The impacts of global warming are already being felt. If we don’t act now, the climate crisis will become much worse, dramatically impacting people around the world and causing irreversible damage to the environment. Friends of the Earth believes we can and must solve this crisis and do so in an equitable and responsible way, but the path ahead is not easy. It will require bold leadership and a broad transformation of our society.
Friends of the Earth is working for aggressive legislation in the United States that quickly reduces -- and eventually ends -- our country's emissions of heat-trapping gasses. We are also participating in Friends of the Earth International's efforts to bring the international community together behind a strong global climate agreement, without which this problem cannot be solved.
Read the latest news and updates from our Global Warming campaign:
Yesterday, African activists as well as members of African parliaments attending climate negotiations in Copenhagen demanded that wealthy nations step it up.
Directly following a meeting with the Sudanese delegate Lumumba Di-Aping, who heads the main developing country negotiating bloc here, during which he outlined the contours of a potential bold new African position on the climate negotiations and new findings on the dire impacts of climate change on African livelihoods, a group of African activists initiated an impromptu demonstration in the halls of the Bella Center (where the climate summit is taking place) shouting, “2 degrees -- suicide; 1 degree – 1 Africa.”
Today Young Friends of the Earth is saying "Up Yours" to the European Union as they call for stronger emission reduction targets along with adequate funding to help the countries most vulnerable to climate change deal with its impacts. They demonstrated with signs calling for a commitment to emissions reductions of 40 percent without using any offsets. This is the type of commitment developed countries urgently need to make to allow for real progress in protecting the environment and those around the world who stand to suffer the most from global warming.
Monday marked the first full day of climate negotiations in Copenhagen. In spite of pleasant words at the opening sessions, deadlock continues around the key issues of emissions reductions and money on the table for developing countries.
A coalition of civil society groups from around the world, including Friends of the Earth International, issued a statement on December 7, 2009 strongly criticizing the Danish government for acting in a biased, manipulative and nontransparent manner in its role as President of the Conference of the Parties. Read it here.
BREAKING: African civil society groups and parliamentarians marched this evening through the halls of the conference center in Copenhagen shouting: "2 degree - suicide! One degree - one Africa!." More on this emotional action to come soon!
Our team in Copenhagen is creating video updates to give you a first-hand peak at what's happening at the climate negotiations.
On Day 1 of the climate conference in Copenhagen, Nick provides the first update from our team over there, giving a brief overview of what's at stake in efforts to yield an international solution to climate change. Check back later for more "newsy" updates on breaking developments from Day 2 of the negotiations.
We're already making news in Copenhagen. Friends of the Earth and other groups called out the Danish government for acting in a biased, manipulative and nontransparent manner as it presides over the UN climate conference. Danish leaders are holding secret meetings that exclude representatives from developing countries -- and then ignoring their demands!
The final negotiating days before Copenhagen just wrapped up today in Barcelona. At this point, prospects for reaching a meaningful international climate agreement in December are dim. Wealthy countries continue to refuse to make strong commitments. U.S. negotiators have made clear that they want a new agreement based on pledge and review – a system that will ditch agreed global targets for emissions reductions and the compliance provisions needed to enforce them. Instead of extending and strengthening countries’ commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, as these discussions were intended to do, there is now a push to scrap it for a non-binding alternative. This will be a huge step backwards that science says we cannot risk.
Following the African negotiators' bold move yesterday to boycott further negotiations until rich countries agree to live up to their responsibilities on emissions reductions, a compromise was struck on continued discussions under the Kyoto Protocol negotiating track.
