Yesterday Nathan Thanki addressed the opening plenary of the 18th Conference of the Parties (UN climate negotiations to you and me) on behalf of the youth constituency ‘YOUNGO’. These addresses, given at the opening and closing of each track of the negotiations, are collaboratively written by young people themselves. In case you’ve missed it, here’s a video and transcript of Nathan’s intervention.
Yesterday Nathan Thanki addressed the opening plenary of the 18th Conference of the Parties (UN climate negotiations to you and me) on behalf of the youth constituency ‘youngo’. These addresses, given at the opening and closing of each track of the negotiations, are collaboratively written by young people themselves.
COP18 Youth Intervention from Earth in Brackets
It’s barely a month since Hurricane Sandy showed us that huge loss and damage from climate change is the new normal. We’re as terrified by that as we are tired of excuses from some of you. In Cancun and Durban you saved the process, but at the risk of sacrificing people and planet. Now it seems Doha will be all about deception and cheating. Developed countries, you’re cheating on mitigation, on money, and on the Durban mandate, while blaming and shifting responsibility to the developing world. You’re cheating on mitigation with a weak second commitment period where loopholes outweigh reductions! You’re cheating by ignoring your historical responsibilities and comparable efforts. You’re cheating on the mandate: Durban was a package involving a meaningful second commitment period, and successful completion of the Bali Action Plan, not just the ADP… You’re cheating on money. We have little faith that we’ll see the insufficient promise of $100bn by 2020. The Fast start experience has shown your climate finance to be fragmented, inadequate, repackaged ODA. Why should we believe that in 2020 you will live up to additional finance and serious mitigation? You keep saying “tomorrow,” but “tomorrow” is not a day of the week. Today you have a choice to start building a legacy. Will it be a 6 degree warmer world; with submerged islands, exacerbated poverty and lives at risk? Will it be one of broken promises and distrust? If so, “count us out.” Or will it be one that supports sustainable development and livelihoods? Will it be one that leaves future generations with a liveable planet? Will it be ambitious and equitable? What will your climate legacy be?
It’s barely a month since Hurricane Sandy showed us that huge loss and damage from climate change is the new normal. We’re as terrified by that as we are tired of excuses from some of you.
In Cancun and Durban you saved the process, but at the risk of sacrificing people and planet.
Now it seems Doha will be all about deception and cheating. Developed countries, you’re cheating on mitigation, on money, and on the Durban mandate, while blaming and shifting responsibility to the developing world.
You’re cheating on mitigation with a weak second commitment period where loopholes outweigh reductions! You’re cheating by ignoring your historical responsibilities and comparable efforts.
You’re cheating on the mandate: Durban was a package involving a meaningful second commitment period, and successful completion of the Bali Action Plan, not just the ADP…
You’re cheating on money. We have little faith that we’ll see the insufficient promise of $100bn by 2020. The Fast start experience has shown your climate finance to be fragmented, inadequate, repackaged ODA.
Why should we believe that in 2020 you will live up to additional finance and serious mitigation? You keep saying “tomorrow,” but “tomorrow” is not a day of the week.
Today you have a choice to start building a legacy. Will it be a 6 degree warmer world; with submerged islands, exacerbated poverty and lives at risk? Will it be one of broken promises and distrust? If so, “count us out.”
Or will it be one that supports sustainable development and livelihoods? Will it be one that leaves future generations with a liveable planet? Will it be ambitious and equitable?
What will your climate legacy be?