05
Dec 2008 - Poznan, Poland: With snowy winters
and ski resorts under threat from climate
change, world-famous skiers and snowboarders
are calling on governments attending the
UN climate talks in Poznan to rapidly reduce
global emissions. At a WWF action in Poznan,
athletes performed a series of tricks expressing
their support for urgent action against
rising temperatures.
The skiers - including
Olympic and world champions from the US
like Ted Ligety and Julia Mancuso as well
as world and European champions from Poland
like Magdalena Gwizdon and Tomasz Sikora
– have signed onto an urgent appeal by WWF.
It addresses Maciej Nowicki, the Polish
Environment Minister and President of the
Poznan talks, and other Poznan delegates.
“From the European Alps
to the Asian Himalayas, the US Rockies and
the Central American Andes, global warming
means milder winters and less snowfall”,
the petition said. “Ice and snow are particularly
vulnerable to the impacts of global warming,
and as avid skiers and snowboarders we see
our beloved sports endangered.”
The signatories demand
a new global climate treaty which is ambitious
enough to keep global warming below the
danger-threshold of 2°C. They urge a
peak of global emissions well before 2020
and a reduction of 80% by 2050 compared
to 11000 levels. As a crucial first step,
they call on industrialized countries to
cut their emissions by 25 to 40% by 2020.
“Skiers are first-hand
witnesses of the destructive power of climate
change, seeing glaciers retreat and snowpack
disappear with their own eyes”, says Kim
Carstensen, Leader of the WWF Global Climate
Initiative. “These massive changes endanger
important species and alpine ecosystems
and threaten local communities depending
on tourism and winter sports.”
According to science,
glaciers in the European Alps have decreased
by at least 50% since 1850. If climate change
intensifies as projected in upcoming decades,
the snowline will move from 1200 to 1800
meters above mean sea level, leaving only
44% of existing ski centers with enough
snow for the whole season.
Nearly all glaciers
surveyed in Alaska are melting, with thinning
rates in the last 5 to 7 years rising to
more than twice those seen in previous years.
Glaciers in the Northern Andes are receding
rapidly and losses accelerated in the 11000s.
The majority of Himalayan glaciers have
also been retreating and thinning over the
past 30 years, with accelerated loss in
the last and current decade.
+ More
Climate talks in Poznan
lack spark to ignite change
08 Dec 2008 - One week
into the UN climate talks in Poznan, WWF
calls on industrialized countries to overcome
their dangerous apathy and match the constructive
spirit and level of ambition that developing
countries are showing.
According to the global
conservation organization, failure to do
so will pose an irresponsible test to the
patience of the developing world, putting
vital progress on the way towards a new
global climate treaty at risk. In addition
to foot-dragging by usual suspects like
Canada, Japan and Russia, now even the EU
is about to become notorious for promising
climate action and failing to deliver.
“The developing countries
have already put important contributions
to the negotiations on the table, and are
now waiting for the industrialized countries
to deliver their share”, said Kim Carstensen,
Leader, WWF Global Climate Initiative. “Rich
countries have been sloth-like in the first
week and wasted time by exchanging known
positions. Ministers must switch to real
negotiation mode next week.”
Thanks to a wealth of
substantive proposals coming from Small
Island States and Least Developed Countries
as well as the G77 group, WWF sees actual
fuel for progress. Agreement is achievable,
as indicated by fruitful discussions throughout
2008 that established an adequate methodological
foundation for concrete progress on REDD
– reduced emissions from deforestation and
degradation.
The first days of Poznan
also showed common ground on how to fight
the economic crisis, thus raising expectations
for clear messages from Ministers attending
the COP next week. “The only way to solve
both the financial crisis and the climate
crisis is by combining the solutions. The
clean energy revolution we need to tackle
climate change also entails many opportunities
to boost economies in turmoil”, said Carstensen.
Annex I countries must
reconfirm their Bali commitment of reducing
emissions by 25 to 40% by 2020 below 11000
levels. Other areas that need to be urgently
addressed are technology cooperation and
additional funding for adaptation in poor
countries, by making the Adaptation Fund
operational. Progress on these crucial issues
now solely depends on commitments from industrialized
countries – commitments that at the mid-point
of the COP remain elusive.
“Industrialized countries
have been sitting on their wallets far too
long, and laggards like Canada, Japan, Russia
and Australia have not even set domestic
targets for 2020”, said Carstensen. “These
countries should finally respond to what
developing countries are proposing – to
take us into 2009 on a high note and to
ignite the spark needed to put us on track
for a strong Copenhagen treaty.”
+ More
Scottish climate bill
could set global example
09 Dec 2008 - Edinburgh,
Scotland: The newly published Scottish Climate
Change Bill has the potential to become
a world leading piece of legislation if
it receives cross-party backing from Scottish
MPs, according to WWF-Scotland.
The targets in the bill
include a 50 per cent reduction in greenhouse
gas emissions by 2030 and a cut of 80 per
cent by 2050. It also sets out measures
to tackle shipping and aviation emissions,
as well as emissions from all six greenhouse
gases, not just carbon dioxide.
WWF-Scotland campaigners
have so far conveyed over 25,000 messages
of support for the bill from around the
world and Dr Richard Dixon, Director of
WWF Scotland, said: “It’s vital that MSPs
back strong measures already in the bill
and work constructively to improve it further.”
Scottish Climate Change
Minister Stewart Stevenson said: “As a government
we are determined to have carbon assessment
at the heart of our decision-making. We
are breaking new ground with our carbon
assessment project which will ensure climate
change impacts are considered in future
budgets and spending decisions.”
Opposition parties also
largely welcomed the bill, although Scottish
Labour's climate change spokesman Des McNulty
said: “We will insist that the Scottish
Government reports to parliament every year
about what has been achieved and that there
are penalties available if agreements are
broken.”
Scottish Green MSP Patrick
Harvie said: “I believe it can be the foundation
for the most effective legislation yet delivered
on climate change anywhere in the world,
but it still needs a lot of work.”
