FYEG ‘S POSITION PAPER ON COP15

Mitigation

We, the FYEG, call upon developed countries to reflect upon their historic responsibility for carbon emissions, and to take into account the need to secure climate justice for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities. We urge developed countries to put in place policies that will limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius (°C) above pre-industrial levels and stabilise long-term atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations at well below 350ppm. This is well below the 2°C and 450 ppm targets promoted by many industrialised countries. Current pledges for emissions reductions put forward by these countries risk temperature increases in excess of 3°C.

We believe that in order to achieve this goal, world emissions must peak by 2015 and then decline sharply with the target of an 85% reduction in global emissions below 1990 levels by 2050.

All industrial countries (Annex I states) should reduce carbon emissions by 2020 by between 30% and 40% compared to the base year of 1990. This reduction must be a must occur within the borders of those countries and not through the purchase of offsets. Mitigation efforts in developing countries must be supported by mechanisms that are additional to the domestic reduction obligations in developed countries.

There must be an agreed global cap that is mandatory for all states in order to prevent excessive carbon leakage and abuse of carbon trading mechanisms. Such a cap would reflect all states’ obligations to combat climate change but should be divided in a way that respects the principle of common but differentiated responsibility; places the greatest burden on developed and industrialised states, and respects the right to development of all. Industrialized countries must recognise and respect their embedded emissions.

Forests

Deforestation and forest degradation account for a very significant percentage of greenhouse emissions and protecting the world’s forests is one of the most efficient ways to preserve carbon sinks. The world must address the root causes of forest destruction and in particular the impacts of agricultural expansion related to meat production and biofuels, destructive logging and other natural resource exploitation.

In order to achieve a significant deviation from business-as-usual growth of emissions in developing countries, forest protection must also be seen as a priority. Reducing emissions from deforestation should be performed in addition to (not instead of) reducing emissions in industrialised countries.

Significant North-South flows of finance are necessary to support new, pro-poor development while helping conserve biodiversity and secure vital ecosystem services.

Energy

An efficient climate treaty should not only demand reductions in emissions but should also show how a sustainable energy model can be secured. Therefore the improvement of energy efficiency and the expansion of renewable energies must be included in the mechanisms and targets of any new treaty. By 2050, we have to achieve an energy efficient and fully renewables-based economy. In order to do so, all industrialised countries must renounce coal-based technologies and phase out nuclear power while investing in smart grid technology. We cannot allow the world’s remaining reserves of fossil fuels to be burnt, however efficiently. Governments and industry must make a commitment to leave remaining fossil fuels in the ground as renewable power takes over. Human and indigenous rights must be respected at all time in the transition from fossil fuel dependence. In order to support rural development, decentralised energy must be promoted as much as possible. This will also help solve problems of energy security.

Adaptation

Adaptation must be addressed in parallel to mitigation but must be more localised in nature, as it is dependent on the resilience and capacity of communities to cope with rapidly changing circumstances.

We call on Parties to the UNFCCC to consider and address the health, human rights and security implications of climate change. These include the need to prepare communities for relocation, to protect persons displaced across borders due to climate change-related impacts, and the need to create a legal framework to protect the human rights of those left stateless as a result of climate change.

Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol has achieved limited results and there is a clear need for post-Kyoto international agreements to include stricter mechanisms and targets. Any post-Kyoto Protocol must demand new forms of mitigation and an international effort involving the participation of all stakeholders under the principle of shared but differentiated responsibilities.

Considering that non-Annex I states are developing at different rates, there should be some differentiation based on their level of economic development and quantity of emissions. The respective national level of action of should take into consideration a country’s responsibility, capability and potential to mitigate. Concrete indicators could be the following as suggested by Greenpeace:

• Responsibility: historical emissions since 1990

• Capability: GDP per capita/human development index

• Potential: emissions intensity, emissions per capita and emissions

We call for a double-track system where industrialised countries would still have to comply with the commitments envisaged in the Kyoto Protocol. Countries must work together to reach a comprehensive and equitable agreement.

Any post-Kyoto Protocol should also include commitments for emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil. Taking into consideration the targets for 2050, even non-Annex I countries will have to commit themselves to reduce their emissions. The United States of America’s involvement in any future agreements is also essential for effectively tackling global warming.

Financing

We call upon industrialised countries to provide public money amounting to at least 1.5% of their gross domestic product, by 2015, to assist non Annex I countries make a transition to a climate resilient, low-carbon economy. This grant-based finance must be predictable, sustainable, transparent, new and additional – and on top of industrialised countries’ commitments to deliver 0.7% of their GDP as Overseas Official Development Assistance [ODA]. All industrialised countries need to commit to an additional €35 billion of finance for mitigation and adaptation in developing countries.

Nuclear power and any other technology that would lead to additional risks to the environment or people should not be included in any international climate funding mechanisms.

Technology/ Technology Transfer

Faced with limited global natural resources, the people of the world must seek to achieve more sustainable forms of development. The application of new, resource-efficient technologies has become crucial for both development and the environment.

Cooperative technology transfer among various stakeholders (the private sector, governments, the donor community, bilateral and multilateral institutions, non-governmental organisations and academic and research institutions), depends largely on political will at an international level if we are to pursue an innovative environmental agenda.

We call upon industrialised countries and other Parties included in Annex II to take all practicable steps to make available financial and technical resources to enable Non Annex I countries to undertake country-level needs assessments and to develop specific capacity-building activities.

The dynamics of technological change will not be limited to one technology for industrialised countries and another for Non Annex I countries. Instead, cutting-edge and traditional technologies will coexist across the globe. In order for them to make the best use of these technologies, however, they must increase their ability to assess, analyse and choose them based on their own needs and development priorities, and then adapt these technologies to specific local conditions. Technology in its new role will be an essential factor on the path towards sustainability.

Health

Climate change, the loss of biodiversity, changes in the hydrological system and more generally the modification of the earth’s ecosystem all represent serious threats to human health. Therefore it is fundamental that we recognise the importance of preserving the equilibrium of the natural environment in order to ensure the long-term health of the global population.

The worst consequences will be borne by the poorest communities, which have contributed least to greenhouse gas emissions. Rising temperatures and erratic precipitation are likely to decrease the production of staple foods in many of the poorest regions, increasing risks of malnutrition. These changes are also likely to compromise supplies of freshwater, increasing the risk of water-borne diseases.

The climate and economic crises highlight the necessity and urgency for a qualitative political jump, a change in the paradigm regarding life, wealth, global commons and water. Life is denied to hundreds of millions of human beings because of lack of access to safe drinkable water or water shortages for sanitation and food production. We therefore ask for universal rights to life for each human being and a universal right to food, water and sanitation.

Agricultural Production and Food Security

Global assessments of the impact of climate change on agriculture obscure very large variations across and even within countries. In broad terms, climate change will increase risks and decrease productivity of agricultural production. As it was stated in “Human Development Report 2007/2008 Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World”, through its impact on agriculture and food security, climate change could leave an additional 600 million facing acute malnutrition by the 2080s over and above the level in a no-climate change scenario. Mainly, the vulnerability of the people whose livelihoods depend on agriculture and food production will increase with climate change. Moreover, food prices will tend to increase.

In order to prevent negative impacts of climate change on agriculture, fast and effective global agriculture policies should be developed. Vulnerable people whose livelihood is depended on agricultural employment, small holder agriculture and pastoralism, should be protected against climate change. Mechanisms regarding allocating financial sources from industrial countries in order to reduce climatic effects on agriculture and protect indigenous people, women, youth, should be developed as a part of Post-Kyoto agreement.

Biomass – bio fuel production is accelerating negative impacts of climate change on food security. In order to stabilize food prices and re-establish food security, the biomass production in the agricultural fields should be globally limited by additional financial mechanisms.

Education and Public awareness

Environmental education and strong public understanding are crucial aspects in the fight against global warming. More information should be available to citizens in order to involve them and have their support in all the policies and actions that aim to reduce environmentally damaging activities. What it is necessary is a new ethical stance where every individual feels firmly responsible for any harm caused to the natural environment.

Youth

Many young people, especially in industrialised countries, are not engaged in the climate debate due to lack of sufficient knowledge and understanding about the climate and how it affects them. There is a need to improve climate-related education for young people and engage their intellectual capacity to find workable climate solution for all.

It is essential to get young people fully involved in this process as they will be affected, either negatively or positively, by the decisions that are going to be taken in the next few weeks. Young people can provide invaluable perspectives on issues that they care about, and their involvement contributes to the broader empowerment of young people.

We therefore encourage governments to include youth in their delegations through cooperation with National Youth Councils and UN agencies and to support youth in their attempt to take part in the decision making processes as outlined in several UNGA resolutions.