Bonn Climate Talks - A Little Less Conversation, a Little More Action, Please
Earth Day Network Intern - Christine Hoguet
Growing up in Germany you quickly learn the importance of recycling. To dispose of their trash, Germans need at least four different trash cans: one for regular garbage, one for recyclables, one for compostables, and one for paper and cardboard. Oh yes, did I mention that old glass containers, bottles, etc. need to be taken to designated collection places and sorted by color?
A country as environmentally minded as Germany (where in many places it is hard to escape the sight of the tall, white wind-power generating turbines) should have served as an inspiration for the UNFCCC’s Climate Change Conference ending in Bonn on June 17th after eleven days of negotiations. At least you would think.
Sadly, the talks have not gone very far. After much bickering over the agenda, followed by collective inaction, we still don’t know what will become of the Kyoto Protocol after its first commitment period expires in 2012. Also the chances of this December’s meeting in Durban, South Africa, which constitutes the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, providing any notable breakthroughs look bleak.
The biggest issue appears to be developed country commitment – or rather lack thereof. The U.S. never ratified Kyoto, and some big players from the developed world, notably Japan, Russia and Canada, have already said they were not going to commit to a second period. The developing countries, especially in Africa, generally are more supportive because the Kyoto Protocol contains certain mechanisms that provide development and adaptation funds for them.
Nevertheless, to make matters worse, the big developing countries, and now major polluters, that could really make a difference in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, namely China, Brazil, Indonesia and India, remain reluctant because they fear that any kind of commitment will hamper their economic development.
So what are we to do? Hope for the best? Well, yes, but there are other options as well. Even though the climate talks in Bonn and Durban are taking place at the government level, it is never too late to do something on the individual level. We here at Earth Day Network are working hard to promote environmental awareness on all levels and encourage action from everyone through our A Billion Acts of Green® campaign. So join the effort and show the world’s leaders how to truly make an impact in protecting our planet!
Good blog! The difficulties
Good blog! The difficulties international climate agreements are facing reminded me of a foreign affairs journal article I recently read. It argued that the 21st century is not/ will not be unipolar, bipolar, or multi-polar-but non-polar. This was mainly becuase there are too many actors and too many different forms of power and influence to support any of the old world orders. The author argued that the United States still holds considerable power and influence today, as we transition into a more non-polar world, but that in order for the new non-polar not to dissolve into chaos and conflict, some things needed to be taken care of now, and the most important of those things was the climate crisis. (The article wasn't as doom and gloom as that summary may sound). But what was most interesting was that the author said that in such a non-polar world, large, multi-national accords and agreements were going to be less and less likely to succeed, and that summits and gatherings focusing on those countries thought to be superpowers (US, China, India, UK, France, Germany...) would accomplish less and their decisions be accepted less by the rest of the world. He suggested that the UN approach to global cooperations in that manor should be abandoned and that they should re-focus on creating bi-lateral agreements between all the actors. This would make reaching compromises and decisions much more attainable and could sidestep the issues that currently bog down international climate agreement attempts, such as the reduction of carbon emissions between the developed and developing worlds.