09
Dec 2008 - Warsaw, Poland – At a manifestation
outside of today's summit between German
Chancellor Angela Merkel and Polish Prime
Minister Donald Tusk, green groups from
around the world called on both leaders
to stop their obstruction of a strong package
of new EU climate and energy laws.
The manifestation, attended
by green campaigners from more than 20 countries
from every world region, was organised by
a spontaneous coalition including Avaaz,
Greenpeace and WWF in reaction to Poland's
and Germany's attacks on the EU talks in
recent days. Representatives of more than
100 NGOs woke before dawn today to take
an early train from the UN talks in Poznan
down to Warsaw and air their protest.
"If Merkel and
Tusk succeed in weakening the EU climate
package, they will undermine the global
negotiations in Poznan as well," said
Ben Wikler, campaign director for Avaaz.org.
"Just last year, Merkel was a global
climate leader. Does she want to be remembered
as one of the world's biggest climate obstructionists?"
Campaigners particularly
singled out Merkel for reversing her previous
leadership on climate issues.
"Merkel is about
to ruin the EU climate package she herself
created last year." says Tobias Muenchmeyer,
climate expert at Greenpeace. „Merkel is
at crossroad and needs to decide now: Does
she want to serve the coal industry or does
she want to serve the planet?”
A strong EU package
is considered crucial for progress at the
ongoing UN climate talks in Poznan and beyond,
as developing countries are waiting for
industrialized nations to show leadership
and responsibility.
While officially supporting
carbon cuts, Merkel and Tusk are insisting
on exceptions for their country's coal power
plants and heavy industry.
"Angela Merkel
and Donald Tusk are trying to shoot huge
loopholes into the EU climate and energy
package", says Kim Carstensen, Leader
of the WWF Climate Initiative. "They
want to protect jobs by watering down their
climate commitments, but in reality a strong
European climate policy will strengthen
Europe’s competitiveness and create more
jobs, not less."
In a petition circulated
by Avaaz.org last week, 114,347 people from
192 countries called on Merkel, Tusk, and
other European leaders to support a strong
EU climate and energy package. In a joint
letter (s.attachment) the Executive Directors
of WWF International, Greenpeace International
and Oxfam International had urged Merkel
to return to the path of global leadership
in climate protection.
Christian Teriete, WWF International
+ More
Earth Hour to be huge
call for climate action
10 Dec 2008 - Poznan,
Poland - Dozens of events around the world
today marked the launch of the campaign
for Earth Hour 2009, a global climate event
for which 74 cities in 62 countries have
already committed to switch off their lights
at 8:30pm on March 28.
The Earth Hour 2009
campaign aims to have more than one billion
people in 1,000 cities turn off lights for
one hour in a graphic demonstration of support
for determined international action on climate
change.
A key event is scheduled
for Poznan, Poland where world nations are
currently meeting under the banner of the
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC). They are charged with thrashing
out a new international climate change agreement
which needs to be signed off at next December’s
UNFCCC summit.
“When leaders gather
in Copenhagen to negotiate a new global
deal on climate, they must feel that the
eyes of the world are upon them,” said James
Leape, Director General of WWF International.
“Earth Hour provides an opportunity for
the public to send a powerful signal that
that they are watching and that they expect
action.”
Cities already listed
to participate in Earth Hour 2009 include
Cape Town, Chicago, Copenhagen, Dubai, Hong
Kong, Istanbul, Las Vegas, Lisbon, London,
Los Angeles, Manila, Mexico City, Moscow,
Nashville, Oslo, Rome, San Francisco, Singapore,
Sydney, Toronto, and Warsaw.
Some of the international
icons which will go dark for an hour in
solidarity include the world’s tallest hotel
tower (the Burj Dubaiin Dubai), the tallest
towers in the Americas (the CN tower in
Toronto) and the southern hemisphere (the
Sky Tower in Auckland) and Moscow’s Federation
Tower. Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf has
confirmed his support for Earth Hour while
Quirinale - the official residence of the
President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio
Napolitano – will also turn its lights off.
Other landmarks which plan to merge into
the night sky include the normally floodlit
Table Mountain over Cape Town, South Africa
and the Sydney Opera House.
“The global economic
meltdown has demonstrated that the world
can unite and take action in times of crisis,”
said Kim Carstensen, who leads WWF’s Global
Climate Initiative. “That same decisive,
multilateral approach is needed as we face
the rapidly escalating climate crisis. Turning
'off' for Earth Hour sends a powerful message
to our leaders that they must do what’s
necessary to secure the future of the Earth.”
Many organizations around
the world announced their support for Earth
Hour, including the C40 Large Cities Climate
Leadership Group.
“The C40 Climate Leadership
Group is about cities working together to
drive down greenhouse gas emissions and
that is why as Chair of the C40 I support
Earth Hour,” said Toronto Mayor David Miller.
“It's crucial that cities and the public
come together to take action against climate
change and Earth Hour provides a great platform
to do that.”
