Copenhagen climate negotiations have not been able to deliver. There is a lack of leadership and ambition and the UN system has shown failure. It is time for the already existing future leaders and civil society to lead the way.

The result of the climate negotiations that took place the last two weeks in Copenhagen is very dissatisfactory. The Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) condemns the lack of ambition and the fact that clear targets that science demands in order to combat climate change have been ignored. With the accord that is now on the table, climate disasters will become reality soon and within a decade millions of people will become climate change refugees. Developed countries are not paying their historical dept and let short term economic benefit prevail over long term sustainability.

Spokesperson Eline van Nistelrooij said: ‘This deal is not fair, it is not ambitious and it is not legally binding. It is everything that we do not need from the last generation that can turn the thigh. If it was Australia that is at the verge of sinking into the ocean, leaders would have run a little harder.’

The UN system, in which only governments have a say, has proven itself to be inherently malfunctioning. FYEG believes in the clear need for a system change in which all walks of civil society have an equal say in the decisions that are being made. No decisions about us without us!

In the last few weeks, social movements of all sorts have been able to gather, and have been able to agree on what should have been the real agreement. It is in these social movements that leadership already exists. They are our future leaders and we encourage governments to follow them in their lead.

We have got only one planet, our planet, and we will act now!

[ENDS]

Contact:
Eline van Nistelrooij, Spokesperson Federation of Young European Greens, +31 6-2629 6368

To Follow FYEG at COP15:
Blog: www.greenon2009.eu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/FYEG
FlickR: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fyeg-cop15/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=182473458698&ref=ts
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/FYEG