RadioActive 11/21/13

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: The 19th Conference of Parties(COP) to the United Nation’s Framework Convention on Climate Change conclusion and analysis

Key Discussion Points:

a) The UN climate talks in Warsaw were meant to build towards a goal of a binding agreement in 2015, but even this modest directive has disintegrated. Today, established environmental groups and other social movement representatives walked out of the COP 19, saying they felt not enough was being done. They say they will focus on building a movement to pressure on governments for the next conference.
b) Main areas to be addressed at the climate talks are the mitigation of climate change, adaption to the increasing extreme weather effects and funding for countries who are the hardest hit, the least able to afford it, and have had the least contribution to carbon dioxide levels. On Wednesday, members of the G77 and China temporarily walked out negotiations on “loss and damages”, responding to the lack of engagement by developed countries, who want to put off the issue until 2015.
c) With all the current carbon dioxide emissions reduction goals submitted by party countries, there is still a projected mitigation gap of 8-13 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. To hold the planet to 2 degree Celsius, CO 2 emissions can’t exceed 44 gigatonnes by 2020. With the current party goals, the planet will be at 52-58 gigatonnes at 2020.

A) Janet Redman, the Institute for Policy Studies, director of the Climate Policy Program.