Developing Countries Take the Lead on Addressing Climate Change at UN Climate Conference in Poznan, Says WWF

As the United Nation’s climate negotiations entered their final stages today, WWF officials said that developing nations were providing leadership by offering constructive proposals and specific commitments, while industrialized nations had stymied progress.

“For many developing countries, which bear little or no responsibility for the current crisis but face both deep poverty and the greatest risks from climate change, taking immediate action is of the highest priority,” said Dr. Richard Moss, vice president for WWF’s climate change program. “Developing countries are clearly demonstrating their concern and commitment.”

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, former Vice President Al Gore, and many others highlighted the leadership of such countries as China, Mexico and Brazil in remarks made during the Poznan talks.

By comparison, hopes for EU leadership were dashed as European leaders watered down the EU’s climate package during a parallel meeting in Brussels. Other industrialized countries openly undermined progress, said WWF officials, while the US was largely sidelined amid the transitioning presidential administration.

“In order to satisfy our historical responsibility for the climate crisis, developed countries must help developing countries transition to low carbon economies as well as provide adaptation support for ecosystems and human communities facing the greatest threats,” Moss said. “In the US, the alleged inaction by China and India is often cited as a reason that we cannot act. We need to recognize that these countries are not an impediment to progress, while at the moment, we are. We need to step up to the plate with our own commitment to emissions reductions at home and support for technology cooperation, adaptation, forest protection and mitigation actions in developing countries.”

WWF said the relative lack of progress in Poznan means that governments will have to work doubly hard to reach a new global climate deal in Copenhagen in 2009.

“This was a moment in time when real leaders would have stepped up and taken the positions that would combat the economic and climate crisis at the same time,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of the WWF Global Climate Initiative. “Instead, industrialized countries preached sermons about the importance of climate protection in the Poznan plenary while lacking or attacking policies to make it happen at home – a serious sign of climate hypocrisy.”

WWF said many opportunities were wasted in Poznan, in particular the failure to include crucial biodiversity issues and the rights of indigenous peoples in the final text on the issue of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation.

One positive decision reached at the climate talks was the move to put the Board of the Adaptation Fund into operation, with the hope that money will finally begin to flow to support the poorest countries in their efforts to stem dangerous climate impacts.

Governments managed to at least make procedural decisions on a work plan that will advance the UN climate framework into full negotiation mode. According to that plan, industrialized countries are expected to announce emission reduction targets for 2020 in early 2009. WWF urged rich nations to finally set these targets and to aim at cuts that would limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius.

“Despite the lack of significant progress overall in Poznan, we remain optimistic that a global climate deal in 2009 remains possible,” said Moss. “The world has been waiting for the US to engage and needs the US to create momentum in the negotiations. We are confident that the Obama administration will rise to this challenge in the coming months.”

ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND:

WWF is the world’s largest conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, stop the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.

Contacts

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Joe Pouliot, 202-476-9919
Joe.Pouliot {at} wwfus(.)org