From Crevice to Chasm

By Julian Velez Developed countries are trying to undermine the relevance of the Bali Road Map as a whole, as well as the Durban Package laid out last year. These include a 2nd commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (KP), and comparable mitigation actions by developed countries for non-KP parties under the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long Term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) and Nationally Appropriate...

If the Kyoto Protocol is buried in the sands of Doha…

by Nada Zidan "At a time when we should be getting ready for Christmas, we will be counting the dead in our country," said Bernarditas Castro-Muller, Philippines negotiator in the LCA session on agreed outcome on Monday December 3rd, 2012. Irony of fate, typhoon Bopha hit the Philippines on the exact same day Bernarditas stated the above-and just like the hundreds of other extreme...

We stand with the Philippines

Today in the AWG-KP closing plenary the Chair forwarded a contentious draft text to the next level of negotiations; the Phillipines gave this tearful intervention among applause from civil society Madam Chair, Thank you for giving me the floor. I wish to make a statement on behalf of my own country.   At the onset, let me fully support the statement made by Algeria on behalf of G77 and...

For those who speak French: The Haitian Minister’s Speech

By Angeline Annesteus & Lurette Paulime This speech was delivered by the Haitian Minister of the Environment, Jean Vilmond Hilaire, in the high level closing segment of the negotiations. It is a very concise speech that highlights Haiti’s vulnerability to climate change influenced by weather events such as severe hurricanes. 18ème Conférence des Parties de la Convention...

Doha climate deal is conditional: what other alternative does it leave for the Least Developed Countries?

by Angeline Annesteus & Lurette Paulime One of our goals coming to the climate negotiations in Doha was to lobby the Haitian Government. We have been meeting with the delegates and have had some very thought-provoking conversations. However after a long discussion at lunch yesterday with the delegation and the Minister of the Environment, Jean Vilmond Hilaire, we realized how firm they...