US says ‘no’ in Montreal as churches warn Blair on climate
-11/12/05
On the last day
US says ‘no’ in Montreal as churches warn Blair on climate
-11/12/05
On the last day of climate change talks in Montreal, Canada, the Kyoto Protocol signatories agreed to extend the treaty on emissions reductions beyond its 2012 deadline, and a broader group of countries including the US agreed to non-binding talks on long-term measures.
But the worldís richest nation is still saying a categorical ënoí to any targets, and only moved towards dialogue after a stinging attack on its ìflat wrongî position by ex-president Bill Clinton and remorseless pressure from environmental and political lobbyists.
Meanwhile British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose Montreal representative, Margaret Beckett described the conference as ìa breakthroughÖ and a beginningî, has been warned by the UK climate change coalition, including leading church groups, not to send out confused signals on Kyoto.
The UK coalition ñ the first of its kind ñ has been aiming to highlight the problems human development and ecosystems are facing as ministers discuss the issue in Montreal.
The group, including major agencies like Christian Aid, says that that the threat from climate change is so large that it threatens all the internationally-agreed targets for poverty reduction summed up in the Millennium Development Goals.
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The coalition’s report “Africa: Up in Smoke?”, with a report by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, makes it clear that Mr Blair’s efforts to alleviate poverty in Africa will ultimately fail unless urgent action is taken to halt dangerous climate change.
But in Montreal its demand that any deal to develop the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012 should force countries to adopt greenhouse gas reduction targets which are adequate to stop dangerous climate change was postponed yet again.
After a lot of stalling, the Montreal deal was finally concluded last night in an almost euphoric mood, after a last-minute procedural objection by the Russians held up talks for several hours.
Agreement among Kyoto signatories on plan to deepen emissions cuts after 2012
persuaded US and other Kyoto non-signatories to take part in a non-binding dialogue workshop.
Formal talks can now begin over the precise targets which will be set when the first phase of the Kyoto agreement expires in 2012.
Our commentator told news reporters that, crucially, it sets the scene for discussing how large developing countries like India and China could be brought into the system of limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
NGO and lobby groups will see this as the first step to getting major recalcitrant governments on board, but will regard it of falling way short of what is needed.
At various points in the proceedings US participants withdrew, and at one stage it looked as if they might pull out completely. That eventuality was avoided. But the chief American negotiator, pushed by journalists as to whether this was a first step towards verifiable emission reduction targets, said ìabsolutely no way.î
Both conciliar evangelicals and the ecumenical National Council of Churches USA have been running high profile campaigns on climate change, highlighting the biblical and theological mandate to safeguard the earth as Godís gift.
The World Council of Churches recently declared that climate change is not only a technological, economic and ecological crisis but also a spiritual one.
John Magrath of Oxfam in the UK said: “The Kyoto Protocol must and will go forward. It is the only game in town.”
Meanwhile Andrew Simms of the New Economics Foundation declared: “The UK government’s chief scientific adviser Sir David King, former UN weapons inspector Hans Blix, and Sir John Houghton have all said that global warming is a bigger threat to society than terrorism. That means it needs a stronger international response.”
Last weekend Christian Climate Change campaigners in the UK were part of a day of protests in London which focused on respect for God’s Creation and the need for more urgent responses to human-induced climate change.
[Also on Ekklesia: UN conference told climate change is a ‘spiritual crisis’; Christians to join climate protests; UK Christian agencies act to stop climate chaos; Global warming threatens targets for world’s poor; Methodist church signs climate covenant; Campaigners welcome moves toward greener church; Churches explore contribution to a sustainable Europe; Christians encouraged by Chancellor’s trip to US]
US says ‘no’ in Montreal as churches warn Blair on climate
-11/12/05
On the last day of climate change talks in Montreal, Canada, the Kyoto Protocol signatories agreed to extend the treaty on emissions reductions beyond its 2012 deadline, and a broader group of countries including the US agreed to non-binding talks on long-term measures.
But the world’s richest nation is still saying a categorical ëno’ to any targets, and only moved towards dialogue after a stinging attack on its ‘flat wrong’ position by ex-president Bill Clinton and remorseless pressure from environmental and political lobbyists.
Meanwhile British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose Montreal representative, Margaret Beckett described the conference as ‘a breakthroughÖ and a beginning’, has been warned by the UK climate change coalition, including leading church groups, not to send out confused signals on Kyoto.
The UK coalition – the first of its kind – has been aiming to highlight the problems human development and ecosystems are facing as ministers discuss the issue in Montreal.
The group, including major agencies like Christian Aid, says that that the threat from climate change is so large that it threatens all the internationally-agreed targets for poverty reduction summed up in the Millennium Development Goals.
Related Articles
The coalition’s report “Africa: Up in Smoke?”, with a report by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, makes it clear that Mr Blair’s efforts to alleviate poverty in Africa will ultimately fail unless urgent action is taken to halt dangerous climate change.
But in Montreal its demand that any deal to develop the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012 should force countries to adopt greenhouse gas reduction targets which are adequate to stop dangerous climate change was postponed yet again.
After a lot of stalling, the Montreal deal was finally concluded last night in an almost euphoric mood, after a last-minute procedural objection by the Russians held up talks for several hours.
Agreement among Kyoto signatories on plan to deepen emissions cuts after 2012
persuaded US and other Kyoto non-signatories to take part in a non-binding dialogue workshop.
Formal talks can now begin over the precise targets which will be set when the first phase of the Kyoto agreement expires in 2012.
Our commentator told news reporters that, crucially, it sets the scene for discussing how large developing countries like India and China could be brought into the system of limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
NGO and lobby groups will see this as the first step to getting major recalcitrant governments on board, but will regard it of falling way short of what is needed.
At various points in the proceedings US participants withdrew, and at one stage it looked as if they might pull out completely. That eventuality was avoided. But the chief American negotiator, pushed by journalists as to whether this was a first step towards verifiable emission reduction targets, said ‘absolutely no way.’
Both conciliar evangelicals and the ecumenical National Council of Churches USA have been running high profile campaigns on climate change, highlighting the biblical and theological mandate to safeguard the earth as God’s gift.
The World Council of Churches recently declared that climate change is not only a technological, economic and ecological crisis but also a spiritual one.
John Magrath of Oxfam in the UK said: “The Kyoto Protocol must and will go forward. It is the only game in town.”
Meanwhile Andrew Simms of the New Economics Foundation declared: “The UK government’s chief scientific adviser Sir David King, former UN weapons inspector Hans Blix, and Sir John Houghton have all said that global warming is a bigger threat to society than terrorism. That means it needs a stronger international response.”
Last weekend Christian Climate Change campaigners in the UK were part of a day of protests in London which focused on respect for God’s Creation and the need for more urgent responses to human-induced climate change.
[Also on Ekklesia: UN conference told climate change is a ‘spiritual crisis’; Christians to join climate protests; UK Christian agencies act to stop climate chaos; Global warming threatens targets for world’s poor; Methodist church signs climate covenant; Campaigners welcome moves toward greener church; Churches explore contribution to a sustainable Europe; Christians encouraged by Chancellor’s trip to US]