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UNFCCC

Candid about Cancun

The climate negotiations live to see another day! Amidst the cheer and applause that marked the end of the talks in Cancun, Mexico; a mischievous sense of relief was shared by many parties and observers to the COP. Did we strike a historic deal that will limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius? Did we pave the way for a sustainable future? Far from it! The Cancun negotiations were a diplomatic success and an environmental failure.

Many have already commented on the outcomes of COP16 but here we look at the pros and cons from Cancun and attempt to simplify it for our readers.

Pros

a) After the disappointing outcome of Copenhagen, the UNFCCC process was under severe stress to deliver an outcome that was negotiated in a transparent and consensual manner. Cancun managed to deliver on this front. It restored faith in multilateralism as all nations except one (Bolivia) signed on to the Cancun agreements. Possibly realizing that it was counterproductive as it was an unaffordable risk to hijack the process, parties laid their guns to rest for a little while.

Maldivian statement from COP16 - Call for 350

Posted in

The following is a statement from Mr Mohamed Aslam, the Minister of Environment and housing to the High level segment at the ongoing COP16 negotiations in Cancun, Mexico.

The statement reiterates the need for more political will and leadership from all nations of the world to safeguard the very survival of small island nations. A call for more ambitious targets like 1.5 degrees C and 350 PPM was made and nations urged to anchor the pledges from the Copenhagen accord in a balanced, legally binding framework.

8 December 2010

Your Excellencies, distinguished representatives, ladies
and gentlemen,

Allow me to express my thanks and full support to the Mexican presidency, for overseeing such a well run, open and transparent Conference of the Parties here in Cancun.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates,

Given the short time slot we all have to make our statements here, let me get straight down to business.

There is much talk about numbers here in Cancun. We already know which numbers are necessary to ensure our survival. And we know the numbers necessary for the survival of other small island states, which are threatened by coral bleaching, ocean acidification, saltwater intrusion,coastal erosion and sea level rise. Those numbers are CO2
concentration of 350 ppm and temperature rise well below 1.5C. These numbers are strongly backed by science.

Battle Until Dawn for Humanity's Survival

Posted in

It is 6:13 am and in the Bella Conference Center I am listening to the chair of the AOSIS (Association of Small Island States) trying to fight off uncontrollable tears. I am almost certain that the Group of 77 (a behemoth of 130 plus developing country states) is coming to an end. Countries are divided and I am witnessing accusations fly across the plenary. Why has it taken us so long to arrive at this point? We sit here with the “Copenhangen Accord” staring at our faces. It is a document full of hot air and is not what billions of people across the planet had been promised to deliver atmospheric restitution. Once again the developed nations have managed to gain somewhat of an upper hand in the wake of greater sacrifices of the larger developing countries.