“At the moment, under the so-called Cancun Agreement, countries’ reduction pledges risk 5 degrees Celsius of warming. That’s unthinkable and unconscionable”, said Augustine Njamnshi, Central Africa coordinator of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA).

PACJA is a platform for over 300 civil society groups in 45 African countries working on climate change. This is a cross section of groups representing indigenous, women, youth, faith/religious, trade and labor, energy, water, agriculture, pastoralists and fisherfolk affected by climate change. Njamnshi’s statements were made at a press conference hosted by PACJA on June 15th, in Bonn, Germany, at the UN climate negotiation round that took place in the road to the COP in Durban.

“To limit the harm to Africans temperature rise must be limited to between 1 to 1.5 degrees Celsius”, added Njamnshi and proposed that developed countries cut their emissions by 50% by 2017 compared to 1990 levels. According to the leader, the Kyoto protocol “represents the system to internationally enforce emissions cuts.” “It must be continued in Durban and Africans demand that no country walk away from it.”

The Kyoto Protocol is the only legally binding agreement that forces industrialized countries to reduce their greenhouse gases emissions. The second commitment period of the Protocol should begin in 2013. Japan has already announced that it will back out, and several countries such as Russia and Canada are planning to do the same.

Meanwhile, Cecilia Kibe, climate justice campaigner with the Kenya Climate Change Network said at the press conference: “Climate change zeroes in on African women. Climate change will hit Africa hardest. It already is, our crops don’t grow like they used to, the rains don’t come when they’re supposed to. These changes hurt the poor, the majority of who are women”, she explained. “Even a temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius would cause devastation to our crops, farms and families”, she concluded.

In addition, Bobby Peek, director of groundWork-Friends of the Earth South Africa, said that South Africans are watching “how our government prepares to host the UN climate conference in December. “We watched with disappointment at how the Mexican government undermined open and accountable decision making in Cancun”, he said.

Peek demanded open, transparent and accountable climate negotiations. “The South African Government cannot have secret or selective side meetings to prepare for these talks - they need to tell the world: when, where, and who they’re meeting and how they’re going to be accountable to the voices of those most vulnerable to climate change: women, farmers and the poor”, he concluded.

Photo: http://world.edu