{news} Fw: USGP-INT Australian Green Senator's comments on "Greens in Bali"process

[Justine McCabe]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Feinstein" <mfeinstein at feinstein.org>
To: "GP-US International Committee" <usgp-int at gp-us.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 8:21 PM
Subject: USGP-INT Australian Green Senator's comments on "Greens in 
Bali"process


> for your information
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: RE: [UNFCC-Bali] Seeking Green responses to UNFCCC Bali
> document/process
> Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:13:06 +1100
> From: Woldring, Oliver (Sen C. Milne) <Oliver.Woldring at aph.gov.au>
> CC: Milne, Christine (Senator) <Senator.Milne at aph.gov.au>
>
> I was in Bali in my capacity as Vice President of the IUCN (the
> International Union for the Conservation of Nature) and also as an
> Australian Greens party Fed Senator.
>
> It was wonderful to meet so many other Green MP's and their staffers and
> I applaud the Heinrich Boll foundation in particular for their
> reception. It was a wonderful opportunity for building Green networks
> and camaraderie. As usual the Foundation also did a wonderful job in
> exposing the furphy that nuclear power is a solution to climate change
> in a well organised and well attended side event. Thanks must also go to
> Mike Feinstein for gathering as many Greens as could be found in the
> chaos of the many thousands of delegates for a special gathering. It was
> a big and much appreciated effort, especially as he undertook this at
> the request of Global Greens at the last minute.
>
> Nonetheless I feel Bali was a lost opportunity to have a clearer
> presence as the Global Greens. Members were scattered through many
> Government and non-government delegations and had little opportunity to
> present as one voice. It is particularly important that the Global
> Greens find a mechanism to do so at future UNFCCC conferences because we
> are the only political party which has global reach, is united under one
> charter and has a serious, scientifically-based agenda to reduce
> greenhouse gas emissions. It is critical that at future events we are
> able to book press conferences and side-events as the Global Greens.
>
> Notwithstanding the current difficulties which preclude registration as
> the Greens Party the presence of Greens from many counties did have a
> significant impact, particularly on the European delegation, especially
> relating to biofuels.  The European Union is now likely to reduce its 10
> per cent biofuels target because of the perverse outcome on destruction
> of tropical forest in the conversion to palm oil. This would be a very
> positive move.
>
> IUCN was in Bali to try to insure that biodiversity considerations are
> taken into account in the development of carbon reduction strategies and
> financial mechanisms. The protection of natural forest under REDD
> (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in Developing
> Countries) is an issue that the Greens need to engage with everywhere as
> the amount of carbon sequestered in natural ecosystems, especially
> mature forest, combined with their biodiversity and ecosystem services
> value make this a central issue for environmental protection and poverty
> reduction
>
> The outcome of the Bali COP/MOP, although not unexpected was very
> disappointing. The urgency of the global crisis played second fiddle to
> national sovereignty. While delegation after delegation spoke of the
> seriousness of global warming it was clear that political will does not
> yet exist to respond to the crisis quickly enough to avoid catastrophic
> climate change. The Greens are needed in this political context more
> than ever.
>
> While Australia, following the change of Government in the November 2007
> election agreed to ratify the protocol but they are still chairing the
> Umbrella Group and it is unclear whether it will use this position to
> continue to stall and frustrates negotiations or to demonstrate
> leadership in by dragging recalcitrant governments like the USA closer
> to the more realistic targets. Domestically there is still no commitment
> to underpin national policy with an objective of restraining the average
> global temperature rise to 2 C or less.
>
> The success of the Greens in the election means that after July 2008 the
> Australian Greens will have five Senators, party status for the first
> time and will share balance of power in the Senate. Achieving more
> rigorous reduction targets and policies on climate change will be our
> top priority in this new political arrangement.
>
>
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