Campaigners tell rich countries not to gamble planets future

|PIC1|Rich countries risk gambling the planet’s future if they let go of the only legal agreement on tackling climate change, say campaigners.

Christian Aid, CAFOD, Friends of the Earth and the World Development Movement are accusing the European Union, the US and other rich nations of trying to abandon the existing Kyoto protocol and its legally binding targets on greenhouse gas emissions, and replace it with a treaty that will spread obligations out across all countries.

In their new briefing, Don’t Kill Kyoto, the campaigners admitted the Kyoto protocol had shortcomings but warned against doing away with it completely as it was still the only existing legal architecture for setting legally binding emissions targets for developed countries.

“It must be preserved as the cornerstone of any agreement in Copenhagen,” they said.

World leaders are due to meet in Denmark’s capital next week to decide on whether to maintain the Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012, and introduce a second commitment period.

The campaign groups warned that failure to reach agreement in Copenhagen could weaken “already inadequate” international action on climate change.

They are urging the UK and the EU to support the Kyoto protocol and push for a second commitment period.

“Rich countries must stop playing roulette with the future of the planet,” said Eliot Whittington, Christian Aid’s Senior Adviser on climate justice.

“Instead of trying to scrap the Kyoto Protocol, they should recognise that it is a strong foundation on which countries urgently need to base their new commitments to tackle climate change.
“Furthermore, it is the only foundation we have – and because the world is warming so fast and people are already suffering as a result, there isn’t enough time to abandon it and build a completely new one.”

Around 3,000 Christians are expected to take part in peaceful demonstrations in London on Saturday to put pressure on the Government to push for an agreement in Copenhagen.

An ecumenical service will be held at Methodist Central Hall in Westminster prior to the demonstrations. The service will be joined by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols.