daily tck june 9 2011 final
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8/6/2019 Daily Tck June 9 2011 FINAL
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The Daily TckRace to the Future: www.tcktcktck.org
9 June 2011
Summary of the Current status/situationGreetings from day 4 in Bonn, where it seems like countrieshave entered into working mode and started
negotiating their detailed plans for the year and what countries want to deliver by Durban on each of the
elements and issues. The discussions on the LCA track and on the Kyoto track have begun on Tuesday
afternoon, and on the LCA track they are now proceeding in closed meetings on the different key areas
(adaptation, finance, mitigation, etc.), while the negotiations on the Kyoto track will continue tomorrow. In
the meantime, the subsidiary bodies have also seemed to kick off with the SBI agenda debates finally
resolved and the SBSTA beginning its substantive discussions. A workshop on NGO participation took place
under SBI yesterday where NGOs and negotiators exchanged views on future improvements. Those in Bonn
today and tomorrow will be keeping an eye on workshops on developed and developing country mitigation
actions. They are a continuation of workshops in Bangkok where countries started to speak about mitigation
plans and how they calculated their targets. This is an opportunity to quiz laggard countries how they plan
to increase ambition levels, and we hope progressive parties will ask some good questions.
A debate that was known as LCA agenda debate and that was reportedly resolved in Bangkok seems to
continue here in Bonn as it has moved into other venues. The question at the core of that debate is: do we
spend the year ensuring what was agreed in Cancun gets operationalized in Durban, or do we also put equal
focus on other elements that are considered important by various countries and NGOs. It has trickled down
into the focused discussions on key building blocks, where parties are spending quite some time figuring
out whats on and whats not. Yesterday, for example, the US and Canada got Fossil of the Day awards for
blocking a discussion about sources of long-term finance that other parties felt was important to have. This
and other examples show that some of these relocated agenda discussions are about legitimate concerns
and sometimes also very much in our interest, but overall we are also dealing with a speed and spirit that
might not get us where we need to go in time. Thats why AOSIS was awarded with a rare Ray of the Day on
Tuesday, applauding their plenary intervention that reflected a constructive and positive spirit.
The Kyoto Protocols second commitment period remains high on everyones agenda. Rather than entering
the technical and substantive discussions, so far developing countries have preferred to focus on the
political aspect of the debate, addressing the concern that there could be a gap between the first and
second commitment periods. But seeing the lead negotiators of the EU and Bolivia having fun together in
the hallways might be an indication that the EU and the G77 are talking behind the scenes, probably
starting to explore a deal that would allow them to move ahead together on the second commitment
period. In the meantime, NGOs in Bonn have been discussing different messages that can be conveyed to
countries and that express our views on the future of the Kyoto Protocol and the overall agreement in
Durban. These discussions are on-going, but there seems to be overwhelming agreement that we want to
see the Kyoto Protocol moving forward as part of a package in which countries outside the Kyoto Protocol
also commit to strong actions on the LCA track, reflecting their responsibilities and capabilities. Whateverwe decide to do in the end, itll have to bring us closer to an effective global response to climate change.
What is happening?Two key players in these negotiations are currently busy with domestic debates about their emission
reduction targets: Japan and the EU. In light of the unfolding nuclear catastrophe resulting from the
earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan earlier this year, government and parliament are revisiting the
countrys climate bill and energy plans, with pending decisions on future energy sources and legislation to
promote them. GCCA partners in Japan are fighting for a massive increase in renewable energy and against
a future in which the country would still depend on nuclear energy or fossil fuels.These debates and choices
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are closely linked to the UNFCCC negotiations, as the Japanese target of a 25% cut in emissions by 2020 is
up for debate. Prime Minister Kan recently re-confirmed his support for the target, but in parliament
members of his own party have argued to drop it.
The 3-months anniversary of Fukushima on Saturday will be an important moment in this context, as
thousands of people will take to the streets all over Japan, supported by marches abroad and by petitions
launched by our GCCA partners (below more on how to support this). Assisted by GCCA partners on policy
messaging and latest intelligence from Japan, the youth in Bonn are handing over little origami peace craneswith haikus about the 25% target in order to help move things along (see a related blog here:
http://un.ukycc.org/2011/06/09/japanese-peace-cranes/; and a video taken at one of the handovers here:
http://www.youtube.com/ukycc#p/c/F47146E41FC8939E/3/xSli8I8-vlo). We will also try to build a bridge
between Japan and Bonn at the NGO press conference tomorrow, and we are placing an op-ed co-authored
by Oxfam and Greenpeace leaders Jeremy Hobbs and KumiNaidoo in leading Japanese wire Kyodo.
The EU target for 2020 is also up for debate. GCCA partners are working to move it from currently 20%
against 1990 levels to at least 40% (of which at least 30% would have to be achieved domestically). We are
working with the UKYCC and other youth networks here in Bonn to support their Push Europe campaign
which is calling for a low carbon transition, new green jobs and a stronger EU target. Various efforts
including op-eds in European papers and actions planned for next week here in Bonn are underway, at their
heart a UKYCC campaign aimed at collecting CVs and job applications for future green jobs from young
people all over Europe, which will be sent to EU member states and handed over to representatives of the
incoming and outgoing EU presidency (Poland and Hungary)here in Bonn (below more on this) .
Message for the dayOur demands for negotiators in Bonn havent changed, as Cancun gave them a helpful basis to deliver real
progress in Durban, and Bonn must be about making headway in this direction. Linked to this discussion, we
try to infuse some German spirit into the Japanese debate about targets and energy choices, and highlight
the gigatonne gap and the EU target debate in the context of mitigation workshops here in Bonn. This is not
the message for the day, but you find talking points that help you turn these priorities into messages here:
http://bit.ly/mFJ6MP and here: https://sites.google.com/site/dailytck/rapid-response
What you can do today?Help mobilize for the pro-renewables and anti-nuclear marches in Japan on Saturday at:
http://nonukes.jp/wordpress/?page_id=137. GCCA Board Chair and Greenpeace leader KumiNaidoo is in
Japan and will join the demonstrators, as hundreds of organizations run events all over Japan and
elsewhere. And if you speak Japanese, dont forget to add your name to the WWF Japan petition that calls
for a new Basic Energy Plan for Japan with a 100% renewable energy target and a gradual nuclear fade-out:
http://www.wwf.or.jp/activities/2011/05/986120.html (English version coming soon)
Please also support the Power Shift campaign by European youth networks. Upload your green CV and ask
your friends to do the same, and no matter what age, as everyone loves a green job: http://pusheurope.eu/
And as usual, check out the Adopt-A-Negotiator website for the latest goodies to help us tell the Bonn story
in blogs and videos on your websites and social media channels: http://adoptanegotiator.org/
Othermaterials:Reuters: Island states hint at climate talks compromise
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/07/us-climate-un-idUSTRE75525E20110607
Kyodo: Ex-minister offers to remove 25% emission cut target from bill
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110606p2g00m0dm003000c.html
Xinhua: Senior diplomat says China continues to strive for renewal of Kyoto Protocol
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-06/09/c_13919970.htm