Raül Romeva i Rueda

Tot i que el tema del canvi climàtic està
rebent molta menys atenció política
i mediàtica que en el passat, el
problema de l’escalfament global segueix
essent altament urgent: 2010, per exemple, va ser l’any
més càlid registrat.

Queden dies per a la conferència
sobre el Clima, a Durban (desembre). Per tot arreu escoltem que Durban només
serà un petit pas
en el procés d’acordar un tractat sobre el
clima global.

Certament la reunió no pinta que pugui concloure
amb un acord sobre
un tractat jurídicament vinculant que inclogui tant
els EUA i la
Xina i resoldre els nostres
problemes climàtics d’una vegada per totes.

No obstant això, seria un error obviar
el fet que la propera reunió del COP serà, com totes,
determinant per establir alguns dels pilars que han de permetre’ns allunyar-nos
dels pitjors impactes de la crisi climàtica.

Els Verds creiem
que Durban mereix més atenció de la que està
rebent. I és que, per exemple, l’element central de les negociacions serà
el futur del Protocol de Kyoto. Així, si la UE continua obsedida a negar un segon període
de compromís del Protocol de Kyoto, llavors les negociacions
climàtiques podrien retrocedir deu anys.

El primer període de Kyoto acabarà l’any vinent.
El temps s’està acabant i els
països en desenvolupament confien (de fet necessiten) que a la UE actuï com un
líder global del clima.

Els Verds portem anys demanant a la UE que es comprometi a un segon període abans de la
reunió, encara que sigui un gest unilateral (d’això va el lideratge). Així mateix,
els Verds tenim grans expectatives, en particular en la mitigació
i el finançament.

Aquestes són les nostres demandes als líders
governamentals i negociadors europeus:

The Greens/EFA,

Considers that Durban climate
conference must make up for lost time in international climate negotiations
and agree on

• global peak year of 2015 and 2050 reduction target of 80% and
  establishing  a process to address gigatonne gap in current
  mitigation pledges based on these parameters and the 2°C/1,5°C objectives;
• second commitment period for Kyoto Protocol 2013-2017 closing forest management accounting and
  hot air loopholes to ensure environmental effectiveness of the reduction
  targets;
• mandate with
  timetable for a legally binding outcome
  under Convention track to be implemented by 2015

Considers that in Durban
concrete decisions are required
regarding financing for climate action in developing countries, namely :

• implementation of Copenhagen and Cancun
  agreements regarding long term
  financing (annual USD 100 bn by 2020) including on sources of public
  finance (financial transaction tax, shipping/aviation levies) and scaling up from fast start finance levels starting 2013;
• modalities regarding transparency of delivery and additionality of fast start
  finance for 2010-2012  

Calls on the EU and its Member
States in particular to

• step up at
  least to EU target to a 30%
  domestic reductions by 2020 compared to 1990 and ensure EU foreign policy is
  directed to achieving binding international agreement which is in line with the
  objective of limiting climate change to 2°C,
• ensure fast start financing is fully delivered with funds that are new and
  additional to ODA and that ETS revenues are earmarked for financing of climate action
  in developing countries from 2013;

Insists that in Durban EU is responsible
for ensuring that

• an agreement is reached on Kyoto Protocol second commitment period without a gap in
  implementation.
• Kyoto Protocol forest accounting and hot air loopholes
  are tackled, taking environmental
  integrity of Annex I targets as a basis, namely through agreement on forest management accounting rules with reference to historical baselines
  and no carry forward of overachiement
  of KP first commitment period targets.

Considers that European countries face critical choices to preserve
their future prosperity and security, whereas moving to a domestic greenhouse
gas reduction target which is in line with the EU’s climate objectives can be
combined with healthier economy, increase in green jobs and innovation;

Reminds that cumulative emissions are decisive for the climate system
and even when meeting the targets with the pathway set out in the European Commission
2050 Roadmap (domestic 25% for 2020, 40% for 2030, 60% for 2040 and 80% for
2050) the EU would still be responsible for approximately double its per capita
share of the global 2°C compatible carbon budget, and that delaying emissions
reductions increases the cumulative share significantly;

Stresses that the design of REDD+ mechanism should ensure significant
benefits for biodiversity and vital ecosystem services beyond climate change
mitigation and should contribute to strengthening the rights and improving the
livelihood of forest dependent people, particularly of indigenous and local
communities;

Underlines the
need to speed up public financing for performance based REDD+ action rewarding
reducing deforestation compared to national baselines to halt gross tropical
deforestation by 2020 at the latest;

Considers that sectoral
mechanisms for economically more advanced developing countries should be agreed
for the period beyond 2012 while CDM should be limited to LDCs, and calls for
any new international sectoral offset crediting mechanisms to ensure
environmental integrity and incorporate climate benefit beyond the 15-30%
deviation from business as usual;

Calls for the
introduction of international market based instruments to curb climate impact
of international aviation and maritime transport and to generate revenues for
supporting climate action in developing countries;

Foto: cartell de la Conferència ‘The Green Race to Durban, and beyond’.