NGOs Respond to Cancun's 'Can-do' Communique

Cancun, 13 December 2010 - The Cancun climate talks concluded early Saturday morning with a deal that takes forward the climate negotiations. The environmental NGOs have been working 24/7 during the talks to lobby, campaign and communicate the negotiations as they were happening.

Overall, NGOs have welcomed the outcomes praising the outcomes as an important step forward. This a far cry from the nashing of teeth and lamenting that took place after the disastrous Copenhagen talks in 2009. This significant step forward appears to have revitalised the community and is a welcome boost to campaigning and advocacy. Here is a round-up of some of the major groups:

Paul Horsman of Tck Tck Tck commented: "While the outcome of the conference is nowhere near enough to protect the climate, we are back on track and together we can make it enough."

WWF also welcomed the outcomes of the meeting stating "After two weeks of negotiations, governments made measurable progress in several important areas, but a lot more work and some big political challenges remain." The organisation commended the conference for starting the process of deciding on the second phase of Kyoto which should be concluded at the COP17. As for REDD, WWF thought Cancun "provided a sound foundation for moving a credibale REDD process forward..." although the organisation commented that the REDD element of the outcome documebt did not include "everything we hoped for". Finally, WWF, like many organisations commended the Mexican government for their handling of the negotiations commenting "[The Mexican government] created a negotiation atmosphere that was inclusive and efficient – and which directly helped countries regain confidence in the UNFCCC process

Greenpeace were pleased that there was progress in Cancun stating grandly "Governments in Cancun, Mexico, have chosen hope over fear and put the building blocks back in place for a global deal to combat climate change. For the first time in years, governments put aside some major differences and compromised to reach a climate agreement." However, the organisation felt that Russia, Japan and the USA had a negative influence on the meeting and more could have been achieved if these countries had been more willing to negotiate. On the specific aspects of the agreement, Greenpeace thinks the REDD agreement "side steps some critical parts that must be defined and strengthened over the coming months." The finance fund created in Cancun does not include how the money is to be raised. Greenpeace concludes that "they [negotiating governments] have recongnised the scale of the problem, now they need a deal to match. That deal needs to be struck twelve months from now..."

Oxfam's reaction was similar to those of the environmental groups. The organisation said of the outcome of Cancun "The UN climate talks are off the life-support machine, following a last-minute agreement that gives the Kyoto Protocol a lifeline. It establishes a global Climate Fund and, while falling short of the emissions cuts needed, lays out a path to move towards them – crucially moving the world closer to the global deal that eluded last year’s summit in Copenhagen." Like the other organisations, Oxfam felt the talks did not go far enough and there was a great deal to do for next year's COP17 in South Africa. The organisation, in a fit of historonics that comes from following 11 days of negotiations, concluded " Now we need a renewal of political will to drive these negotiations forward to a global deal. Many of the most difficult issues remain. We will not be able to offer a safe future for vulnerable women, men and children unless governments realize that we swim together or sink together. Our challenge is to elevate our vision and commit to the deep emissions cuts that are urgently needed." Indeed. 

The UK charity, Christian Aid thought, amusingly, that the Cancun outcome was a cocktail of welcome and worrying results. The mixed reaction was due to Christian Aid's concerns that despite progress on finance, forests, adaptation and technology, there were no drastic cuts in rich country emissions. As although the Kyoto Protocol was thrown a lifeline, more work needs to be done to secure its future.

Another UK charity, Tearfund, concluded that it was a mixed result with 'bite-sized progress'. Like other organisations, Tearfund felt that Cancun is the new starting point for negotiations stating: "The wheels have been set in motion and key principles for a climate fund have been agreed. Moving forward we need to see money in the fund to ensure these wheels don’t fall off."

On the other side, Friends of the Earth was not happy with the outcome, although acceding that some progress had been made. FoE's reaction to Cancun stated "Climate change is the greatest threat the human community has faced. The texts considered tonight are a wholly inadequate response, though they make progress in some areas." FoE was particularly concerned that there was not enough funding for the climate fund. The organisation was consistent with the other groups by calling for more work between Cancun and the COP17 in South Africa saying " The texts approved here cannot be allowed to be the high water mark of the international community’s response to this crisis. Much stronger outcomes -- with the establishment of a binding, equitable, science-based, aggregate emission target for developed countries -- are needed next year in Durban."

Source: Sherpa Times