Copenhagen Texas Hold’em host Connie Hedeggard passed judgement at the halfway mark of proceedings, saying “we have made considerable progress over the course of the first week”. Well, at least everyone is still seated, and some delegates are talking up their hand (a REDD of hearts and an optimistically good hand of technology transfers).
Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh yesterday put India’s cards on the table – a 20 – 25% reduction in carbon intensity (emissions per unit of GDP) on 2005 levels by 2020. A big small step, particularly given the pre-tournament confusion as India’s two top negotiators went home in protest at Captain Ramesh’s undermining of their ‘no reductions’ strategy.
Ramesh rejected the idea of any emissions peak, however, saying, “we will not agree to a concept of a peaking year for India because we have a huge backlog of development particularly in expanding rural electricity supply.” Could make things tricky in the future as India’s growth accelerates.
The African negotiating group has thrown out the figure of five percent of rich nations GDP for mitigation and adaptation funding in the developed world. This appears an ambit claim, given that the group has asked for US$400 billion from 2010-2012 when the UN estimates a need for 30 billion. Given that the emissions reduction ask in the African draft same text is consistent with cutting edge science however,(50 percent by 2017 compared to 1990 levels, rising to 65 percent by 2020), however, and these nations are copping it climatically, it’s difficult to judge.
G77 head and notoriously hard player Lumumba Di Aping has kept his profile up, writing off the E.U.’s 7 billion 2010-21012 funding offer. “Our view is that European leaders are acting as if they were climate sceptics,” Di Aping said, “Fundamentally, they are saying this problem does not exist and therefore they are providing no finance whatsoever.”
Mexican President Felipe Calderon, due in Copenhagen later this week, promised on Friday that Mexico will start cutting emissions in two years out of its own pocket, and continue if it gets international help, aiming for 30% cuts by 2020.
Yesterday saw big protests in Copenhagen, with The Australian leading with Desmond Tutu and former Irish President Mary Robinson holding of a candlelit vigil ( in a story titled Anti-capitalist protesters take to streets of Copenhagen) . The story was actually about a rally attended by 30-100,000 people of all persuasions organised by Danish civil society groups and international NGOs where a few hundred black hoodie clad types were arrested.
The Danish police arrested around 900 people over a number of protests that continue d into yesterday night, cracking down after a handful of people allegedly threw some bricks, though this was disputed by some marchers, The Guardian reported. They quoted a British demonstrator, Georgy Forshall, as saying “Two of my friends are in there. The police said demonstrators had been throwing stones, but my friends were in a cow costume, they wouldn’t have been able to throw stones.” Al Jazeera reported that police began arrests after some activist attempted to disrupt meetings between corporations and industry lobby groups.
In Australia there were also large rallies, at the annual Walk Against Warming, including 40,000 in Melbourne. Gratefully these rallies avoided being overshadowed by the disturbances such as occurred in Copenhagen, and climate change was front and centre rather than crucial issues such as whether or not a cow can throw rocks or whether people did or police imagined that they did.
A big week looming, and as they say, it’s a game of two halves. As the big hitters warm up on the bench, the protestors sharpen their slogans, and the late night negotiations continue, COPVoices will keep the news flowing.
