Contact John Parnell in Doha if you have any comments or a story you’d like to share.
By John Parnell
RTCC in Doha
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-Those on the ground in Qatar can also visit the Climate Change Studio in Hall 4, a collaboration between the UNFCCC and RTCC. Contact the Secretariat to request an interview.
– COP President: Pressure grows on COP President Al Attiyah to intervene in Doha stalemate.
– Carbon Markets: Ambitious carbon targets in Doha needed to energise carbon markets.
– Politics: Doha silence on 2015 deal endangers Durban progress.
Today’s headlines:
Canada: Canadian Youth delegate Alana Westwood says she is not expecting much when the country’s environment minister Peter Kent, arrives next week. Canada has pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol but the minister has said he will come to Doha to “protect Canada’s interests”. Given the nation’s vast oil sand reserves, Westwood says this is likely to mean taking a purely obstructionist position in Doha.
UNFCCC: Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres has said governments are doing what they can to find an emissions deal…within the remit set to them by voters. She said everyone needed to take responsibility for climate change and that with increased pressure on governments, greater progress could be made through the talks adding it was “time to be impatient”.
US: The Times of India has published off the record comments by US negotiator Jonathan Pershing. He told NGOs in a closed meeting that he “couldn’t sell equity back home” at the moment, adding that the US did contribute to equity by paying for delegations from poorer countries “even those that “disagree with us” to attend the talks. He also said the US fought for the greatest possible inclusion of civil society groups.
Pershing also criticised the host’s organisation of the talks.
“We are worried frankly about the Qatari vision of a 5 hour session which deals with everything because it may not grapple very well with anything,” he said.
Money, money, money: Yesterday’s epic finance discussions saw a proposal to establish direct discussions between the UNFCCC and the UN’s shipping and aviation bodies (IMO and ICAO) dismissed by China. It was proposed that the panel would speed up the inclusion of shipping and aviation in future climate finance plans. Saudi Arabia said it opposed international taxes of any kind as a source of climate finance as they would negatively impact developing countries.
Poland COP19: Rumours are circulating that the Warsaw COP will see civil society based a 20 minute bus ride away from the main plenary and other official meetings. The talks will be held near the old town but the rest of the COP’s activities, including the NGO booths, will be based away from the discussions. The decision to host the COP in Poland was met with anger earlier this week.
RTCC at COP18: