COP 16 Day 3 – “You have been negotiating our entire lives – You cannot tell us you need more time”

Day 3, and what a day!

COP16 has well and truly begun, with all 4 of the major negotiating tracks now running, and negotiators haven’t missed a single second. So much progress is being made, it’s phenomenal (and very exciting)! So here’s our update for the day…

The Negotiations

Our beloved Kyoto Protocol (the original negotiation track of the UNFCCC) is at risk of being thrown out to the trash. The Japanese delegation recently declared that under no circumstances would they re-sign on for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (KP), which threatens the sustainability of the entire protocol. This would mean that both the USA and Japan (2 countries who play a vital role in the political negotiations here at COP) would no longer be bound by the KP, which may lead to a cascade of nations doing the same.

But what is the KP… And why is this so terrible? The KP has formed an integral part of the negotiations since 1995, and is the central agreement around which much of the world’s policy on climate change mitigation is based. But… two key groups are fighting for its survival… AOSIS (the Alliance of Small Island States), and the CSO (Civil Society Organisations – like the IFMSA)… and we won’t let them take our KP!  😉

Despite this, there is a feeling of positivity in the building, and many believe that here in Cancun, we have a real chance of setting up a positive plan for action which will stand us in good stead for COP17 (in Durban, South Africa)

The IFMSA

But, if you think the negotiators have been busy… wait until you hear what we’ve been up to!

1. We have teamed up with a BIG way, with the Health-Environment Alliance’s Dr. Hugh Montgomery, to survey EVERY negotiating team at COP16, to see if they understand the links between Climate Change and Health (and at the same time, lobbying for their inclusion in the text)
2. The plans for our “Health Day” are also well underway, and we’re sourcing white coats and large thermometers as we speak – we’ll be running a Direct Action here at COP, showing delegates that a 2 degree increase in temperature (The current minimum predicted rise in global average temperatures) is a fever, highlighting the overwhelming impacts between Climate Change and Health.
3. Today, a new organisation joined the YOUNGO (Youth NGO) Council, The Latin American Coalition, an informal group headed by none other than our “South American Super-Star Expert”, Daniela! Well done, Dani.

So that’s all we’ve got for you… Comments or questions, reply to our posts – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Don’t forget to sign our petition to bring Health back in to the negotiations: www.ipetitions.com/petition/ifmsa

Nick and the COP16 Team