The interest about environment and its issues as climate change and global warming is significantly growing not just between scientists, however, environment is becoming one of the central issues of politics between states,
nevertheless, there is a significant dominance of specific interest about presentation of environment, that environment
needs and has to be taken seriously.
According to the view of climate scientists, world has to stop the growth in greenhouse gas emissions and start to make them fall from aroun
d 2015 to 2020, nevertheless, states tend to refuse or go around the facts about future of environment. The Chinese officials’ claim that China has moral right to develop, what also means that the carbon emissions will increase. Also China, India and developing countries very often and mainly for economic reasons claim that industrialised and wealthy states (Europe and USA) are responsible to set up ‘a clear example’ to cut carbon emissions.
When take place environmental negotiations, the nation-states are not the only components, however, the a
ctivist and NGO`s,as important component of civil society, which represents people from around the world, are involved as well. Mainly are apolitical, nevertheless, their impact on diplomatic issues increased significantly in last decades, but their possibilities are more – less limited. During the environmental negotiations are not component of crucial decision making process, because the major player are still s states, but they are present as source of independent analysis, advisers and conscience of politicians.
In the first half of December 2009, Copenhagen (Denmark) became a place were representatives from 120 countries met for the United Nation climate conference to replace the Kyoto Protocol, aimed fighting global warming, expires in 2012. The official name of Copenhagen Summit was COP15 (15th con
ference of parties) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). NGO`s and activist got just bounded access to the Conference. For the COP15 was registered
around 45,000 of civilians, 7,000 were allowed to entrance but just 90 were allowed in conference during the final day of crucial decision making.....Result of Copenhagen Summit was failure and ended without significant agreement for cutting of carbon emissions.
Argument that NGO`s are crucially influential in environmental issues is highly polemic. Are source of information about climate change caused by carbon emissions and are important as advisers for environmental issues; unfortunately economy is likely to dominate. Cutting of carbon emissions has major influence on development and economy of all states around the world. Significant cut of numbers of emissions for all states means, that they have to find alternative sources of energy – green energy. Alternative energy is in process of development and is not effective enough to change `traditional` source of energy. And what is crucial, mainly for developing countries and weak economies alternative source of energy is not affordable.
RESOURCES
http://climatechange.thinkaboutit.eu/think4/post/ngo_activists_at_odds_in_copenhagen
http://envirothink.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/copenhagen-summit-severly-limits-ngo-participation/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/01/q-and-a-copenhagen-summit
The Dynamics of Diplomacy, Jean-Robert Leguey-Feilleux
Hey Jojo! An interesting entry! I was left wondering whether in this area of negotiating NGOs might have a central role in trying to balance the opposite views of developed and developing countries or whether NGOs are too narrow minded to do that and instead only aim to achieve goals of their own. What do you think?
ReplyDeletehi, I agree with your point on how NGOs dont really have an actual impact on the state dominated arena. However, I think they are gradually becoming more important and thus, can have more power in the future. I guess the Rio de Janeiro 1992 UN Conference on Environment was kind of a turning point in this sphere, letting more than 1500 NGOs held the simultaneous negotiations which caught significant attention. And what about the government delegations including the NGOs' members?
ReplyDeleteI strongly do feel a sense of grand hypocrisy been played with the climate. Looking at your statistics of : '45,000 civilians, which 7,000 were allowed to enter and just 90 to enter the conference hall' is very unfair to campaigners.
ReplyDeleteI think, most populations around the world should unify behind NGO's to help them propel a better systemic contribution on the discussion table instead of been spectators.
In my opinion, states (e.g. China) have it very difficult to negotiate the cut of greenhouse emission as, firstly, the population is tremendously high and secondly, there’s to much money to lose from the economic perspective. China is the country with one of the most foreign multinationals and its export numbers to foreign countries is very high, thus, everybody blames China. I agree with your point that NGO's power to change or to negotiate with the right people is limited, nevertheless, I think it is very important to have groups who do not work for governments to be present in talks and try as hard as they can to push them to agreements.
ReplyDelete