The final stage of the climate talks taking place in Doha is already here, with a general feeling of frustration, anticipation, and anxiety. World leaders are meeting in Doha to try and make progress on an international climate agreement. So far, the process has been slow and unproductive.
Until today, 6th December 2012, no major decisions have been made, with the Qatari presidency failing to take a firm stand and play a key role in pushing parties to present concrete pledges. A ‘lack of leadership’ is what’s been felt and expressed by many active lobbyists, bloggers, and delegates only a few days after the start of the conference on the 26th of November.
Governments’ representatives from around the globe have travelled thousands of miles to reach Doha and take part in drafting agreements and debating mechanisms to move forward on climate negotiations. Of the most pressing topics are issues on the Green Climate Fund, emission reductions, and the second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol. The expectations of the worldwide civil society and developing countries are to come out of this COP with ambitious pledges on emission reductions, an agreed second commitment phase to the only binding agreement – Kyoto Protocol, – and a start of the flow of billions of dollars, pledged by the developed countries until 2020, into the Green Climate Fund. With the looming financial setbacks of the US and the EU, there is little hope that the fund will receive any money at the end of the conference and the best we could get are more promises to deliver with no commitment period or amount stated. Civil society and international activists are working around the clock to influence delegations, expose government shortcomings and put pressure on parties to raise the calibre of negotiations and start putting pledges. The Arab world’s civil society is building its lobbying momentum and is actively involved for the first time in influencing their governments’ positions on climate politics.
Although climate change is not among the top priorities for the average Arab citizen, it is nonetheless having a grave impact on people’s lives. Much needs to be done on local, national, and regional levels to alleviate the impacts of climate change and enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities that are highly affected. The Arab countries’ representatives have come to Doha with a preconceived notion that their role and any commitments they make at Doha will be secondary and somehow insignificant in comparison to what the rich industrialized countries should be contributing. This victimhood sentiment, however, is bound to change as young Arab environmental activists are monitoring the position of their governments and holding them accountable for their (in)action. The Arab countries have witnessed firsthand the mounting demands of the Arab youth in Doha. The youth’ persistence to be part of the decision making process was remarkable. Demanding a space at the conference to meet with their countries’ representatives, the Arab youth have pushed boundaries to make their voices and concerns heard, with clear and strategic demands: to be included in the decision making processes and be guaranteed support from the governments to continue working in their societies to alleviate climate change impacts; to push their governments to submit ambitious progressive pledges for transparent and participatory national plans of adaptation and mitigation; to have the Arab world lead by example and begin the transformation that our societies and governmental structures are in dire need of to ensure the sustainability of our communities.
The urgency of addressing climate change is pivotal. We are at the tipping point and it will be downhill from here. Governments need to take courageous and unprecedented steps to ensure the progress and safeguarding of people, their livelihood and the planet. Climate change negotiations have started 20 years ago to solve one of the biggest threats to our existence as a human race and governments should be reminded of the urgency of this issue and their responsibility towards their citizens and all mankind, especially the most vulnerable and least developed nations, to stop talking and start acting in order to make tangible change.
The negotiations will end on Friday, 7th of December, and many delegates will return to their home countries with business as usual attitudes. It’s up to us: the international and national lobbying groups, civil society, and activists to keep pressuring our governments to honour pledges, to raise their emissions reduction targets, increase investment in renewable clean energy, and take a progressive role in pushing for an equitable and fair global treaty to be signed in 2015 and to come in force in 2020.
Nobody put it in a better perspective than the lead negotiator of the Philippines delegation in the Kyoto Protocol plenary while addressing the parties convened saying: If not us, who? If not now, when? If not here, where?
This are questions for all of us, as we all share the threats and we all must share the responsibility to act, mobilize, and change.