Climate Change Exchange

Climate Justice When?

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Sarah Spinney, Christian Aid's climate change campaigns manager, responds to the disappointing outcome in Copenhagen and asks you to help continue building the global movement for climate justice into 2010.

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Division and discord: talks run through the night

Obama had spoken, and according to Brown agreement had been sealed at the Copenhagen climate talks, with everyone's backing. But in the early hours of Saturday morning, a group of developing nations refused to accept the 'Copenhagen Accord' that Obama had announced to the media just hours before.
 
These countries categorically rejected the proposed agreement and the process that lead to it. Tuvalu said that it had first heard of the Accord on television. 'Negotiation by media may be the norm in some countries; other countries have greater respect for democracy,' said its chief negotiator, Ian Fry.
 
Other countries that vociferously opposed to the proposal included Bolivia, Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuala and Costa Rica  - all of them deeply affected by climate change. The proposed text, they clearly stated, would not deliver adequate emissions cuts or even try to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees.
 
For Tuvalu, such a low level of ambition represented its own end. Nicaragua called for a suspension of the talks, bringing matters to a standstill until a number of changes could be agreed to the text.
 
Since countries have been debating back and forth about whether the Accords should be adopted or not. Most countries speaking clearly felt that the paper was not a good result, but was the best that could be achieved and should be adopted.

Most negotiators speaking are clearly exhausted and frustrated. Some have worked for more than 48 hours straight.

Copenhagen declaration 'inadequate and empty'

Christian Aid reacted with anger and sorrow to the 'Copenhagen Accords' announced by the US at the Copenhagen climate talks.

'Already 300,000 people die every year because of climate change,' said senior climate change advocacy officer Nelson Muffuh. 'This deal, struck by a select group of countries risks seriously undermining the agreed UN structures to tackle climate change, and that means that that number is certain to grow.

'This is a largely empty declaration, and what content it has is far too weak. The lack of action that results will cost lives.'

'Rich countries in general and the US in particular resorted to strong arm tactics and intransigence to shirk their responsibilities and deliver this weak political statement in place of the fair, ambitious and legally binding deal that is required.

'It represents a set back in the fight for climate justice, but the battle goes on.'

Climate Justice When?

State of play as of Friday evening 6.30pm

The talks are balanced on a knife edge. Will they collapse? Will they agree to simply carry on talking? Will they strike an appallingly weak deal? Or will rich countries shift from the positions they publicly set out this morning?

Heads of State are still locked in talks. Draft agreements are being circulated but negotiators are twiddling their thumbs. There are rumours of imminent collapse of the talks. Then rumours of hope re-emerge. All anyone knows short of Heads of State are rumours.

We will keep you posted just as soon as any of these rumours become fact. Keep checking for updates here on the Climate Change Exchange blog or on Christian Aid's Twitter feeds:  @christian_aid @carbonmarch

It is death for Africans.

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'They have not listened to us, nor to justice or to equity. The worst is Obama who is our own son. He is an African man and he should have considered our fate.' Disappointment reigns among members of PACJA at the KlimaForum following news of Obama's speech. Isaiah Toroitich of Norwegian Church Aid, a member of the Countdown to Copenhagen movement, delivers the verdict on the leaders' statements today.

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Southern voices: reactions to Obama speech

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Shirley Bolanas from the Philippines and Fatija Abdul Hajid from Kenya - both in Copenhagen for the climate talks - react to the state of play following Obama's speech on Day 11.

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Nelson on Obama at COP 15

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HLS on final day at COP

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Mohamed on Lula at COP 15

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High Level Segment on final day at the COP

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Disappointing Obama

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COP15

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Empty words, empty chairs and empty tables

 
Inside the Bella Centre this morning...              photo courtesy of CAN.

This is how we feel right now in Copenhagen after Obama's speech...

There's a grief that can't be spoken.
There's a pain goes on and on.
Empty chairs at empty tables
Now my friends are dead and gone.

Here they talked of revolution.
Here it was they lit the flame.
Here they sang about `tomorrow'
And tomorrow never came.