00.006+05:302010-01-04T09:37:47.104+05:30PLATFORM member Gail Karlsson from US CitNet Reports<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-4-d71wFwfiDwbuOTP8ES2F0rc3aWh8_sxOe_zipbd8fWOAAx2kpV3ZPgioB_eGGKGBNd5KSPEU05xNtmZ98F9s-j6s8ia5FX1Ji2STz2yBfrQX9DssRZc1SACjrY5gY_Pc54sHZyvI/s1600-h/Citnet+Copenhagen+Gail-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-4-d71wFwfiDwbuOTP8ES2F0rc3aWh8_sxOe_zipbd8fWOAAx2kpV3ZPgioB_eGGKGBNd5KSPEU05xNtmZ98F9s-j6s8ia5FX1Ji2STz2yBfrQX9DssRZc1SACjrY5gY_Pc54sHZyvI/s200/Citnet+Copenhagen+Gail-1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Glimmers of 'Hopenhagen'</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>by Gail Karlsson (US Citizens' Network for Sustainable Development)</b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">One of the most encouraging signs I saw in Copenhagen during the UN Climate Change Conference was on the shirt worn by the desk clerk at my hotel in Malmo, Sweden, across the Oresund bridge. It said ‘I am a citizen of Hopenhagen’. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> She was not among the over 40,000 registered conference participants, or one of the many young people who marched for climate justice. Nevertheless she is someone who wants the world’s leaders to take action for a sustainable future. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Most likely she, like many others, was confused by the complexity of international negotiations and disappointed that no legally binding commitments were made for future greenhouse gas emission reductions. But this is not the end of the climate negotiation process and there is still plenty of time for hope, and for action. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The ‘Hopenhagen’ shirts were part of an International Advertising Association campaign to support the UN climate negotiations by creating a grassroots movement powerful enough to influence change. <a href="http://www.hopenhagen.org/">www.hopenhagen.org</a> The message is that we can all begin reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions and working together on climate change solutions, no matter how small our contributions may seem. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Since I was at the UN conference as a citizen of the United States, not Hopenhagen, I was a bit nervous about being held accountable for my country’s lack of action to prevent climate change. In fact, I was questioned about why Americans don’t seem to care about the impacts of their cars, oil and coal consumption on poor countries like Bangladesh and low-lying islands like the Maldives, places that are already losing land and homes due to rising sea levels. However, I was pleased to be able to report that New York City already has its own emission reduction plans and targets, and that other Americans like Bill McKibben have been busy mobilizing people to press for global CO2 limits of 350 parts per million. <a href="http://www.350.org/">www.350.org</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> I was also grateful to have a President who came to Copenhagen and engaged in the negotiations, saying that he recognizes that “climate change poses a grave and growing danger” and that “we must bridge old divides and build new partnerships to meet this great challenge of our time.” <a href="http://www.facebook.com/usdos.cop15">www.facebook.com/usdos.cop15</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> People from many countries were discouraged that President Obama did not promise more, especially in terms of binding emission reduction targets. But he cannot promise more without the support of more Americans, and more US Senators. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> “Most importantly, we remain committed to comprehensive legislation that will create millions of new American jobs, power new industry, and enhance our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil. That effort at home serves as a foundation for our leadership around the world....The time has come for us to get off the sidelines and to shape the future that we seek.” <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/12/18/a-meaningful-and-unprecedented-breakthrough-here-copenhagen">http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/12/18/a-meaningful-and-unprecedented-breakthrough-here-copenhagen</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> In his report to the UN General Assembly, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that 130 national leaders came to the conference, and that “the Copenhagen Accord marks a significant step towards the first truly global agreement that can limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support adaptation for the most vulnerable, and help to establish a new era of environmentally sustainable growth.” <a href="http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sgsm12684.doc.htm">http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sgsm12684.doc.htm</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The elements of the Copenhagen Accord include:</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> 1. An agreement to work towards a common, long-term goal to limit global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius and to review the adequacy this commitment in 2015 to take account of new scientific evidence (possibly reducing it to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as proposed by the vulnerable island states and poor countries already experiencing adverse consequences of climate change).</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> 2. Commitments by developed countries to establish and implement targets for greenhouse gas emissions, and by major emerging economies (such as China, India, and Brazil) to implement nationally appropriate mitigation actions and communicate their efforts every two years.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> 3. Recognition of the importance of acting to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> 4. Pledges of $30 billion a year between 2010 and 2012 (and a goal of mobilizing $100 billion a year by 2020) to be disbursed primarily through a new Copenhagen Green Climate Fund, for mitigation and adaptation activities to assist the most vulnerable people in developing countries.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">Secretary-General Ban urged all governments to formally sign on to the Copenhagen Accord (officially it was just "noted" at the end of the Copenhagen conference), and then to work towards converting those commitments into a legally binding climate change treaty as soon as possible in 2010. He also urged countries to increase their emission reduction commitments, since the current ones do not meet the minimum needed to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> “I am aware that the outcomes of the Copenhagen Conference, including the Copenhagen Accord, did not go as far as some had hoped. Nonetheless, they represent a beginning -- an essential beginning. It will take more than this to definitively tackle climate change. But it is an important step in the right direction.” He also promised to work on streamlining the UN negotiation process going forward. <a href="http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sgsm12684.doc.htm">http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sgsm12684.doc.htm</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> For me, though, it was California Governor Schwarzenegger, speaking at the parallel Climate Summit for Mayors in Copenhagen, who best expressed what I would call the ‘Hopenhagen Challenge.’ </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> “We cannot wait for national governments to fight climate change on their own, because then we would have to have wait for a long time. I also believe it is wrong to think of this as a top-down decision, so the only way we can be successful is by cooperating. All good things start on a grassroots level, so hopefully this meeting in Copenhagen will inspire citizens, mayors and state leaders, and help turn the fight against climate change into a hip movement.” <a href="http://www.climatesummitformayors.dk/">http://www.climatesummitformayors.dk</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> With or without a legally binding international agreement, it is clear that state and local actions, combined with a variety of personal decisions and private sector innovations, will all inevitably be needed to cut our emissions, create green jobs and businesses, and build sustainable communities. Of course, all that is easier with the right national government policies in place, as the Danes were eager to demonstrate in their country's presentations and exhibitions, including high taxes on cars and fossil fuels, and major public investments in mass transit and renewable energy. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Meanwhile, we do not need to wait for the UN to organize another conference before taking our own steps to become more responsible citizens of Hopenhagen. The most important steps are to help build a constituency for sustainable development, starting with our own homes and communities and local governments, and to work politically towards counterbalancing the influence of oil and coal companies in Congress. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>(from http://www.citnet.org/Glimmers+%E2%80%98Hopenhagen%E2%80%99) </i></span></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-42895100664509702682009-12-20T16:31:00.003+05:302009-12-21T17:28:11.581+05:30EDITORIAL: Copenhagen Accord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6s_f4qtzq1Bcc9bkkOrM3mcx01YhYS1kQDa5dz2qBXB7YdgpoTsgUQERqqz_PrZ2pl89Lzd-YPvDkbym0njjQG4mSr3tJtPVtnzUIkenc8n50NCDRWuEERQ3mUJusEI55AUpIkQ374M/s1600-h/deal_cop15_20091218-205101-6_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6s_f4qtzq1Bcc9bkkOrM3mcx01YhYS1kQDa5dz2qBXB7YdgpoTsgUQERqqz_PrZ2pl89Lzd-YPvDkbym0njjQG4mSr3tJtPVtnzUIkenc8n50NCDRWuEERQ3mUJusEI55AUpIkQ374M/s400/deal_cop15_20091218-205101-6_web.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">COPENHAGEN ACCORD:</span> </b></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>A BIG CLIMATE SCAM </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>By Uchita de Zoysa (Author of "It has to be CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY) </b><br />
</span><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> I simply have to say …. I warned and I said this would be the outcome. Copenhagen Failed! Do not let a political scam "Copenhagen Accord' fool you. It is just another self-saving swindle by the establishment. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Just one man made some sense in a failing climate summit, and that was USA President Barack Obama. While the negotiators were playing "Age of the Stupid", Obama worked his usual charismatic charm and usual sharp mind to make common sense look genius. Walking into the newly power hungry BASIC – Brazil, South Africa, India and China – this one smart man saved the negotiating clowns of the COP15 circus an ultimate embarrassment. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Perhaps four other wise men too should be credited to helping the scam. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and South African President Jacob Zuma were the main chefs who cooked-up the situation for the accord to evolve. By turning on the heat on the Western leaders, these emerging giants ensured that Obama responds and steal the lime light that he loves. The Europeans looked more foolish than ever and could only say – how a wonderful! The Danish Presidency of COP15 simply avoided the greatest embarrassment of the history of his nation, and the United Nations only could hide behind its own shame. "Many will say that it lacks ambition, "Nonetheless, you have achieved much." UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said. Well the draft was said be prepared at the meeting and finalised with heads of 25 other countries, plus European Union (EU) and the secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). So much for transparency, inclusiveness, collective will of 194 parties? 171 countries dumped! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Well, this act did not require 20,000 plus people to come to Copenhagen and 194 countries to be represented. The five country leaders and another twenty others mainly from Europe could have met in a private ranch during the weekend to make this deal. This was what the G77 President from Sudan may have meant by saying 'the worst development in the fight against climate change'. Lumumba Di-Aping, Sudan's ambassador to the UN said "the draft accord was 'in gross violation of the principles of transparency and participation by all countries that have governed all actions within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is against the poor and it lacks common sense." Dia-ping, who chairs a bloc of 130 poor nations, said the pact meant "incineration" for Africa and was comparable to the Holocaust. Asked if the G77 would oppose the draft at the UNFCCC conference plenary session due to start any moment? 'Wait and see,' Di-Aping said. Pressed further, he said: 'Sudan will oppose.' </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> It was clear in Copenhagen that India and China now together with Brazil and South Africa had very conveniently abandoned the most important developing country block G77 in search of excellence. They now feel that they are in the big league. Why not, China has beaten USA in the emissions race and India are not too far following. What can the balance of the 130 poor nations offer them that USA, Europeans and Australia cannot offer in a new world balance? In fact world of opportunities. Well, definitely Sudan has no such attraction.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Di-Arping was not alone in condemning this global climate scam. "It looks like we are being offered 30 pieces of silver to betray our people and our future," said Ian Fry of Tuvalu, a tiny Pacific island whose very existence is threatened by rising seas. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Now are we back to the dreaded voluntary commitments by the polluting nations? Obama was smartly ready for critism of the 5 + 20 nation deal. "The actions that we are going to set, we know that they will not by themselves be sufficient to get to where we need to get by 2050, and that's why this is going to be a first step." Obama said. "Going forward, we are going to have to build on the momentum we have achieved here in Copenhagen. We have come a long way but we have much further to go," he added. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The accord drops the expected goal of setting a deadline to achieve a true international treaty by the end of 2010; the details of such a treaty will most likely require months or years of further negotiation. That is when German Chancellor Angela Merkel comes into the rescue; she has offered to host the next climate summit in mid-2010. She viewed the result "with mixed emotions" but added that "the only alternative to the agreement would have been a failure." Now that is some political honesty. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Another climate summit in a few months? Why not just stay in Copenhagen for a few more months and negotiate? Believe me when I say, climate change talk shops are here to stay for some time till the establishment finds another better topic to sell to the world. Till then, they will have to burn a load fuel and spend millions of dollars to keep themselves and some of us entertained; and at the cost of the destiny of humans on earth. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Time is for us to take our own destiny into our own hands and tell the worlds leaders what we want and how we want it. That is why the Climate Sustainability PLATFORM has called for a binding agreement on Climate Sustainability. The call for climate sustainability is; </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">Climate and Sustainability need to be addressed together, not decoupled. Therefore, the world needs a binding international agreement on 'Climate Sustainability'. An agreement on Climate Sustainability will be decisive in coming together as one world to reverse decades of irresponsible consumption, production, and trade patterns and to build an equitable, fair, and just world. Climate sustainability must be the shared vision of the UNFCCC because it is the aspiration of the people. Climate Sustainability addresses pressing issues of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation through relevant strategies for mitigation, adaptation, finance, and technology sharing. Governments must demonstrate political will and vision by signing a binding 'Climate Sustainability Agreement' enforced through strong compliance mechanisms. Only this will empower people to live in harmony with all species in a healthy planet that ensures wellbeing and happiness to all. </span><br />
</div></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Pl send your comments to uchita@sltnet.lk) </i></span></span><br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-19794440296433623172009-12-19T18:28:00.003+05:302009-12-21T17:28:48.615+05:30<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDoX0mGg8iq8LKOtr3b7CRVSV48UxJpMz-C9PzHBSBK07f6rij7WkgUZRol7bosA5_GQUNlkQhfr25DqqbAH4VtLC6OfvbFehbhaL9SFNGQd9CTD7FFpkf53BNfW25-H8MC4QOFY1aPY/s1600-h/accord+pic1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDoX0mGg8iq8LKOtr3b7CRVSV48UxJpMz-C9PzHBSBK07f6rij7WkgUZRol7bosA5_GQUNlkQhfr25DqqbAH4VtLC6OfvbFehbhaL9SFNGQd9CTD7FFpkf53BNfW25-H8MC4QOFY1aPY/s400/accord+pic1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: small;">Fifteenth session<br />
Copenhagen, 7–18 December 2009<br />
Agenda item 9<br />
High-level segment</span><b><span style="font-size: small;"> <br />
</span></b><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Draft decision -/CP.15</span><br />
Proposal by the President<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Copenhagen Accord</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers, and other heads of delegation present at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen,<br />
</span> </span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>In pursuit</i> of the ultimate objective of the Convention as stated in its Article 2,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Being guided</i> by the principles and provisions of the Convention, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Noting</i> the results of work done by the two Ad hoc Working Groups, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Endorsing</i> decision x/CP.15 on the Ad hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action and decision x/CMP.5 that requests the Ad hoc Working Group on Further Commitments of Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol to continue its work,<br />
<i>Have agreed </i>on this Copenhagen Accord which is operational immediately.</span><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1. We underline that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. We emphasise our strong political will to urgently combat climate change in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. To achieve the ultimate objective of the Convention to stabilize greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, we shall, recognizing the scientific view that the increase in global temperature should be below 2 degrees Celsius, on the basis of<br />
equity and in the context of sustainable development, enhance our long-term cooperative action to<br />
combat climate change. We recognize the critical impacts of climate change and the potential impacts of response measures on countries particularly vulnerable to its adverse effects and stress the need to<br />
establish a comprehensive adaptation programme including international support. <br />
<br />
2. We agree that deep cuts in global emissions are required according to science, and as<br />
documented by the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report with a view to reduce global emissions so as to hold the increase in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius, and take action to meet this objective<br />
consistent with science and on the basis of equity. We should cooperate in achieving the peaking of<br />
global and national emissions as soon as possible, recognizing that the time frame for peaking will be<br />
longer in developing countries and bearing in mind that social and economic development and poverty<br />
eradication are the first and overriding priorities of developing countries and that a low-emission<br />
development strategy is indispensable to sustainable development.<br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3. Adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change and the potential impacts of response<br />
measures is a challenge faced by all countries. Enhanced action and international cooperation on<br />
adaptation is urgently required to ensure the implementation of the Convention by enabling and<br />
supporting the implementation of adaptation actions aimed at reducing vulnerability and building<br />
resilience in developing countries, especially in those that are particularly vulnerable, especially least<br />
developed countries, small island developing States and Africa. We agree that developed countries shall provide adequate, predictable and sustainable financial resources, technology and capacity-building to support the implementation of adaptation action in developing countries.<br />
<br />
4. Annex I Parties commit to implement individually or jointly the quantified economywide emissions targets for 2020, to be submitted in the format given in Appendix I by Annex I Parties to the secretariat by 31 January 2010 for compilation in an INF document. Annex I Parties that are Party to the Kyoto Protocol will thereby further strengthen the emissions reductions initiated by the Kyoto Protocol. Delivery of reductions and financing by developed countries will be measured, reported and<br />
verified in accordance with existing and any further guidelines adopted by the Conference of the Parties, and will ensure that accounting of such targets and finance is rigorous, robust and transparent.<br />
<br />
5. Non-Annex I Parties to the Convention will implement mitigation actions, including those to be submitted to the secretariat by non-Annex I Parties in the format given in Appendix II by 31 January 2010, for compilation in an INF document, consistent with Article 4.1 and Article 4.7 and in the context of sustainable development. Least developed countries and small island developing States<br />
may undertake actions voluntarily and on the basis of support. Mitigation actions subsequently taken and envisaged by Non-Annex I Parties, including national inventory reports, shall be communicated through national communications consistent with Article 12.1(b) every two years on the basis of guidelines to be adopted by the Conference of the Parties. Those mitigation actions in national communications or otherwise communicated to the Secretariat will be added to the list in appendix II. Mitigation actions taken by Non-Annex I Parties will be subject to their domestic measurement, reporting and verification the result of which will be reported through their national communications every two years. Non-Annex I Parties will communicate information on the implementation of their actions through National Communications, with provisions for international consultations and analysis under clearly defined guidelines that will ensure that national sovereignty is respected. Nationally appropriate mitigation actions seeking international support will be recorded in a registry along with relevant technology, finance and capacity building support. Those actions supported will be added to the list in appendix II. These supported nationally appropriate mitigation actions will be subject to international measurement, reporting and verification in accordance with guidelines adopted by the Conference of the Parties.<br />
<br />
6. We recognize the crucial role of reducing emission from deforestation and forest<br />
degradation and the need to enhance removals of greenhouse gas emission by forests and agree on the need to provide positive incentives to such actions through the immediate establishment of a mechanism including REDD-plus, to enable the mobilization of financial resources from developed countries.<br />
<br />
7. We decide to pursue various approaches, including opportunities to use markets, to enhance the cost-effectiveness of, and to promote mitigation actions. Developing countries, especially those with low emitting economies should be provided incentives to continue to develop on a low<br />
emission pathway.<br />
<br />
8. Scaled up, new and additional, predictable and adequate funding as well as improved access shall be provided to developing countries, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention, to enable and support enhanced action on mitigation, including substantial finance to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD-plus), adaptation, technology development and transfer and capacity-building, for enhanced implementation of the Convention. The collective commitment by developed countries is to provide new and additional resources, including forestry and<br />
investments through international institutions, approaching USD 30 billion for the period 2010 - 2012<br />
with balanced allocation between adaptation and mitigation. Funding for adaptation will be prioritized<br />
for the most vulnerable developing countries, such as the least developed countries, small island<br />
developing States and Africa. In the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on<br />
implementation, developed countries commit to a goal of mobilizing jointly USD 100 billion dollars a<br />
year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries. This funding will come from a wide variety of sources, public and private, bilateral and multilateral, including alternative sources of finance. New<br />
multilateral funding for adaptation will be delivered through effective and efficient fund arrangements,<br />
with a governance structure providing for equal representation of developed and developing countries. A significant portion of such funding should flow through the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund.<br />
<br />
9. To this end, a High Level Panel will be established under the guidance of and accountable to the Conference of the Parties to study the contribution of the potential sources of revenue, including alternative sources of finance, towards meeting this goal.<br />
<br />
10. We decide that the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund shall be established as an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention to support projects, programme, policies and other activities in developing countries related to mitigation including REDD-plus, adaptation, capacity building, technology development and transfer.<br />
<br />
11. In order to enhance action on development and transfer of technology we decide to establish a Technology Mechanism to accelerate technology development and transfer in support of action on adaptation and mitigation that will be guided by a country-driven approach and be based on national circumstances and priorities.<br />
<br />
12. We call for an assessment of the implementation of this Accord to be completed by 2015, including in light of the Convention’s ultimate objective. This would include consideration of strengthening the long-term goal referencing various matters presented by the science, including in<br />
relation to temperature rises of 1.5 degrees Celsius.</span><br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-11166510531654790882009-12-19T10:49:00.006+05:302009-12-21T17:29:22.968+05:30PLATFORM member reporting from Copenhagen (18/12/2009)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtj27D2vOuYJmLl5crqdeBmIDhwULZ4jpsRlNyb4OT7EFM2INGiGnf4RQTIKsfKkbg20m5pJTlB-_O6Wdc19OyFZji2TuHHmkFvqhP1tjgOA6DsP3XR4heQVk9njtc02g3WOE5swv563Q/s1600-h/bruce2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtj27D2vOuYJmLl5crqdeBmIDhwULZ4jpsRlNyb4OT7EFM2INGiGnf4RQTIKsfKkbg20m5pJTlB-_O6Wdc19OyFZji2TuHHmkFvqhP1tjgOA6DsP3XR4heQVk9njtc02g3WOE5swv563Q/s200/bruce2.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Final Days of COP15 Copenhagen: </b></span><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I have seen signs of this thinking throughout my time in Copenhagen and increasingly it looks like the forum for these changes is local, not national <span style="font-size: small;">(</span></b></span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><b>By Bruce Davison - UK)</b></i><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'm writing this as the COP15 process is reaching it's conclusion. It's likely that by the time you're reading this many press conferences will have taken place and officials will have presented how, after tough bargaining and securing of national priorities, we're at a new point in global relations and the future of humanity is secure. Up to a point this is true; governments and especially heads of state have come together as never before and have put the climate at the heart of the international consciousness. However behind the rhetoric lie the same processes and power structures and values that have led us to this situation in the first place. The power structures are ultimately those that lie beyond the reach of individuals, communities and local actors, with decisions made by those already in possession of money and or power which ultimately betrays the people it seeks to represent. <br />
<br />
<br />
Before I arrived in Copenhagen, I had a genuine feeling that real and meaningful action would be agreed at COP15. I was aware that any legally binding process was off the table (at least within the two weeks of the summit) from the outset. I did however think that with all the eyes of the world on the conference, leaders would be able to work together to build a shared vision around the key themes of mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology. <br />
<br />
Sadly as the conference has progressed these hopes and expectations have been replaced by a feeding that the current UNFCCC process is undemocratic and lacks the legitimacy it claims in representing the peoples of the world. Why do I feel this? In the last week the UNFCCC, (in concert with the host organisers) has systematically sought to maintain the status quo at the expense of truly grasping the nettle and providing a clear and ambitious way forward. This has been done through some fairly blatant but still nonetheless distasteful exercises in brute power including: Sidelining parties (nations) with a legitimate role in the negotiations Excluding NGOs who have been present in these processes for the last 20 years and provide vital checks and balances and represent civil society <br />
Dividing negotiating blocks such as the LDCs through tactics such as presenting the possibility that current aid flows can be removed, Working with an aggressive police force to suppress public dissent including intimidation and arbitrary arrest Claiming, as new, money that had been promised to reaching the Millennium Development Goals and diverting it to mitigation projects often run by large businesses <br />
<br />
To cover all of these and the other tactics that have been deployed in the last few weeks is beyond the scope of this article. I'll leave that process of investigation to yourselves and let you draw your own conclusions. Instead I'd now like to focus on the positives that we can draw from Copenhagen. To do this I'd like to draw a parallel with another recent global political precedent. As George W Bush's time in office developed it became obvious to the rest of the world (and I presume the majority of Americans) that America under Bush was not something the world could rely upon to solve our problems. As a consequence, new networks, grassroots movements, multinational bodies developed with an appetite for something different. My hope and belief is that as these negotiations have progressed, the inadequacy of the UNFCCC as a process that can deal with the threat of climate change will force us all to plan and start acting to develop a new approach. <br />
<br />
I have seen signs of this thinking throughout my time in Copenhagen and increasingly it looks like the forum for these changes is local, not national. People's movements, cities/local governments and businesses are demonstrating the agility and energy needed to redefine our approach to tackling climate change and creating a sustainable future for us all. </span><br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-43578135921928221972009-12-18T19:06:00.001+05:302009-12-18T19:10:13.849+05:30the advanced text of Obama’s speech at the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen (via the New York Times - 18/12/2009):<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">In my final article for COP15, this morning I requested to hear from USA President Barrack Obama. He has spoken at the Bella Centre and as I expected provides us the humor to get to 2012 - and as always some hope.</span></i></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Uchita de Zoysa (Convener - Climate Sustainability PLATFORM)</span></i></span><br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>OBAMA SPEAKS! COP15 LISTENS! </b></span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">SOME HOPE PROVIDED FOR THE NEXT TALKS!</span> ACTION REMAINS TO BE SEEN! </b></span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and PEOPLE WANDER "What awaits our destiny?" </b></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Good morning. It’s an honor to for me to join this distinguished group of leaders from nations around the world. We come together here in Copenhagen because climate change poses a grave and growing danger to our people. You would not be here unless you – like me – were convinced that this danger is real. This is not fiction, this is science. Unchecked, climate change will pose unacceptable risks to our security, our economies, and our planet. That much we know. <br />
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So the question before us is no longer the nature of the challenge – the question is our capacity to meet it. For while the reality of climate change is not in doubt, our ability to take collective action hangs in the balance. <br />
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I believe that we can act boldly, and decisively, in the face of this common threat. And that is why I have come here today. <br />
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As the world’s largest economy and the world’s second largest emitter, America bears our share of responsibility in addressing climate change, and we intend to meet that responsibility. That is why we have renewed our leadership within international climate negotiations, and worked with other nations to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. And that is why we have taken bold action at home – by making historic investments in renewable energy; by putting our people to work increasing efficiency in our homes and buildings; and by pursuing comprehensive legislation to transform to a clean energy economy. <br />
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These actions are ambitious, and we are taking them not simply to meet our global responsibilities. We are convinced that changing the way that we produce and use energy is essential to America’s economic future – that it will create millions of new jobs, power new industry, keep us competitive, and spark new innovation. And we are convinced that changing the way we use energy is essential to America’s national security, because it will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and help us deal with some of the dangers posed by climate change. <br />
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So America is going to continue on this course of action no matter what happens in Copenhagen. But we will all be stronger and safer and more secure if we act together. That is why it is in our mutual interest to achieve a global accord in which we agree to take certain steps, and to hold each other accountable for our commitments. <br />
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After months of talk, and two weeks of negotiations, I believe that the pieces of that accord are now clear. <br />
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First, all major economies must put forward decisive national actions that will reduce their emissions, and begin to turn the corner on climate change. I’m pleased that many of us have already done so, and I’m confident that America will fulfill the commitments that we have made: cutting our emissions in the range of 17 percent by 2020, and by more than 80 percent by 2050 in line with final legislation. <br />
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Second, we must have a mechanism to review whether we are keeping our commitments, and to exchange this information in a transparent manner. These measures need not be intrusive, or infringe upon sovereignty. They must, however, ensure that an accord is credible, and that we are living up to our obligations. For without such accountability, any agreement would be empty words on a page. <br />
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Third, we must have financing that helps developing countries adapt, particularly the least-developed and most vulnerable to climate change. America will be a part of fast-start funding that will ramp up to $10 billion in 2012. And, yesterday, Secretary Clinton made it clear that we will engage in a global effort to mobilize $100 billion in financing by 2020, if – and only if – it is part of the broader accord that I have just described. <br />
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Mitigation. Transparency. And financing. It is a clear formula – one that embraces the principle of common but differentiated responses and respective capabilities. And it adds up to a significant accord – one that takes us farther than we have ever gone before as an international community. <br />
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The question is whether we will move forward together, or split apart. This is not a perfect agreement, and no country would get everything that it wants. There are those developing countries that want aid with no strings attached, and who think that the most advanced nations should pay a higher price. And there are those advanced nations who think that developing countries cannot absorb this assistance, or that the world’s fastest-growing emitters should bear a greater share of the burden. <br />
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We know the fault lines because we’ve been imprisoned by them for years. But here is the bottom line: we can embrace this accord, take a substantial step forward, and continue to refine it and build upon its foundation. We can do that, and everyone who is in this room will be a part of an historic endeavor – one that makes life better for our children and grandchildren. <br />
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Or we can again choose delay, falling back into the same divisions that have stood in the way of action for years. And we will be back having the same stale arguments month after month, year after year – all while the danger of climate change grows until it is irreversible. <br />
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There is no time to waste. America has made our choice. We have charted our course, we have made our commitments, and we will do what we say. Now, I believe that it’s time for the nations and people of the world to come together behind a common purpose. <br />
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We must choose action over inaction; the future over the past – with courage and faith, let us meet our responsibility to our people, and to the future of our planet. Thank you."<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(reproduced from http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/president-obamas-climate-speech/) </span></i><br />
</div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-35922075034118765122009-12-18T07:37:00.001+05:302009-12-21T17:30:12.722+05:30for OUTREACH at COP15 (18th December 2009)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTvcIZ3o7JJ6n6JxnKi_ohzlRQfx1LRW1JCCl2VHV5EAZA_h6ln1V4_A5gwmdXar_939I3GOXePwUGO8PPkSrBrIvAy3OiPAYhKtvoXG0RV27q8b8O2SBExIBn0jv0KXrDgyF88-IK5s/s1600-h/photo+for+18th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTvcIZ3o7JJ6n6JxnKi_ohzlRQfx1LRW1JCCl2VHV5EAZA_h6ln1V4_A5gwmdXar_939I3GOXePwUGO8PPkSrBrIvAy3OiPAYhKtvoXG0RV27q8b8O2SBExIBn0jv0KXrDgyF88-IK5s/s400/photo+for+18th.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Earth is on fire! But Copenhagen has been too cold for leaders to act! </b></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stop playing climate games with our lives! </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>It has to be CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY! </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>by Uchita de Zoysa (Convener - Climate Sustainability PLATFORM) </b></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">It is the last day officially at the COP15 and the climate games are not yet over. While the earth continues to warm-up, the rich country negotiators and their leaders are playing road side soccer with our lives. They have chosen their own sides and intend to beat the smaller and poor country teams by hook or crook. Coming to cold Copenhagen, we at least expected this game to be played in front of a world audience, and hoped that the leaders from G77 and China together with USA, EU and UN will be playing real ball. Well, once again it is not just one game, but a whole heap of games are played by the different teams in a closed stadium at the Bella Centre; and they have also closed down the gates on the spectators. Beware! They are playing games with our lives! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Failing to agree on a new political deal on cutting emissions and providing finance for poor countries in the fight against global warming, British Prime Minster Gordon Brown had admitted earlier this week that getting a deal was "an uphill struggle". UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon had said, "I have been urging both developed and <a href="http://topics.forbes.com/developing%20countries">developing countries</a> that they should all come on board. I think that they can and must do more, in terms of mitigation (curbing emissions), in terms of financial support packages. Financial support for developing countries is one of the keys in getting this deal agreed in Copenhagen". But John Ashe of Antigua, chairman of one negotiating group, reported to the full 193-nation conference on Wednesday morning saying, "I regret to report we have been unable to reach agreement". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Once again it is the USA who is finding ways to block an agreement that binds them to commit to emission cuts. The American delegation apparently had objected to a proposed text it felt might bind the United States prematurely to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, before the US Congress acts on the required legislation. So where is USA President Barrack Obama? Please tell us where you stand, with or without your legislature, as you had done since taking office. At least that will provide us some humour to get to 2012. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> We now do not care much of what the Copenhagen outcome is going to be, because we have not only lost confidence, but lost trust on the global climate leadership. Our demand from the Climate Sustainability PLATFORM is clear; "Climate and Sustainability need to be addressed together, not decoupled. Therefore, the world needs a binding international agreement on 'Climate Sustainability'. An agreement on Climate Sustainability will be decisive in coming together as one world to reverse decades of irresponsible consumption, production, and trade patterns and to build an equitable, fair, and just world. Climate sustainability must be the shared vision of the UNFCCC because it is the aspiration of the people." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Former Secretary General of the UN-WSSD Mr. Nitin Desai last week joined the call from the PLATFORM when he said an 'International Agreement on Sustainable Consumption and Production' by 2012 is what we need. The outcome of COP15 is now becoming insignificant. Any rushed agreement will not be enough to create a better world for all the children to enjoy happier lives in 2050 and beyond. Copenhagen also is not the end of the line for us on earth. Therefore, we plan to deliberate on our own destinies. Launching my book a week ago in Copenhagen I said, and in conclusion of this series of articles at COP15 I state; "It has to be CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY" </span><br />
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(send comments to uchita@sltnet.lk) <br />
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<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623443783343277650.post-49543652705733257582009-12-17T22:35:00.003+05:302009-12-21T17:30:52.369+05:30from OUTREACH from COP15 (17th December 2009)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyY9UOqhK5isT3A6V2rYUu3tWQAea9uxi968UrqTMAZd83VBCUN1eOpmLsw9nWMXayG_P-Jg49PBs3EK4DRN0DvZ8rpHMvU6GwcNsbuHVkwac7iOOehb65ks1nERR_c_S2_kwqcGkQeI/s1600-h/globe+at+bella.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyY9UOqhK5isT3A6V2rYUu3tWQAea9uxi968UrqTMAZd83VBCUN1eOpmLsw9nWMXayG_P-Jg49PBs3EK4DRN0DvZ8rpHMvU6GwcNsbuHVkwac7iOOehb65ks1nERR_c_S2_kwqcGkQeI/s320/globe+at+bella.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Do not Seal a Deal in a Hurry! </b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just Plan Your Next Climate Negotiation Trip! </span></b><br />
<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As we intend to live on earth for longer than the negotiators expect! </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">by Uchita de Zoysa (Convener - Climate Sustainability PLATFORM) </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">With just two more days to go, I simply cannot support COP15 to seal any deal here in Copenhagen. From Bali to now, there has been no indication that the negotiators had shown any commitment towards a global agreement. Now that the national leaders are coming to Copenhagen, why should they rush into an agreement? Buying time is of course the name of the game for them, and the world is aware of this shameless act. But, we are not ready to accept a hurried deal from Copenhagen that can only ensure that some bureaucrats save their jobs. So, now that you have enjoyed the hospitality of another city, let me invite the negotiators to concentrate on planning their next climate negotiation trip and improve on their carbon footprint. While, the negotiators increase their emissions and talk about mitigation responsibilities, we the people will continue to plan our existence on earth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The PLATFORM met with the C-ROADS team that has developed a climate policy simulator which enables the users to rapidly evaluate the impact of national GHG emissions reduction policies through 2100. Dr. Elizabeth Sawin for the C-ROADS team said, "We are providing close to real-time analysis of proposals within the negotiations. Friday (11th) the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action released a draft text that included emissions reduction targets. As we began to understand that the press and others were unsure of the implications of the draft text we decided it would be useful to offer C-ROADS analysis on the text. Here's the summary, "Mitigation Gap: National Emissions Reductions Proposals Currently Fall Short of the Targets Defined in Draft Text from the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action". Dr. Sawin further stated; "significant differences remain between the aggregate emissions reductions from current national proposals and the mitigation targets released yesterday in a draft text at the UNFCCC climate talks in Copenhagen. Achieving the potential declared in the draft texts will require sufficient commitment to financing, technology transfer, monitoring, verification, and accountability to allow nations to commit to and achieve higher reduction targets than they have currently put on the table." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> While appreciating the fact that the model may help US and other Western Negotiators to play their numbers game, I have asked the C-ROADS team how their simulation can help us from the southern countries to ascertain poverty reduction, wellbeing increase, and other equity criteria while reducing national GHG emissions. The team has agreed to improve on the model to include such elements which are more pressing issues of over half of humanity on earth now in poverty. As Ms. Florence Charamba Christensen from Zimbabwe told us at a PLATFORM Dialogue, "as basic needs have yet to be met in developing nations, and the fact that there is a huge inequality in consumption, I believe climate sustainability with a humanitarian approach is the key. Therefore, I would like to witness a solution where climate sustainability can be addressed through equity." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> With fifteen years of negotiations, a Kyoto Protocol that spelt out some easy commitments for emission reductions, a Nobel prize winning IPCC Assessment Report, hundreds of thousands of people taking to the street to demonstrate against inaction, and even USA President Barrack Obama wanting to move his country towards a more greener economy, the negotiators at COP15 are demonstrating the most primitive side of human animals. Now that the organisers of COP15 have blocked most of civil society to enter the Bella Centre, they may as well have the entire place turned into the circus they are so much capable of. They can now continue to elect their own head monkeys and chief clowns and entertain themselves, while mitigation obligations continue to become the scapegoat for lack of agreement to ensure humanity a chance on earth. </span><br />
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(send comments to uchita@sltnet.lk) </span><br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Climate Sustainability PLATFORMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05974166951125973771noreply@blogger.com0