Article submitted by Teresa
During the Cancun summit, COP16, where the foundations must be laid for a true international agreement to effectively fight climate change, there has been a serious setback in expectations. Japan has announced that it unconditionally opposes a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, which ends in 2012.
Japan will have to remain isolated in that position. The countries responsible for climate change have to publicly support something very different: the defence of the second Kyoto commitment period, since, at present, it is the only legally binding mechanism we have, while a new agreement is being produced, and at this point we cannot afford a temporary vacuum in international law. Impoverished countries do defend it, and our organization has been supporting them for a long time," said Alejandro González, who is following the summit as a technician of Friends of the Earth International.
González said on the other hand that "the Mexican government cannot allow the same mistakes that occurred in Denmark: they must direct and support a strong, transparent, fair, and participatory process, and we have expressed this in an open letter that has been supported by international networks and organizations, some of them Spanish, "in allusion to the difficulties and restrictions that civil society has to follow the summit. "It is incomprehensible that an environmental summit should be held in a place as unsustainable and elitist as Cancun. These hotel complexes will disappear underwater if the governments of rich countries do nothing."
The European Union remains in an immobile and low-profile stance. In that sense, González said that "the European Union must once and for all launch the signal, indicating that it will reach a 30% internal reduction. It is the only way to regain prominence and credibility in the negotiations. This goal is good for the economy and the major economic groups and the European Commission supports it." Friends of the Earth has called on the new Minister Rosa Aguilar that Spain publicly express support for 30% and firm support for the Kyoto Protocol. Otherwise, Spain would lose credibility.
The positive note is the mobilizations that different social movements have undertaken: Caravans of indigenous movements, and networks of Climate Justice and ecological debt will arrive this weekend in the city of Cancun. "Friends of the Earth and other allied movements, such as Via Campesina, have created spaces, meetings and forums for civil society dialogue. This is the real summit, the one that really represents the interests of the people that governments have forgotten in the negotiations," said Héctor de Prado, coordinator of the mobilizations of Friends of the Earth Spain.
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Authors: Val
