Copenhagen Day 3: Divisions Flaring

Let’s start today’s Copenhagen debrief with a one minute animated video blog produced for Copenhagen called WAKE UP! [2] (VIDEO)

And then, a (tad bit less engaging) video round up of yesterday’s press conference by the Climate Action Network International [3] (VIDEO), featuring the latest news on France’s commitment to push for 30% emissions reductions from 1990 levels by 2020 as well as some less scrupulous Western European antics on deforestation.

For the global campaigners rapid response meeting this morning, the focus was on urging the European Union to put a 40% mitigation target from 1990 levels on the table [4] (VIDEO) and on pressuring the Japanese to solidify their commitment on long-term financing. There was also discussion about Danish text for an agreement that was leaked to the press; the Danish Prime Minister Lokke Rasmussen was roundly criticized yesterday and today for the lack of transparency in the process of negotiating the text, and particularly for his failure to include voices from the global south. The leaked text was, needless to say, neither fair nor ambitious. And it would not deliver on the financial support required by developing countries.

Meanwhile, negotiations were suspended for several hours today as regional and national political divisions deepened within the G77 (77 developing countries that usually stand as a negotiating bloc with China). There’s a battle going on between Alliance of Small Island States, the African Least Developed Counties and Saudi Arabia/China/India/other Arab states as to whether they will get a “contact group” on setting up a new protocol as proposed by the Pacific small island state of Tuvalu. There was a rapid response action in support of Tuvalu’s move [5] (VIDEO) organized outside the plenary negotiating session which was scheduled to reconvene at 3 p.m. today after a decision had been made.

At 3:15 p.m., Connie Hedegaard, the President of the negotiations here, reconvened the meeting saying that the parties were unable to agree on how to proceed, but that a senior member of her team will meet with the parties to come to agreement. In essence, the parties have never agreed whether there will be one treaty or two treaties (i.e., Kyoto extension and another treaty, or one new treaty). Canada, Australia, Japan, and others want to avoid responsibility under a continued Kyoto protocol and many developing countries believe that we shouldn’t let Kyoto go without something at least as strong -- if not stronger -- to replace it.

I spent a good part of the day working to establish relationships with groups in the global south to try to be of some greater use in these negotiations (a tall order with 25,000 people in the mix!). And EPA Administrator Jackson reportedly held two very emotional meetings with representatives from the global south – one was a youth delegation. The message the youth sent was clear – we are in a fight for our survival and what the U.S. is doing is not enough!

Tomorrow, President Obama will be in Oslo to accept his Nobel Peace prize – a prize administration officials have said he didn’t ask for and didn’t want. But he’s getting it, and there is a global campaign afoot and 1Sky joins our allies in saying “Win it in Oslo. Earn it in COP15".

Please, join us in calling the White House now [6] urging Obama to lead in Copenhagen.

Today’s Fossil of the Day awards [7] included the first ever RAY of the Day [8] (VIDEO) – for a country that actually did something important to advance the negotiations: Tuvalu! But note...that like everything else here, the decision to award Tuvalu a “Ray” was disputed amongst the NGOs…