adminchange deals that have disastrous consequences for the continent.
In a joint statement issued last Friday at the end of meeting in Nairobi, the civil society groups cautioned that such blind deals will condemn African peoples to incineration and conflicts.
“The developed countries need to compensate Africa for the full costs of harm by climate change which is largely fuelled by high greenhouse emissions by the industries based in their countries,” said the statement that was read by PACJA co-ordinator Mr Mithika Mwenda.
Last year, the African civil society had mobilised African governments to demand developed countries to cut emissions by at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2015 and 100 percent by 2050 ahead of COP 18 meeting. They called on these countries to accept their historical responsibilities, reconsider their position and recommit without further delay and conditions. The organisations called on the developed countries to honour their pledge of providing US$100 billion every year until 2020.
“The developed countries must also scale up their pledges to fulfil their obligation to provide adequate, new and additional funds as this amount is far from all estimates of climate finance needed by developing countries,” they said in the statement dubbed the Nairobi Declaration.
The meeting called for immediate establishment of an independent process to conduct transparent and consultative verification on developed countries’ claim that they have successfully delivered all Fast Start Finance of over US$30 billion to developing countries during 2010-2012 in accordance with controversial Copenhagen Accord, which metamorphosed into Cancun Agreement.
The climate change activists said developed countries must remove restrictions of intellectual property rights and pay full incremental costs of technology transfer to protect developing countries.
They opposed efforts to sell rather than transfer appropriate technologies, or to strengthen rather than relax intellectual property rights.
Currently, the developed countries are offering technology transfer to developing countries at a cost. But the meeting said developed and developing countries should support the adoption and development of locally innovated technology as well as ensure efficiency in technology transfer and deployment. On agriculture, they called on the UN Framework on Convention on Climate Change to conclude the agriculture negotiations with focus on adaptation.
They urged inclusion of gender equity and enhanced participation of women, youth, indigenous people and marginalised groups in UNFCCC negotiations balancing the differences found in the North and South respectively.
Mwenda noted the inclusion of the local communities and non-state actors contribution to the UNFCCC process and its outcome is essential for informed policy formulation and monitoring of its implementation at all levels.
“The need for adaptation by the African countries and their peculiar vulnerability to climate change, and, above all, indigenous communities, biodiversity, the poor and marginalised communities must be taken into account while looking at the bigger picture of climate change,” he added. – Xinhua.
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