by Adriana Gonzalez
As we started the second week of COP the SSC delegates decided to make a packing list of things to take to the conference center.
First is comfortable shoes: If our walk from the hotel to the bus is not enough the amazing size of the Qatar conference center will do the trick. We are still waiting on the count but we think that at least a few miles are walked every day as we go from session to session. But really we need the comfortable shoes because there is many steps to take before decisions are made in this COP. The negotiations are negotiating the new terms of a second commitment to the Kyoto Protocol. On this topic there is still much work to be done, as ambitious emission targets still need to be declared. And the missing pieces and loopholes in this track that need to resolved.
Big backpack: In the expo center and the conference center you can find an array of booths were you can get many free pins, pencils, bags and booklets so we need space to carry that around. But we also need a big bag to take the issues of the LCA to another body. The LCA is The Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action that was established under the Bali Action Plan. As the work of the Bali Action Plan comes to an end, the issues in this body need a new platform. In the LCA we find important issues like finance, adaptation, technology, capacity building and mitigation. Still countries like the USA are planning to pack light and not take these issues to another body but rather drop them. The Chair of the LCA has in the beginning of this second week two text that both have received discussion from many parties. Let’s hope that negotiators pack things up nicely and take these important issues to another track.
Post-it notes: As one of our delegates arrived in Doha she realized she had no post-it notes. This made her very nervous as she plans her day and action using these small notes. Well, we decided to pack a ton of these for the second week and pass them to the ADP or the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action. This new track is expected to develop a protocol with legal force to be taken by all parties by 2015. As we look this week at the ADP they need to create a road map to reach the 2015 goal. As the Climate Action Network International ECO newsletter editors said
“Ministers: You are here to lay the foundations for a new Protocol. You must therefore instruct your negotiators that they move in the middle of 2013 from conceptual brainstorming to concrete discussions, resulting in a ‘compilation text’ of proposals by COP19.”
For us it’s very important that a clear process needs to be set here so we can reach the goal. Any one need post its?
Cash: Qatar is an expensive place so we are making sure we got enough riyals to eat and move around. In addition finance is one of the big issues in the COP18.
"Finance is at the heart of negotiations here” said Oxfam International climate change policy advisor Tim Gore.
The big questions are around were the money is coming from and who is paying for what. As of now, developing countries are financing their mitigation and adaption efforts but this will need to change. The issues around finance are best summarized saying:
“Developing countries continue to be concerned that developed countries’ fast start finance pledges run out in 2012, and there’s still no certainty on what will come next. This issue, combined with questions on how to track current climate finance and how to meet the long-term finance goal of $100 billion per year, make it clear that the Ministers who lead on this issue will be very busy.” By Jennifer Morgan from http://insights.wri.org
Ambition: This might be a little hard for us to pack, but we are still bringing it to the conference all week. As Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said to climatechange-tv.rtcc.org
“countries should raise their ambition and take steps forward in Doha and should not postpone action any longer.” Dr. Pachauri says negotiators should take the ‘bull by the horns’. He warns that with no action and no mitigation on climate change, the world could face hitting the higher end of climate predictions – 6.4°C.
These are just a few of the things we are packing daily, so let’s make sure nothing gets left behind. The Sierra Student Coalition started the second week in an action packed day stating the influence of the fossil fuel industry on our decision makers and highlighting the Robin Hood tax. We are also ready to continue our networking, support for the youth movement, reaching out to media and holding our negotiators accountable.
For us it’s very important that a clear process needs to be set here so we can reach the goal. Any one need post its?
Posted by: adidas jeremy scott | 12/04/2012 at 06:36 PM