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2010 G8 & G20 Meetings in Canada

2009 UN Climate Meetings:
COP 15 & CMP5 - Copenhagen, Denmark

UN Human Rights Social Forum to focus on Climate Change

The Social Forum, which has met five times since 2002, became a subsidiary of the HRC in 2006. The decision to focus on climate change was made by way of resolution (A/HRC/13/L. 16) at the 13th session of HRC, in Geneva, Switzerland March 1-26, 2010.

The HRC also decided the Social Forum should remain open to representatives of UN member States and all other interested stakeholders, such as NGOs, small groups and rural and urban associations, anti-poverty groups, peasants’ and farmers’ organizations, youth associations, community organizations and trade unions.

The HRC chose climate change, because threats to health, food, water resources, land, forced migration and conflicts affect almost all human rights, particularly those of vulnerable groups such as women and children.

"Until now, the global discourse on climate change has tended to focus on the physical or natural impacts of climate change. The immediate and far-reaching impact on human beings around the world has been largely neglected. It is time to redress this imbalance by highlighting the human face of climate change." Maldives' ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, told the session.

Christiana Figueres Appointed to UNFCCC Post

In announcing her appointment, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated, "Ms. Figueres is an international leader on strategies to address global climate change and brings to this position a passion for the issue, deep knowledge of the stakeholders and valuable hands-on experience with the public sector, non-profit sector and private sector. Ms. Figueres leadership at the helm of the UNFCCC comes at a crucial time in global efforts to take effective action on climate change."

Ms. Figueres has been a member of the Costa Rican negotiating team since 1995. She represented Latin America and the Caribbean on the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism in 2007, and was then elected Vice President of the Conference of the Parties (to UNFCCC) 2008-2009. She has served as Director of International Cooperation in the Ministry of Planning in Costa Rica, and as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Agriculture. She was also the Director of Renewable Energy in the Americas (REIA) and is founder of the Center for Sustainable Development of the Americas (CSDA).

World Interfaith Summit

The annual interfaith summit releases the Faith Leaders Statement. The Faith Leaders Statement underscores G 8 commitments to the Millennium Development Goals and processes that move toward equity and justice. As the G 8 has evolved into both G 8 and G20 meetings, the faith leaders have also addressed the G 20. The 2010 Faith Leaders Statement, A Time for Inspired Leadership and Action, calls on global leaders to:

• address immediate needs of the most vulnerable while simultaneously making structural changes to close the growing gap between rich and poor;
• prioritize long term environmental sustainability and halt climate change, while addressing its impacts on the poor;
• invest in peace and remove factors that feed cycles of violent conflict and costly militarism.

Bolivia: Indigenous Peoples Declaration

A 10-page Conference declaration calls on developed countries to take measures such as:

• committing to quantified emission reductions that will limit global temperature increase to a maximum of 1°C;
• bear the costs and ensure technology transfer necessary to compensate developing countries for lost development opportunities due to a compromised atmosphere;
• take responsibility for climate change migrants, through conclusion of an international agreement.

The declaration also urges approval of a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol in which developed countries commit to reduce domestic emissions by at least 50% against 1990 levels without resorting to market-based mechanisms. It further calls for recognition and integration of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in climate change negotiations.

The final declaration foresees a second People's World Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth will be held in 2011 to discuss the results of Conference of the Parties (COP) 16 in Mexico City, December 2010.

Climate Change 2010 Negotiations Begin in April

In addition two major negotiating sessions are currently scheduled for 2010: the 32nd session of the UNFCCC Convention subsidiary bodies from 31 May to 11 June 2010. The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16)/6th Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 6) in Mexico from 29 November to 10 December 2010.

"Following the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, this constitutes a quick return to the negotiations," said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer. "The decision to intensify the negotiating schedule underlines the commitment by governments to move the negotiations forward towards success in Cancun."

Commonwealth Focuses on Climate Change

"Countries that fail to help (tackle global warming) should be suspended from membership, as are those that breach human rights," states Clare Short, the former International Development Secretary according to the Guardian.

"If the Commonwealth is serious about holding its members to account, then threatening the lives of millions of people in developing countries should lead to the suspension of Canada's membership immediately," states Saleemul Huq, a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Canada signed the Kyoto Protocol in 2000, pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by six per cent from 1990 levels by the commitment period ending in 2012. By 2007, its emissions were 34 per cent above its reduction target.

Queen Elizabeth, as head of the Commonwealth, addressed the urgency of climate change negotiations in her opening remarks Friday;

"The threat to our environment is now a global challenge that will continue to affect the security and stability of millions for years to come."

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown proposed a 17.5 billion dollar fund as part of the future Copenhagen agreement to help poorer countries reduce greenhouse gases and adapt to climate change.

US And China Reach Agreements on Climate Change

The US-China climate agreements included cooperation on green house gas inventory, joint clean energy research center, electric vehicle initiatives, energy efficiency framework, renewable energy development, developing clean coal energy technology, promotion of peaceful use of nuclear energy and development of public private partnerships on clean energy. China also signed an MOU with the US EPA to Build Capacity to Address Climate Change.

2009 Barcelona UN Climate Negotiations

Addressing the media on the final day of the negotiations, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer said that progress had been made during the week and that he was confident that Copenhagen would deliver a strong deal. However, Yvo de Boer noted that little progress had been made on the two key issues of mid-term emission reduction targets of developed, countries and finance that would allow developing countries to limit their emissions growth and adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change.

"Without these two pieces of the puzzle in place, we will not have a deal in Copenhagen," States Yvo de Boer.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an aggregate emission reduction by industrialised countries of between minus 25% and 40% over 1990 levels would be required by 2020 in order to stave off the worst effects of climate change, with global emissions falling by at least 50% by 2050. Even under this scenario, there would be an only a 50% chance of avoiding the most catastrophic consequences.

The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark is set take place from December 7th to 18th, 2009.

2009 Bangkok UN Climate Negotiations

For many, this round of negotiations ended with disappointment due to a lack of strong leadership by industrialized countries on global warming action. The main obstacles in the meetings were weak targets for rich countries and their failure to make firm commitments to support climate actions in developing countries.

"Countries primarily responsible for global warming in the first place, Canada included, have not followed through on their commitment to lead the way on climate change, and in fact are in danger of backtracking yet again," said Mark Lutes, from WWF International.

Stronger 2020 pollution reduction commitments were announced in Bangkok by Norway (40% reductions, strengthened from 30%) and Japan (25% reductions, strengthened from 8%).

"Canada's 3% reduction target is the weakest of any industrialized country and we have put no money on the table for the developing world," states Graham Saul, Climate Action Network-Reseau Action Climat.

2008 UN Climate Meetings:
COP 14 & CMP4 - Poznan, Poland

2008 Bangkok Climate Change Talks

COP 13 & Kyoto Protocol MOP 3 -
Bali, December 2007

Kyoto COP11 & MOP1 - Montréal 2005

Climate Change at Recent G8 Summits & Meetings

2009 Climate Change G8 Declaration

Visit the 2009 G8 Summit website

• recognizes "broad scientific view that the increase in global average temperature above pre industrial levels ought not to exceed 2°C"
• includes "the goal of achieving at least a 50% reduction of global emissions by 2050"
• acknowledges the 2050 goal means "global emissions need to peak as soon as possible and decline thereafter"
• specifies G8 nations "support a goal of developed countries reducing emissions of greenhouse gases in aggregate by 80% or more by 2050 compared to 1990 or more recent years"
• emphasizes "major emerging economies need to undertake quantifiable actions to collectively reduce emissions significantly below business-as-usual by a specified year"

Download July 8, 2009 G8 Leaders Declaration: Responsible Leadership for a Sustainable Future (PDF)

G8 countries pushed G5 countries to agree that an increase in global temperatures shouldn't exceed two degrees Celsius. Emerging economy countries have so far, however, refused to commit to specific reduction targets.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the G8's declaration on climate change unfair because it doesn't help developing countries to cut their own emissions, suggesting the G8 finance poorer nations to help them change their polluting growth pattern and adapt to the effects of global warming.

Some countries have refused to establish further commitments prior to the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. There has also been criticism that industrialized nations have not achieved midterm emissions reductions.

View July 9, 2009 CBC News article

WWF welcomed the leaders' initiative "but the lack of an agreement on ambitious midterm emissions reduction targets, clear financial commitments, and a date for global peak and decline of emissions could turn the 2 degree commitment into an empty statement".

WWF believes the group of industrialized countries should cut emissions by 40 percent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels.

View July 8, 2009 WWF press release

The Pembina Institute praised the G8 leaders' 2050 goal, but also noted missed opportunities.

'G8 leaders recognized today that global warming should not exceed the science-based limit of 2°C. For the first time, the declaration also includes the goal that developed countries will reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases in aggregate by 80 per cent or more by 2050 compared to 1990 or more recent years.'

'Overall, the G8 declaration is a mixed effort on climate change. It misses critical opportunities to make progress on mid-term targets for 2020 and financial support for climate action in developing countries. These gaps mean it is likely too weak to move the Copenhagen talks forward significantly, as developing countries hoped the G8 would do.'

View July 8, 2009 Pembina Institute press release

• Canada's current 2050 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target is equivalent to a reduction of just 51%-64% relative to 1990 levels.
• Even using the government's own 2006 baseline, Canada's 60%-70% reduction target falls short of the G8 target of an 80% reduction by 2050 for industrialized nations.

Climate Action Network Canada urges Canada and G8 nations to step up with climate financing for developing countries.

View July 9, 2009 Climate Action Network Canada press release
View July 9, 2009 Toronto Sun article

Canada Ranks Last in 2009 WWF Scorecard

Canada has never topped the WWF's list as a climate change leader, but this year it reached an all time low, according to the annual G8 Climate Scorecard. Canada ranks last among Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S. The U.S. moved up in the annual rankings based on recent climate initiatives by the Obama administration. The report also includes rankings for five major developing countries.

• one of the few G8 nations whose emissions are still increasing, due in large part to expanding the tar sands
• having the highest per-capita emissions in the G8, along with sixth-place Russia
• having developed a plan to curb emissions last year that has not been implemented

By Fred Curatolo larger version

The G8 Climate Scorecards 2009 was carried out by Ecofys for the conservation organization WWF and the global insurance firm Allianz SE. The report measures countries' performance and trends related to action on climate change in areas such as: change in greenhouse gas emissions since 1990 progress on meeting targets under the Kyoto Protocol use of renewable energy sources as a share of energy use the efficiency of climate and energy policies

Overall, the Scorecard's message is that some countries have made commendable efforts, but action remains insufficient to set the world on a low carbon economy course.

Germany, the United Kingdom and France have already achieved their Kyoto targets but according to climate science, those efforts won't be enough to keep the global temperatures below the danger threshold – defined as a two-degree rise of average temperatures around the planet, when compared to pre-industrial times.

WWF says that to prevent climate change from reaching these danger levels, global emissions must peak and decline well before 2020 and be reduced by 80% by 2050.

Previous G8 Summits & Meetings