MESSAGE TO COP16:
A message from the…
Geneva 11th of November 2010
The following are the proposals from the participants of the Global Youth Conference, Geneva, November 2010:
We are counting on you because we believe that you can make change happen now by finding and implementing solutions to counter climate change. We have seen some positive results in the Copenhagen Accord and now we are relying on you to make COP 16 have a real and lasting impact to ensure a sustainable future for us all. The credit that civil society puts into climate summits is weakened as these often end with no binding commitments. We still believe that there is time to act but we need immediate action plans.
Following four days of discussion and brain-storming around Climate Change we propose the following to be put on The Agenda:
1. Create a 21st Century International Bill of Rights for the Environment including natural, human and cultural patrimony.
2. Make the Cancun Protocol accessible to civil society in a concrete and
transparent way so that action can be taken by the leaders at national and local levels and by the world population.
3. Environmentally harmful energy sources, even if poor in CO2 emissions (e.g. Nuclear energy) should be disregarded as solutions to Climate Change.
4. A statistical evaluation needs to be developed based on quality of life which has to include natural and genetic resources in order to ensure their protection (e.g. rainforests).
5. The populations that take care of the environment such as local farmers, gardeners, foresters should be recognised and supported.
6. A harmonized world tax system should be levied on the carbon content of goods and invested in renewable energies in all countries fairly (proportionate to economic strength). Before a world tax is agreed upon the World Trade Organisation members will negotiate and decide the levies on the carbon content of all goods and services and provision for controls.
7. More attention and awareness should be given to diets and nutrition, life-styles, flora and fauna, and human rights to reduce the global carbon footprint.
THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN DELIVERED TO THE FOLLOWING LEADERS AT THE UPCOMING UNFCCC DISCUSSIONS (COP16 Cancun):
Mr. Ban Ki-moon, The Secretary-General of the United Nations
Mr. Hamadoun Toure, Secretary General, International Telecommunications Union, ITU, Geneva, Switerland.
Madame Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary, With request that this mesage is transmitted to state delegations present et Cancun COP16 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC,Bonn, Germany.
Monsieur Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP Nairobi, Kenya.
Monsieur Christophe Bouvier, Regional Director, United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP Geneva, Switzerland.
Monsieur Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General, World Meteorological 0rganisation, Geneva, Switzerland
Monsieur Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland.
Monsieur Pascal Lamy, Director-General, World Trade Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland.
More information and 4 day video-cast of the conference: