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Decision -/CP.13 - Bali "Action Plan"
However: Empty Treaties Just Add Carbon Dioxide!
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The Bali conference on Climate Change" ended with a compromise (14 December 2007).
  • So far so bad.
    The environmental NGOs say that it's lacking firm commitments for greenhouse gas emission reductions.
  • But it is far worse.
    The whole climate change mitigation debate is a series of empty words, based upon a series of false and irreal assumptions. Some of the Kyoto protocol's mechanisms factually result in an increase of greenhous gas emissions.
    The CP.13 document transpires the idea that technology and money will be able to deal with climate change, provided we develop the technologies and that we help the poorer countries by technology transfer and disaster insurance.
    In essence: we hope that human creativity, technology and money will solve the problems.
    The underlying cause of all problem is ignored: economic activity and population size, which are both far beyond the earth's carrying capacity.
  • The worst is that our negotiators and specialists of all kinds still believe that we can and must continue our path of economic growth.
    Virtually all opinion leaders still advocate economic growth, although growth increases emission levels and resource depletion rates, whereas the opposite is required. Even Mr. Pachauri, head of the IPCC, claims that action against climate change would only slightly reduce economic growth. For others climate change is a chance for more economic growth! Sic!, and absolutely sickening.

    Our opinion leaders and power brokers do not understand the following basic facts:
    1. The earth and its resources are finite.
    2. Humanity is already overloading the earth far beyond its carrying capacity. We have to re-balance human society with the envrionment on which we fully depend.
    3. Greenhouse gases are a result of human industrial and industrious activities of many kinds, commonly expressed in GDP - Gross Domestic Product.
    4. In a globalised production and consumption system it is delusive to negociate emissions per country. In fact each person/country is accountable for his/her/its share in resources consumption and emissions according to his/her/its lifestyle measured in dollars/euros/renminbi/yen/rupies.
    5. Emissions accounts per state or per capita only increase the political-economic divide between countries. Each country and each citizen can be held accountable for the climate gases in line with the prevailing standard of living, expressed in standardised units of purchasing power. The rich are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions in other countries equivalent to the value of the products they are importing from those countries.
    6. Development of the poor without a corresponding industry output reduction of the rich will result in increased climate gas emissions.
    7. The climate change issue is frequently being reduced to finding new energy sources.
    8. The general belief is that technology will have to be invented, although that there is no guarantee that this will happen.
    9. Kyoto with its mechanisms like Emissions Trading and Clean Development Mechanisms are the reference, although these mechanisms do not work, can't work and even have the adverse effect of increasing emissions.
    10. Humanity is living far beyond the carrying capacity of this world, not only with regard to greenhouse gas emissions, but for virtually all resources.
    11. Returning to a society that can be sustained by the earth requires a contraction of our economy and therefore a reduction of our wealthy exuberant wasteful lifestyles. This can be achieved by restructuring, localisation, and slowing down, amongst others. This will generate full employment and increase people's well-being.
    12. It could well be that Peak Oil, i.e. a drop in fossil fuels availability, in combination with the effects of climate change, will lead to universal shortages of all kind and thus mark the onset of societal collapse, war and die-off.
    In view of the above the Bali discussions can been qualified as counter-productive activism. The discussions are being lead by members of the disciplines of politics and economics who firmly believe the growth can and must continue on a planet that is finite and running out of resources.
  • Even the climatologists who rightfully demonstrate the climete change developments and effects expound the false belief in continued wealth and economic growth.

    Kindly note that the above points are all backed by scientific evidence and that I am by no means the only person pronouncing them. But it seems the media are firmly aligned with the powers that be and independent scientists find no space to present environmental facts that counter prevailing beliefs.
  • The mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol - Joint Implementation, Clean Development Mechanisms, Carbon Emissions Trading - are either not working or they factually increase the emissions.
  • Carbon sequestration in soils, vegetation, or underground by tecnollogical means are highly uncertain and most probably illusionary "solutions."
  • The Roadmap has a low probability to succeed. It took the Kyoto Protocol 10 years to be negociated and in the 3 years since its validation emissions did not decline but rather increase, in line with economic growth.

    We would advance that the only realistic possibility to redcuce climate gas emissions - and reduce resource depletion simultaneously - lies in a general revision of our economic goals and methods.
  • We can relocalise production and consumption, thereby reducing transportation.
  • We can generally reduce speeds and increase longevity of many products.
  • We can reduce the use of a number of gadgets and machines and do those things manuelly again.
  • We can outlaw a number of utterly useless and harmful activities, such as car racing.
  • We can convince people that population growth increases depletion and misery.
    These measures will dramatically reduce the national GDPs and resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
    They will help to prepare for the iminent time of scarcities of oil and natural gas (Peak Oil).
    Slowing down and demechanisation will create full employment and give a sense of life again to the millions of unemployed.
    The results will be really win-win: happier people, less worried and less stressed, with a more realistic hope on a livable future, albeit on a much lower level of material luxuries. It is forward to past simplicity of life, with a chance on survival.

    Helmut Lubbers, 15 December 2007
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  • Model letters "stop growth"
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    Original: http://unfccc.int/files/meetings/cop_13/application/pdf/cp_bali_act_p.pdf
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    Decision -/CP.13

    Bali Action Plan

    The Conference of the Parties,

    Resolving to urgently enhance implementation of the Convention in order to achieve its ultimate objective in full accordance with its principles and commitments,

    Reaffirming that economic and social development and poverty eradication are global priorities,

    Responding to the findings of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and that delay in reducing emissions significantly constrains opportunities to achieve lower stabilization levels and increases the risk of more severe climate change impacts,

    Recognizing that deep cuts in global emissions will be required to achieve the ultimate objective of the Convention and emphasizing the urgency1 to address climate change as indicated in the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,

    1. Decides to launch a comprehensive process to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention through long-term cooperative action, now, up to and beyond 2012, in order to reach an agreed outcome and adopt a decision at its fifteenth session, by addressing, inter alia:
      (a) A shared vision for long-term cooperative action, including a long-term global goal for emission reductions, to achieve the ultimate objective of the Convention, in accordance with the provisions and principles of the Convention, in particular the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, and taking into account social and economic conditions and other relevant factors;

      (b) Enhanced national and international action on mitigation of climate change, including, inter alia, consideration of:
        (i) Measurable, reportable and verifiable nationally appropriate mitigation commitments or actions, including quantified emission limitation and reduction objectives, by all developed country Parties, while ensuring the comparability of efforts among them, taking into account differences in their national circumstances;
        (ii) Measurable, reportable and verifiable nationally appropriate mitigation actions by developing country Parties in the context of sustainable development, supported by technology and enabled by financing and capacity-building;
        (iii) Policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries;
    ___________________
    1 Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Technical Summary, pages 39 and 90, and Chapter 13, page 776.
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        (iv) Cooperative sectoral approaches and sector-specific actions, in order to enhance implementation of Article 4, paragraph 1(c), of the Convention;
        (v) Various approaches, including opportunities for using markets, to enhance the cost-effectiveness of, and to promote, mitigation actions, bearing in mind different circumstances of developed and developing countries;
        (vi) Economic and social consequences of response measures;
        (vii) Ways to strengthen the catalytic role of the Convention in encouraging multilateral bodies, the public and private sectors and civil society, building on synergies among activities and processes, as a means to support mitigation in a coherent and integrated manner;
      (c) Enhanced action on adaptation, including, inter alia, consideration of:
        (i) International cooperation to support urgent implementation of adaptation actions, including through vulnerability assessments, prioritization of actions, financial needs assessments, capacity-building and response strategies, integration of adaptation actions into sectoral and national planning, specific projects and programmes, means to incentivize the implementation of adaptation actions, and other ways to enable climate-resilient development and reduce vulnerability of all Parties, taking into account the urgent and immediate needs of developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, especially the least developed countries and small island developing States, and further taking into account the needs of countries in Africa affected by drought, desertification and floods;
        (ii) Risk management and risk reduction strategies, including risk sharing and transfer mechanisms such as insurance;
        (iii) Disaster reduction strategies and means to address loss and damage associated with climate change impacts in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change;
        (iv) Economic diversification to build resilience;
        (v) Ways to strengthen the catalytic role of the Convention in encouraging multilateral bodies, the public and private sectors and civil society, building on synergies among activities and processes, as a means to support adaptation in a coherent and integrated manner;
      (d) Enhanced action on technology development and transfer to support action on mitigation and adaptation, including, inter alia, consideration of:
        (i) Effective mechanisms and enhanced means for the removal of obstacles to, and provision of financial and other incentives for, scaling up of the development and transfer of technology to developing country Parties in order to promote access to affordable environmentally sound technologies;
        (ii) Ways to accelerate deployment, diffusion and transfer of affordable environmentally sound technologies;
        (iii) Cooperation on research and development of current, new and innovative technology, including win-win solutions;
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        (iv) The effectiveness of mechanisms and tools for technology cooperation in specific sectors;
      (e) Enhanced action on the provision of financial resources and investment to support action on mitigation and adaptation and technology cooperation, including, inter alia, consideration of:
        (i) Improved access to adequate, predictable and sustainable financial resources and financial and technical support, and the provision of new and additional resources, including official and concessional funding for developing country Parties;
        (ii) Positive incentives for developing country Parties for the enhanced implementation of national mitigation strategies and adaptation action;
        (iii) Innovative means of funding to assist developing country Parties that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change in meeting the cost of adaptation;
        (iv) Means to incentivize the implementation of adaptation actions on the basis of sustainable development policies;
        (v) Mobilization of public- and private-sector funding and investment, including facilitation of carbon-friendly investment choices;
        (vi) Financial and technical support for capacity-building in the assessment of the costs of adaptation in developing countries, in particular the most vulnerable ones, to aid in determining their financial needs;
    2. Decides that the process shall be conducted under a subsidiary body under the Convention, hereby established and known as the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention, that shall complete its work in 2009 and present the outcome of its work to the Conference of the Parties for adoption at its fifteenth session;

    3. Agrees that the process shall begin without delay, that the sessions of the group will be scheduled as often as is feasible and necessary to complete the work of the group, where possible in conjunction with sessions of other bodies established under the Convention, and that its sessions may be complemented by workshops and other activities, as required;

    4. Decides that the first session of the group shall be held as soon as is feasible and not later than April 2008;

    5. Decides that the Chair and Vice-Chair of the group, with one being from a Party included in Annex I to the Convention (Annex I Party) and the other being from a Party not included in Annex I to the Convention (non-Annex I Party), shall alternate annually between an Annex I Party and a non-Annex I Party;

    6. Takes note of the proposed schedule of meetings contained in the annex;

    7. Instructs the group to develop its work programme at its first session in a coherent and integrated manner;

    8. Invites Parties to submit to the secretariat, by 22 February 2008, their views regarding the work programme, taking into account the elements referred to in paragraph 1 above, to be compiled by the secretariat for consideration by the group at its first meeting;
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    9. Requests the group to report to the Conference of the Parties at its fourteenth session on progress made;
    10. Agrees to take stock of the progress made, at its fourteenth session, on the basis of the report by the group;
    11. Agrees that the process shall be informed by, inter alia, the best available scientific information, experience in implementation of the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol, and processes thereunder, outputs from other relevant intergovernmental processes and insights from the business and research communities and civil society;

    12. Notes that the organization of work of the group will require a significant amount of additional resources to provide for the participation of delegates from Parties eligible to be funded and to provide conference services and substantive support;

    13. Strongly urges Parties in a position to do so, in order to facilitate the work of the group, to provide contributions to the Trust Fund for Participation in the UNFCCC Process and the Trust Fund for Supplementary Activities for the purposes referred to in paragraph 12 above and to provide other forms of in kind support such as hosting a session of the group.
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    ANNEX

    Indicative timetable for meetings of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention in 2008
    Session Dates
    Session 1 March/April 2008
    Session 2 June 2008, in conjunction with the twenty-eighth sessions of the subsidiary bodies
    Session 3 August/September 2008
    Session 4 December 2008, in conjunction with the fourteenth session of the Conference of the Parties

    "Bali Roadmap" agreed on, applauded

    From Wikinews, the free news source you can write! December 15, 2007

    After the United States agreed to the changes proposed by India this morning, the so called Bali Roadmap has been agreed on, to applause from all parties. The decision was made at this year's United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali. The Roadmap establishes a time frame and scope for reaching a post-2012 climate change agreement. This includes setting, for industrialized nations, targets for reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Numerous observers and parties had voiced that they see this as being of great importance prior to and during the conference.

    Following the reopening of the plenary at midday, India reiterated its position that part of a paragraph needed to be reformulated. The EU went on to state that in the spirit of negotiations, they agreed with the proposed changes. After some further statements by other nations, the US said that they can not accept the changes, as they would considerably change the balance of the text. This was met with loudly audible booing in the plenary. Some time later, after a number of other nations voiced their opinions and the American delegation could be seen busily debating and writing, the US said they would agree to the consensus position after all. Standing ovations and cheers welcomed this change in position, which allowed the President of the Conference soon thereafter to declare the document decided.

    India this morning had raised objections on one of the central documents of what constitutes the Roadmap. This had made a decision impossible for the time being, as the conference can only pass items unanimously. The objection regarded the phrasing of how nations with developing industries are to take action to slow and reduce their GHG emissions. The President of the Conference, the Indonesian Environmental Minister, had declined the request, stating that the proposal he had made was very finely balanced. The President had then suspended the session so that further consultations could be made.

    No progress was made when the meeting was reopened about an hour later, with China stating that negotiations of the so called Group of 77 and China with the Indonesian Minister of Finance were still ongoing. China then accused the UNFCCC secretariat of deliberately opening the plenary session at a time it knew that their Ministers were in talks. The Chinese delegate went on to demand an apology by the secretariat, and the meeting was again suspended.

    [edit] Yesterday's negotiations Ministerial negotiations had continued through the night until the early morning hours yesterday and the climate conference had been scheduled to decide on the last outstanding items this morning.

    Yesterday evening Yvo de Boer of the UNFCCC had said that the parties were "on the brink of agreement", when he was asked where negotiations currently stand. With almost all open matters having been agreed on by a group of 40 ministers, one of the last outstanding points then was still the question of guideline numbers for GHG cuts.

    Some of the issues that had still been open the day before yesterday (for example how deforestation was to be addressed and the matter of financial support for developing countries to send and support negotiators to the UN climate conferences), had apparently been addressed to everyones satisfaction during yesterdays informal talks. But the talks were still on with regard to preambular text of a document that states how further action to mitigate climate change is to be taken, the inclusion of a 25-40% range for reductions in GHG emissions for industrialized nations by 2020 from 1990 levels being contested.

    The draft decision proposed by the President of the Conference today however, no longer included the numbers, but did make reference to the latest report by the international body of scientists that is charged with assessing the current state of knowledge on climate change. This Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had presented its Synthesis report earlier this year.