COP17 President assures youth of influence in climate talks

All delegations at the United Nations climate negotiations (COP17) in Durban are in agreement that there should be a Green Climate Fund (GCF). At a briefing on Friday with global youth the COP president, South African International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said “it’s not about the ‘whether’ but the ‘how’.”

She added that less time would be spent on the decision of setting up a fund, and more on commitments.

“Global warming will not get better if we say we are overwhelmed by the global economic crisis. We need to take leadership in action, it’s our responsibility. I know before we leave Durban I will get pledges. I don’t know if we can afford to go back home empty handed.”

According to developing countries, the GCFis not just about adaptation, but survival. Mashabane hopes to remove the fragmented approach to adaptation. “Let’s start the Green Climate Fund and establish it right,” she said.

Mashabane commended youth for their interest and involvement in the climate negotiations. “More than 150 youth have been accredited at COP17,” she said. “The decisions we make today will not affect us, you will inherit that legacy.”

She assured the group of young people that she had used contributions from YOUNGO, the officially recognised youth constituency to the UNFCCC in preparing for COP. “I’ll be cheating you if I draft outcomes on my own, we need your input. The outcome of Durban will be influenced by your contributions.”
The COP presidency is ensuring sufficient engagement with youth and women about the negotiations. “80% of food produced on this continent is done so by women farmers. Whatever decisions we make here will affect those women.”
In Africa we have patriarchy – I’m strong because I’m ‘he’. There needs to be a balance, to be a fully democratic and dynamic society, you need both hands. I hope your youth delegations are also balanced,” she said.
Mashabane further announced that the majority of delegations at COP say they want a second commitment to Kyoto Protocol, the only legal binding framework under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), but added that they were looking for a quality agreement. “Up to now nothing has been said about the future of the convention. That discussion will start here in Durban.”

“If the Kyoto Protocol fails, delegates who are here must take responsibility. Kyoto Protocol alone is not the solution, but we can’t drop the only legal framework we have at the moment. The clean development mechanisms are linked to the Kyoto Protocol.”

“We need to be at an advanced level of ambition to reduce emissions, otherwise global warming will go way beyond 2 degrees Celsius.” Small island states and developing countries are asking for no more than a 1.5 degrees Celsius rise.

Mashabane said she is ‘heartened’ by the progress that’s been made. “It’s hard, but negotiators do well. We appeal to negotiators not to dance around technical terms, because there are people from many different language backgrounds that participate. If you are high on jargon, you leave people behind.”

Friday marked the fifth day of COP17, which will end on 9 December.