2nd Leaked G8 Climate Declaration Draft going Backwards (download here)
Climate Action Now! | 17.06.2005 13:06 | G8 2005 | Ecology | Globalisation | Technology | World
Following the leaking of an initial G8 climate position paper (see 
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/05/311859.html) another later set climate documents have been leaked. It seems that after pressure from the US the already poor plan for action is being watered down still further.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/05/311859.html) another later set climate documents have been leaked. It seems that after pressure from the US the already poor plan for action is being watered down still further.
Our world is warming… erm… [maybe]
That’s the clear, visionary message from the ‘leaders’ of the world:
In draft international document land those square brackets mean something is still uncertain, disputed, and open for debate. The first leaked draft was bad enough, with no timetables or targets for emissions cuts. Now we see the reality of Blair’s ‘leadership’ on climate change: no targets, no timeframes, “zero carbon nuclear,” clean coal, and he hasn’t even managed to secure a recognition that our world is warming. It seems we have a problem.
Download PDFs:
Leaked Draft Communique
http://www.channel4.com/news/media/2005/06/week_3/climatechange1.pdf
http://carroll.org.uk/files/climatechange1.pdf
Leaked Draft Plan of Action
http://www.channel4.com/news/media/2005/06/week_3/climatechange2.pdf
http://carroll.org.uk/files/climatechange2.pdf
Friends of the Earth campaigner Catherine Pearce said that the negotiations on climate change "seem to be going backwards."
Ms Pearce said: "Every reference to the urgency of action or the need for real cuts in emissions has been deleted or challenged. Nothing in this text recognises the scale or urgency of the crisis of climate change.
"If they can't do better than this, the outcome of G8 summit will be worse that hot air: it will be a backward step in international climate change policy, simply adding to climate injustice."
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FOE Release:
G8 Summit: Anger At New Leaked Document
Jun 16 2005
PLANS TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE "GOING BACKWARDS"
Friends of the Earth today reacted with anger at the content of a fresh leak of the draft communique on climate change for next month's G8 Summit which has deleted proposals to fund research and worryingly even calls into question scientists' warnings that global climate change is already under way.
The document entitled 'Gleneagles Plan of Action', dated 14 June, has been watered down from a previous draft which itself had no specific targets or timetables for action. The latest draft also backs the use of so-called "zero-carbon" nuclear power.
Friends of the Earth International's climate campaigner Catherine Pearce said:
"This draft shows no progress is being made on taking action to tackle climate change - despite the high profile efforts of the UK Prime Minister. Indeed negotiations seem to be going backwards. If the leaders of the world's richest nations cannot agree to tackle the greatest threat facing the planet, what kind of leadership are they showing to the rest of the world?
"Every reference to the urgency of action or the need for real cuts in emissions has been deleted or challenged. Nothing in this text recognises the scale or urgency of the crisis of climate change. If they can't do better than this, the outcome of G8 summit will be worse that hot air: it will be a backward step in international climate change policy, simply adding to climate injustice."
Friends of the Earth Scotland's Chief Executive Duncan McLaren, said:
"Any suggestion that G8's visit to Scotland would produce anything meaningful on tackling climate change is rapidly evaporating. The first draft of this document was bad, this update is even worse. G8 countries represent just 13 per cent of the world's population, but account for 45 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. A climate plan of action, by the world's richest nations that does not include targets, timetables and extra funding is of no use to future climate victims."
Friends of the Earth's demands for the G8 include:
* Agreement on the compelling scientific evidence showing that climate change is already happening and that urgent action is now required to substantially reduce emissions.
* An agreement by G8 nations for specific, substantial and timetabled cuts in their domestic emissions of greenhouse gases.
* Nations must take radical action at home in order to reduce the impacts of climate change, including a change in consumption patterns and a meaningful switch to the use of renewable sustainable energy sources.
* G8 nations must stop promoting fossil fuel extraction in developing nations through international financial institutions such as the World Bank and export credit agencies.
* G8 governments should immediately phase-in public finance for sustainable clean energy.
That’s the clear, visionary message from the ‘leaders’ of the world:
In draft international document land those square brackets mean something is still uncertain, disputed, and open for debate. The first leaked draft was bad enough, with no timetables or targets for emissions cuts. Now we see the reality of Blair’s ‘leadership’ on climate change: no targets, no timeframes, “zero carbon nuclear,” clean coal, and he hasn’t even managed to secure a recognition that our world is warming. It seems we have a problem.
Download PDFs:
Leaked Draft Communique
http://www.channel4.com/news/media/2005/06/week_3/climatechange1.pdf http://carroll.org.uk/files/climatechange1.pdf Leaked Draft Plan of Action
http://www.channel4.com/news/media/2005/06/week_3/climatechange2.pdf http://carroll.org.uk/files/climatechange2.pdf Friends of the Earth campaigner Catherine Pearce said that the negotiations on climate change "seem to be going backwards."
Ms Pearce said: "Every reference to the urgency of action or the need for real cuts in emissions has been deleted or challenged. Nothing in this text recognises the scale or urgency of the crisis of climate change.
"If they can't do better than this, the outcome of G8 summit will be worse that hot air: it will be a backward step in international climate change policy, simply adding to climate injustice."
--------
FOE Release:
G8 Summit: Anger At New Leaked Document
Jun 16 2005
PLANS TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE "GOING BACKWARDS"
Friends of the Earth today reacted with anger at the content of a fresh leak of the draft communique on climate change for next month's G8 Summit which has deleted proposals to fund research and worryingly even calls into question scientists' warnings that global climate change is already under way.
The document entitled 'Gleneagles Plan of Action', dated 14 June, has been watered down from a previous draft which itself had no specific targets or timetables for action. The latest draft also backs the use of so-called "zero-carbon" nuclear power.
Friends of the Earth International's climate campaigner Catherine Pearce said:
"This draft shows no progress is being made on taking action to tackle climate change - despite the high profile efforts of the UK Prime Minister. Indeed negotiations seem to be going backwards. If the leaders of the world's richest nations cannot agree to tackle the greatest threat facing the planet, what kind of leadership are they showing to the rest of the world?
"Every reference to the urgency of action or the need for real cuts in emissions has been deleted or challenged. Nothing in this text recognises the scale or urgency of the crisis of climate change. If they can't do better than this, the outcome of G8 summit will be worse that hot air: it will be a backward step in international climate change policy, simply adding to climate injustice."
Friends of the Earth Scotland's Chief Executive Duncan McLaren, said:
"Any suggestion that G8's visit to Scotland would produce anything meaningful on tackling climate change is rapidly evaporating. The first draft of this document was bad, this update is even worse. G8 countries represent just 13 per cent of the world's population, but account for 45 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. A climate plan of action, by the world's richest nations that does not include targets, timetables and extra funding is of no use to future climate victims."
Friends of the Earth's demands for the G8 include:
* Agreement on the compelling scientific evidence showing that climate change is already happening and that urgent action is now required to substantially reduce emissions.
* An agreement by G8 nations for specific, substantial and timetabled cuts in their domestic emissions of greenhouse gases.
* Nations must take radical action at home in order to reduce the impacts of climate change, including a change in consumption patterns and a meaningful switch to the use of renewable sustainable energy sources.
* G8 nations must stop promoting fossil fuel extraction in developing nations through international financial institutions such as the World Bank and export credit agencies.
* G8 governments should immediately phase-in public finance for sustainable clean energy.
Climate Action Now!
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17.06.2005 14:53
The key changes to the latest communiqué, which appear to undermine the very fabric of global environmental policy, include putting the following statements in square brackets, to show they are disputed:
"[Our world is warming]"
"[The problem is urgent]"
"[The increase is due in large part to human activity]"
"[The world's developed economies have a responsibility to show leadership]"
This draft differs significantly from an earlier draft leaked on May 2 - which was itself criticised for including no specific targets or timetables for action.
Environmentalists today claimed that the sweeping changes were made in order to ensure that the policy would be acceptable to the White House, which has refused to adopt the Kyoto Protocol.
They said that in its current form, the plan was worthless.
All references in the earlier draft to funding for research and development into new, clean technology and fuels have also been excised from the latest version.
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The Independent - Extract
Stephen Tindale, the executive director of Greenpeace and a former adviser to Tony Blair, said: "President Bush is an international menace. Blair says climate change is the gravest threat we face and but it seems his friend in the White House refuses even to admit the world is warming."
Activists were also alarmed by an endorsement of nuclear power that appears, though in brackets, in the revised document: "We also note the efforts of those participating G8 members as they continue to develop the next generation of cleaner, safer, nuclear energy systems."
Ms Pearce said: "Every reference to the urgency of action or the need for real cuts in emissions has been deleted or challenged. Nothing in this text recognises the scale or urgency of the crisis of climate change. If they can't do better than this, the outcome of G8 summit will be worse than hot air: it will be a backward step in international climate change policy, simply adding to climate injustice."
In the latest draft communiqué, new words and phrases have been inserted that appear to state generally accepted facts but appear only in square brackets. This included the sentence: "We are already seeing the impacts of climate change, for example in Africa, in small island developing states, the Arctic and other regions."
Elsewhere the phrase: "Inertia in the climate system means we cannot afford to postpone action if we are to manage the risk if major irreversible change" is only in square brackets.
The May text had a number of commitments for expenditure of unspecified amounts, which have disappeared from the new version. So have previous G8 commitments, for instance, to fund developing countries to "assess opportunities for bio-energy" and "a fund to enable developing countries to participate in relevant international research projects" are gone. Also deleted are previous monetary commitments to "the development of markets in sustainable energy" in poor countries and funding for "fully operational regional climate centres in Africa".
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