Posted
on 11 June 2010
Bonn, Germany – WWF says negotiators at
UN climate talks in Bonn have missed some
important goals, while showing a much stronger
performance than in previous rounds.
“In order to win the
low carbon world cup we’ll have to score
a number of important goals in the very
near future, such as reaching an agreement
on adaptation to climate impacts and on
ways to stop deforestation”, said Kathrin
Gutmann, Head of Climate Policy, WWF Global
Climate Initiative.
“Bonn made good progress
on some of these crucial building blocks
that will be essential parts of a future
regime to tackle climate change, and there
is really no reason for negotiators to go
into extra-time instead of concluding them
at the Climate Summit in Mexico this December.”
In WWF’s view, progress
in Bonn was mainly a result of improved
team spirit among negotiators, with countries
from North and South teaming up in unusual
coalitions, creating fresh dynamics and
space for solutions and compromise.
However, Bonn did not
see any major victories on challenging issues
like funding and policies to wean economies
off fossil fuels and make them fit for the
low carbon future, mainly due to a lack
of progressive champions and blocking tactics
by oil-exporting countries like Saudi Arabia.
“The performance of
a whole range of key players in the negotiations
didn’t really match the rapid shifts in
investment or public opinion in favour of
clean technology solutions that have recently
occurred at the domestic level”, said Gutmann.
“While the UN climate
talks still tend to discuss climate action
as a burden, more and more people in more
and more countries see it as a benefit,
and taking on this view is what will allow
negotiators to be successful in solving
the big challenges.”
New negotiating text
emerging from the Bonn talks on the last
day could put delegates attending the next
two rounds of negotiations before Mexico
– one in August and one in October – in
a good position to turn trust into traction
in Mexico.
“Bonn reminded parties
that negotiating in good faith is the best
choice, and on this basis Mexico can be
the moment where they agree on a significant
package of actions and solutions, so that
striking a new climate deal in South Africa
the following year becomes a realistic goal”,
said Gutmann.
“While the football
teams of Mexico and South Africa are playing
today’s opening match of the football world
cup 2010, their governments are key players
for success in the low carbon world cup
2011, where it’s not about the victory of
one nation, but about a safe future for
the entire planet.”
The results of a WWF
poll among delegates, observers and journalists
at the Bonn talks revealed that a majority
of people following the negotiations shares
this view. As part of the WWF Climate Deal
Oracle, they were asked when we should and
when we will get a global climate deal.
54.7% of the 265 participants
thought we should get a deal by Mexico this
December. However, 53.6% acknowledged that
– realistically – we’d get this deal only
in South Africa a year later. Opinions among
delegates hardly differed from those expressed
by observers and journalists.
