December 13, 2009: Copenhagen(Panos) - Small islands states (including the Caribbean) jumped into the spotlight of the United Nations Climate Change discussions in Copenhagen, Denmark when they introduced their own draft text into the negotiations with tremendous support from another 53 non-island countries and the global lobby group, 350.org.
“We are on the frontlines of the climate change crisis – some of our islands will disappear... we accept that but we want an agreement that will ensure our survival,” Krispin Gregoire, the Dominican representative of the Alliance of Small Islands States (AOSIS) told journalists on Friday. He explained that AOSIS had done their own text to encourage further dialogue.
“We released... AOSIS proposal for the survival of the (Kyoto) protocol – as of now the (AOSIS position - our text is seen as the basis for further talks,” he said. “We believe that with a week to go, there is plenty of time left. We want strong emissions reduction from all nations – all countries have a responsibility in this.”
The AOSIS document calls for legally binding agreements that will ensure the survival of the existing Kyoto Protocol on climate change as well long term action on the issues. It also covers major issues such financing, adaptation and technology transfer.
“We want predictable financing to finance insurance and measures to reduce risk from climate impacts,” said Gregoire.
“Today we have put forward a proposal for a legally binding agreement to secure the twin objectives of survival of the Kyoto Protocol and to strengthen the UNFCCC with a new ‘Copenhagen’ Protocol that can be adopted here in Copenhagen”, said Ambassador Dessima Williams of Grenada and AOSIS chair in a press release.
AOSIS has been advocating for developed countries to set stronger emission targets that would result in limiting global average temperatures to at least 1.5 degrees Celsius and also stabilising the greenhouse gas levels (especially carbon dioxide) to 350 parts per million. If these targets are not set, the small islands fear that their countries will disappear due to sea level rise and other climate impacts over the next 50 -100 years. Experts have already predicted that the Caribbean island of Barbuda will sink in about 60 years.
AOSIS concerns have been attracting international support from some of the other 192 countries that are part of the United Nations Climate talks going on in Copenhagen as well as global lobby group 350.org.
“A year ago some said that targets like our 1.5 degrees Celcius would not be considered and now we have 100 countries backing us - not only about 42 like last year,” said Williams, in an earlier interview. The 100 countries include the 43 AOSIS members and an additional 57 non AOSIS members. In turn, 350.0rg announced that over the weekend of Dec 11 – 13, it had mobilised millions of persons from over 130 countries to hold rallies and candlelight vigils in support of the small islands and their targets.
“Some people will say that these are just small islands... – its true these islands lack the large armies to enforce their will on the planet – but we will be the army behind AOSIS,” said Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org. “This weekend millions of people in 3000 events around the world will back this draft text to the hilt. Because everyone on earth lives on a small and endangered island and these people are only ahead of the curve.”
In an impassioned speech Vice president of AOSIS, Ambassador Antonio Lima, welcomed the support for the islands.
“We are an alliance of small islands and sometimes we feel very alone. Years ago there was a representative from a big country that said ‘the islands will disappear, so what?’ We are afraid we are being lost behind everyone in this process – sometimes we have to yell to get them to understand that we are not negotiating business but we are negotiating for our survival,” he said.
“We need the support of you people – we need the youth support because you are going to suffer. Sometimes the islands are not audible - if we don’t have you to support us, we will die ignored by the world and we don’t want that. The lslands are suffering but it is just the beginning, the rest of the world will suffer too.”
In turn McKibben stressed that his organisation was committed to standing behind AOSIS long after Copenhagen.
“We don’t know what will happen this week or if this will carry the day here at Copenhagen but this fight will continue and we will not back down. We will continue until we have won this fight – which we will,” he said.
