Filed under: Stop climate change, Thailand | Tags: c2c, COP15, Copenhagen, UNFCC
It was super cold on Friday late evening. After the “climate shame” photo shoot I left Oksnehallen Hall in Copenhagen’s Vesterbro district – the alternative venue given to NGOs, civil society and observers by the Danish Foreign Minister in response to the restricted access at the Bella Center. It’s equipped with television links to the Bella Center until the end of COP15.
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World leaders are scurrying to the Copenhagen airport like rats fleeing a sinking ship. You’d think they were all in the Maldives right now or something, and they could see the water closing in over their heads (if you’ll permit me to mix a couple metaphors).
It’s a gut-busting, heart-breaking cop-out and I’m so very, very angry although sadly not very surprised. The exhaustion we’re all feeling in the Greenpeace team only adds to the appalling sense of frustration – our leaders swanned in and let us all down. The deal isn’t fair or ambitious and it certainly isn’t legally binding. Even though the agreement, such as it is, has yet to be sealed, they have failed.
I hoped it would be different but the skewed nature of international diplomacy has led the Copenhagen summit through two turbulent weeks into an exercise in arm-twisting and back-room deals. The bullying tactics of the developed countries have ensured they have got what they want, despite the attempts of some developing countries to stand their ground.
Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
While we’re waiting to hear the announcements from Copenhagen – here’s a blow by blow account of what’s happened at the Summit so far – written by Martin Lloyd, our climate communications manager:
With thousands of negotiators and hundreds of points to agree it may be impossible to come up with a comprehensive account of what happened. But I’ll try and list some of the highlights.
Filed under: 1, Stop climate change | Tags: c2c, COP15, Copenhagen, UNFCC
There has been snowing since Wednesday night. All Copenhagen landscape turned white. I was on the bus no 250S to Gladsaxe Stadium outside Copenhagen’ city center with Khun Amarit(Mum) – news reporter from Thailand’s Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) who came over here last Saturday to document and report back home.
On December 16 as Climate Justice Action and Climate Justice Now activists planned to enter the COP15 venue and stage “People’s Assembly”, the access has been highly restricted. Metro station at the Bella Center was closed. More barricades and defensive wall were put around the area.
Tomorrow is the last day of the UN climate summit and, by all accounts, the negotiations have descended into complete chaos. The voice of civil society has been increasingly marginalized. There has been no leadership from the developed countries that created the climate crisis. The pleas for survival by developing countries have been ignored. So we’ve taken action to demand leadership in the final 24 hours in order to save these talks and establish a real deal in Copenhagen.
Just moments ago, Greenpeace’s very own Head of State arrived at the Queen’s gala dinner for real Heads of State, 120 of whom are now here for the climate talks. Our distinguished faux-world leader and her entourage entered the dinner and held up two banners reading “Politicians Talk, Leaders Act.” We’re sitting here watching coverage of the action on Danish news as I type. We’re still waiting for photos, but you can see a pic on this Danish news site.
Here’s a short behind-the-scenes video, livestreamed from our Head of State’s motorcade earlier this evening as they approached Parliament:
“We want Copenhagen to not be remembered as a ‘Flopenhagen’, we want a Hopenhagen.”
That was the closing remark of Kumi Naidoo – Greenpeace International Executive Director at the side event on the 1st day of the COP15 to demand the Fair, Ambitious, Binding deal to the Danish Prime Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
Late morning on Sunday, I was asked by Penchom Tang and Kingkorn Narinthon Na Ayutthaya- Thai Working Group for Climate Justice’s colleagues to help taking 9 community leaders from Thailand to participate in “Hit the Production” action conducted by Climate Justice Now! “Hit the Production” Action will target the harbour with a mass blockade as the global shipping industry is at the heart of capitalism, a key symbol of an industrial System that is based on grow and the use of fossil fuels.
‘Sure, I can help” I said.
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A clear blue sky over Christiansborg Slotsplads (Parliament Square) seen two police and military helicopters flying around as about 100,000 people were taking over the area. It marked Global Day of Climate Action in Copenhagen and more than 130 countries around the world to jointly demand world leaders seal a fair, ambitious and legally binding climate deal.
Greenpeace Southeast Asia 