Climate change: Group protests permit decision

• Group is seeking Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s intervention to assist them secure the permit.

The activists said time was running out and while the world waited for the richest countries to agree a real deal, some 300,000 people were dying every year in the developing world as a result of the negative effects of climate change.

Pacja, according to their petition, is therefore demanding that African governments and other developing countries pile more pressure in the negotiations since it is them who will suffer most as a result of climate change.

“We must resist the divide and rule tactics and ensure the solidarity within the African Group as well as within G77 & China,” read the petition.

The activists also want the “Danish COP Presidency” and the “Swedish EU Presidency” not to dilute the possible outcomes in Copenhagen.

They should keep up the pressure and strive for a legal deal in Copenhagen.

“If rich countries find the political will to act a fair, ambitious and binding deal can still be sealed in Copenhagen – it is only their reluctance to act that is holding back the talks.”

They also want the negotiators to recognise that the Kyoto Protocol’s legal ‘architecture’ still exists and the UN parties still have the powers to make decisions that could provide the basis for an effective result.

The only thing that is expiring in 2012 is rich countries current commitments to act – the Kyoto Protocol will still be in power and could enforce new targets with a simple amendment.