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PRESS RELEASE

ACTIONAID INTERNATIONAL

Contact:Patricia Brooks, ActionAid, patricia.brooks@actionaid.org , (202) 351-1757

Doha Climate Negotiations Fail the Planet and Worlds Poor

Negotiators moved backward on climate justice and forward towards theclimate cliff

(Doha, Qatar, December 8, 2012) The annual negotiations under the UN FrameworkConvention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have just closed in Doha, Qatar, with anagreement that neither significantly reduces emissions nor provides poor countries withthe funding they need to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Despite the climate-related wake-up calls that the world faced this year extended droughts, deadlyhurricanes, rapid Arctic melt developed country governments appeared to feel nourgency in Doha to lead the world towards a solution to the climate crisis.

Harjeet Singh, the International Coordinator for Disaster Risk Reduction andClimate Adaptation at ActionAid International says:

The only word to describe this deal is unacceptable the Doha outcome does not

sufficiently reduce emissions nor provide resources for poor countries to deal withincreasingly frequent and severe droughts, floods and storms. Rich nations will sayimportant progress has been made, but at this point they are nothing more thansnake oil salesmen. They have done too little, too late to protect the worlds poorfrom the harsh realities of climate change.

As a result, weve already experienced costly loss and damage from climate change just look at New York City after Hurricane Sandy, or the Philippines after TyphoonBopha and this was our opportunity to show we can take on this challenge. Someprogress has been made towards setting up an institution to help the poor andvulnerable cope with loss and damage. Much more work is required in the comingyear to finalize the institutional arrangements, and we expect all parties will conduct

this work with the interests of the poor and vulnerable in mind.

Brandon Wu, Senior Policy Analyst at ActionAid USA says:

At the Doha climate negotiations, rich countries failed to deliver for the people livingin poverty who are most vulnerable to climate impacts. These countries, including theU.S., have committed to deliver funds to help developing countries adapt to andmitigate climate change, but they arent delivering what is needed.

Climate finance is not charity or foreign aid; it's an obligation of developed countries,whose accumulated emissions have caused the climate crisis. Rich countries havepledged to mobilize $100 billion per year in climate finance by 2020, yet the Doha

outcome pushed by rich countries completely fails to provide clarity on how thesecountries will meet this obligation. Without adequate climate finance, people living in

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poverty who are the most vulnerable to climate impacts will continue suffering fromtheir effects.

ENDS

Note to Editors:

Who is ActionAid?ActionAid is an international anti-poverty agency working in 50 countries, taking sideswith poor people to end poverty and injustice together. Together with more than 2,000civil society partners worldwide, ActionAid works with and supports the poorest and mostvulnerable people to fight for and gain their rights to food, shelter, work, basic healthcareand a voice in the decisions that affect their lives. View our website at www.actionaid.org.

For more information and interviews contact:Patricia Brooks, ActionAid International, patricia.brooks@actionaid.org , +1 202-351-1757