World Raises a Storm as Leaders Bunker Down

Thousands around the world demanded an end to fossil fuel subsidies as world leaders begin to gather in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

The “Twitterstorm” involved over 100,000 tweets demanding governments: “#EndFossilFuelSubsidies”. The topic was trending highly across the world for 24 hours, reaching number one in the US, UK and Australia and number two globally.

Tweets were also projected onto landmarks across the globe, including the Sydney Opera Hose, the British Parliament and St Pauls Cathedral. It culminated in activists presenting a petition with over 750,000 signatories demanding the end to subsidies to 10 Downing Street.

It comes as draft for the “Future We Want” text is finalised by negotiators, to be presented to world leaders when the Rio+20 summits begins on June 20.

The text has come under wide-ranging criticism from civil society, and some negotiators themselves criticising the process host nation Brazil has taken to ensure an outcome is ready for Wednesday.

Negotiations were still going late into the night Monday and around midday Tuesday the text was passed to muted applause by delegates and boos from civil society.

The text calls for “urgent action” on unsustainable production and consumption, however lacks commitments to ensure such actions. It also contains no timetables, definitions or strong commitments to moving towards a “green economy”.

In a statement, WWF Director General Jim Leape said the text was, “a colossal failure of leadership and vision from diplomats”.

“There is much that is ‘acknowledged’ and ‘encouraged’ but very little actual commitment to act,” he added.

“If this becomes final text, the past year of negotiations has been a colossal waste of time”

EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, tweeted: “nobody in that room adopting the text was happy. That’s how weak it is. And they all knew. Disappointing.”

The G77 however publicly agreed fully with the text, as did Canada and the Small Island States.

Meanwhile the US said all parties had to swallow thing they did not want to; while the EU criticised the lack of ambition but said they were happy to accept the text.

Over 130 heads of state will arrive today to begin the high-level negotiations on the outcome, expected to finish on Friday. However reports are circulating that several heads of states will block progress if the outcome is not strengthened.

By Tim Hall, photo by Linh Do.