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Kyoto - A Crucial First Step

By Tony Juniper

17 February, 2005
The Guardian

The Kyoto protocol represents not only a great victory for environmental campaigners who have fought for more than a decade to highlight the threat posed by climate change; it is a victory for everyone who has an interest in human quality of life.

The very fact that 141 countries from around the world have reached a common understanding of the threat posed by climate change, and have agreed to work together to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions shows that international cooperation is possible and can lead to progress.

As the governments involved in the Kyoto negotiations know, it was no easy victory. There are a vast range of powerful players who do not see it as in their interests to recognise, let alone tackle climate change.

The obstructive stance of the Bush administration did not help. The corporate powers that profit from our fossil fuel economy, such as ExxonMobil, have tried to undermine the Kyoto Protocol at every opportunity, funding research intended to discredit the science of climate change and attempting to create dissent where consensus was required.

So today is a great victory. But it is only the first battle in the war against climate change, because the commitments made by governments under Kyoto do not go anywhere near far enough.

The international climate change task force made it clear just last week that we might have just 10 years in which to stabilise and start reducing emission levels. The UK government's chief scientific advisor, Sir David King, has highlighted the fact that we need to be moving towards reducing global emissions by 80%, rather than the Kyoto provision for a 5% reduction.


Climate change poses a threat to life as we know it, in the UK and around the world. A global rise in temperature of just 2C will threaten tens of millions of people with increased risk of hunger and greater vulnerability to disease, including malaria. Millions will find their homes and land at risk from flooding, while billions will face increased water shortages.

To tackle this threat with confidence we need to build a strong global understanding and act together. The European Union has an essential role to play in leading global action, and if it is to carry out that role effectively it must remain strong, rather than pandering to the position of the Bush administration and its corporate backers.

George Bush's rejection of Kyoto is of course lamentable. But the United States will eventually come on board. They will have no choice. There is already some interest within the US business community and states such as California are taking important steps.

As the advantages of new technologies become apparent, not just for the environment, but also for jobs, exports and development, the US will want to be part of the new economy. Cutting carbon dioxide emissions is not just good for the environment; it makes long term business sense.

Indeed, the Kyoto protocol sends a powerful message to board rooms and the global market that tackling climate change is a priority and that ignoring the problem will inevitably bear financial costs.

In the short term, moving to cleaner sources of energy has a price, but our current dependence on dirty fossil fuels such as oil and coal cannot be sustained. The costs of new energy compared to the costs of climate change are a small price to pay, as insurance industry figures make clear.

Kyoto has also put climate change firmly on the political agenda, raising public understanding of the issues at stake. Reaching political agreement on taking action is no easy task, and democratic governments need a public mandate to act.

Tony Blair has already indicated his intention to put climate change on the agenda for the G8 this year. More importantly, he must also make use of his role as president of the EU. This year is crucial, with the first international climate negotiations taking place in November to discuss what happens after Kyoto.

Intense efforts are needed to maintain the political momentum and find a way forward that works for rapidly developing economies, such as China and India, who must be brought on board. Finding a way forward will not be easy, but progess is essential and the stakes are high.

· Tony Juniper is executive director of Friends of the Earth


 

 

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