adminThe difference is in the choices that people make. Faced with the challenge of climate change and global warming, it is up to the world to choose to remain frustrated or come out of the frustration, to swim or sink, to remain stuck in the hole of political and social indecisiveness or be pragmatic and free themselves.
The first steps of addressing climate change in the world and on livelihoods were taken during the landmark Earth Summit in 1992.
A concrete and legally binding treaty at Kyoto followed five years later after the summit.
Two decades after the first inclusive global climate conference, progress has been painstakingly slow, frequently punctuated by unnecessary disputes and broken promises on limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
In the mean time, climate change manifesting in increased droughts, floods, erratic rainfall patterns etc accelerated havoc on millions of poor souls, particularly in Africa and other least developed countries.
The world cannot continue to look aside. African ministers of environment made that position abundantly clear last week.
Though absolving Africa from any tangible commitments, the ministers want developed countries to deliver on their Kyoto promises and pay for the pollution they have caused.
African ministers have proclaimed their expectations for Durban, which in fact is a euphemism for demands made through a communiqué titled Bamako Declaration on Consolidating the African Common Position on Climate Change.
This was released recently following an African ministerial conference on the environment held in Mali in September.
The paper represents Africa’s collective position on climate change negotiations ahead of the yearly United Nations Climate Summit to be held in Durban, South Africa late November.
Among Africa’s key demands for Durban is that the conference delivers a balanced outcome that buttresses the current climate change regime, deliver on sustainable development and increase climate funding as well as deeply cutting emissions.
The group wants developed countries to stop playing poker with the future of the world, especially Africa by showing credible commitment for a second period of limiting carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol in the post 2012 era.
The first commitment period expires in December next year having achieved little, save for a widening rift between pledges and action on emission cuts and climate funding.
Africa is looking for concrete and fundamental improvements to the present a negotiating framework that requires increased response from developed nations to reverse or at best mitigate the severe impact of climate change.
Zimbabwe’s expectations may indeed have eloquently captured within the common African position.
On its own, local climate change analysts say the country could not have benefited much, because for some unknown reasons it joined Kyoto very late.
Zimbabwe only committed to the Protocol in 2009 despite clear evidence of the country’s vulnerability to climate change variability.
A multitude of rural farmers have been left at the mercy of donor and government food handouts following a string of droughts in recent years.
Urban dwellers have been exposed to a variety of pressures including water shortages.
However, developed nations do not seem to be reading from the same script as with their African partners and others from the developing world.
There is emerging evidence developed nations want to alter the Protocol into a voluntary instrument that reduces their own emission commitments and simultaneously force developing countries to come to the party.
Others have actually threatened to discontinue the negotiations if emission pledges are not extended to include the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
This divergence of opinions and targets is deep seated in both the African, developing countries group and developed nations group.
It presents a major challenge for Durban and Africa at a time when the world needs to act as one to curtail global warming and establish a long lasting solution to the widespread problems caused by climate change.
Climate change expert Dr Leonard Unganai believes the talks are fragile but must maintain focus on promoting sustainable development in Africa’s interest.
He said Zimbabwe’s expectations from the Durban conference will be guided by emerging global discourse around climate change, such as those enunciated by the African ministers of environment.
“Increase in occurrence of extreme weather events particularly drought and floods are a threat to sustainable socio-economic development in developing countries such as Zimbabwe where the economic fabric is closely tied to nature and climate sensitive sectors like agriculture,” explained Dr Unganai.
“Getting the world’s political leaders to commit themselves fully to addressing climate change in pursuit of sustainable development is not too much to ask from the Durban conference.”
He said another priority area would be the need to drive climate change mitigation forward.
“Our expectation is that Durban will build on the success of Cancun and produce building blocks for a predictable, implementable architecture for combating climate change with sustainable development as the central goal.”
Any delays would be catastrophic. Dr Unganai said the key challenge going forward is the issue of a legally binding second commitment period post 2012.
Mr Mukundi Mutasa, a climate change researcher and campaigner says the debate on limiting emissions is now polarised and while negotiations at Durban may be slow it is important for Africa to look beyond 2012.
He said: “It appears there is a general feeling that Durban is just another venue…However, we do hope that either way, the Durban conference will result in an agreement being reached on the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
“The target is to ensure that the subject does not fall off its perch after the meeting.
“Rather there should be sustained programmes to enhance the people’s awareness of the subject, how they should adapt to the impacts and how climate resilient communities can be created.”
Mr Mutasa encouraged that identified loopholes in the current agreement should be tightened with a view to enhancing ownership of the agreement amongst the parties.
” . . . We need an all inclusive agreement so that we can tackle this problem together. Cancun was credited for steering the talks back on track after the Copenhagen debacle, but more still needs to be done or else we will still be in the same boat come 2012,” he said.
The civic society has also voiced concern at the direction that developed countries have been driving the negotiations.
At a recent meeting in Panama, the last before Durban, civic organisations said climate negotiations “were becoming like a Shakespearean tragedy with betrayal piled upon broken promises.”
An official at the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance said South Africa has a big responsibility to the peoples of Africa and the world to ensure an inclusive, transparent and democratic process.
“Africa needs an agreement in Durban on the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol and not the lowest common denominator where everyone does nothing so everyone can agree,” said the
official.
Indeed Africa is unflinching in its demands for Durban and beyond.
“You cannot build a table with two legs,” said Mr Tosi Mpanu Mpanu of the DRC, which is the chair of the 53 African countries represented in the UN climate change negotiations.
“We are doing our part. We need progress on climate finance and emission cuts by the industrialised countries for success in Durban.”
Whether these demands would be met is another issue. But Africa targets to contain global warming at a maximum 1.5 degrees Celsius. To achieve this it wants developed countries party to the Kyoto Protocol to honour their commitments through ambitious mitigation, commitments for a second and subsequent commitment period.
Developed countries must reduce emissions by 40 percent by 2050 relative to 1990 levels, stressed the African ministers.
Funding must also be released to finance measurable mitigation and adaptation strategies as well as technology transfer and capacity building.
God is faithful.
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