Climate Change Treaty Negotiations Kick Off in Poznan

For the next two weeks, the nations of the world are meeting in Poznan, Poland, in ongoing negotiations to create the successor to the Kyoto climate treaty.

Scientists say this "son of Kyoto" must mandate very strong action -- cutting global carbon emissions by at least 50% of 1990 levels by 2050, to create any chance of holding global warming to 2-3 degrees Centigrade. The talks are set against the backdrop of the global economic slowdown, with many nations calling for extended timelines or weaker requirements to put off the expense of shifting to clean energy generation.

Not unusually, the talks opened today with calls for cooperation. "Today we are starting our two weeks of difficult work.  Don’t let particular interests obscure objectives and the need to change the present direction taken by humanity,” said Poland Environment Minister Maciej Nowicki,  the President of this year's gathering, according to blogger Jasmeet Sidhu.

Sidhu, a 24-year-old University of Toronto student and member of Canada's youth delegation to the conference, is blogging her first person impressions of the massive two week confab in Poznan.

The foundation for this year's negotiations was created at last year's annual climate meeting in Bali -- sometimes called the "Bali road map." Poznan is seen less as a defining event and more as a major stopover on the road to next year's conference in Copenhagen, where the successor to Kyoto will be hammered out.

The big international drama at these talks usually peaks in the last few days, when the highest level meetings of the national delegations occur.  So these early days of a COP, which generate little hard news, are usually the best days for smaller constituencies and non-governmental/non-profit organizations to get their messages out to journalists who need to meet daily deadlines. Some highlights:

• Despite Minister Nowicki's positive message at the opening ceremony, the Climate Action Network dubbed Poland the first "Fossil of the Day" of COP-14, an award for the country CAN deems to be doing the most to undermine the negotiations. (CAN's FoD web site is not yet updated for COP 14.) Jasmeet Sidhu writes,

  "Poland made history today by winning the sole Fossil Award - the first time ever that a host country has won a Fossil on the first day of COP," explained members of Climate Action Network, which was co-presented the award with members of the Canadian Youth Delegation.

  In his speech today, Prime Minister Donald Tusk made a call for global solidarity on climate change. However Poland has been undermining the plan of 100% auctioning of pollution permits by cutting a loophole for coal-dependent countries (like Poland) and putting a price ceiling into the cap and trade system.

  According to the presenters, Poland is also backtracking on the EU agreement to agree on a target of 30% reduction emissions by 2020.

• "It is incomprehensible how governments believe they can discuss the effects of climate change and agree targets without the input of those who already face [its] impacts," said Mark Lattimer of London-based Minority Rights Group International (MRG), according to New America Media. MRG has put out a report describing how indigenous peoples and minorities are being hit first and hardest by global warming.

  To cite some examples of climate change impact on indigenous communities, the report refers to unprecedented levels of ice-melt in the Arctic region, droughts in east Africa, and a rapid fall in crop yields in Vietnam..."There has been a lot of attention paid to the damage climate change is doing to the environment and the loss of certain plant or animal species, but we aren't sufficiently recognizing its impact on people," said Farah Mihlar, the report's author.

  "There are entire communities that could be lost," she added in a statement. "Cultures, traditions, and languages could be wiped off the earth."

• Chief U.S. negotiator Harlan Watson embarrassed U.S. youth delegates to the conference, says the Environmental News Service: "Watson, representing the outgoing administration of President George W. Bush, dodged reporters' questions about whether or not the United States would commit to emissions targets or funding for developing countries to address global warming." Jamie Henn, one of 20 U.S. youth delegates at COP 14 and a director of the advocacy group 350.org, "asked delegates from other countries to ignore the current U.S. delegation and focus on the next administration's commitments."
• According to Reuters, Mr. Watson defended the Bush administration's climate policies.  As for criticism of same, "'You are quite right. We have had a lot of criticisms and I can show you some scars,' [Watson] quipped."
• WWF handed out walnuts to passers-by to symbolize the group's hope to "crack the climate nut" and get a breakthrough in the negotiations.  Reuters got real nut-cracking on video:

Image: Screengrab from Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand's "countdown to Copenhagen" web clock.