FAB - the new black!

Everybody says FAB in Copenhagen these days. And it is not about fabulous people or clothes. It stands for Fair Ambitious and Binding. That is what a new treaty must deliver. But the problem is that everybody seems to have their own interpretation of Fair Ambitious and Binding.

Faith participation here in Copenhagen stress the justice aspect on climate change. This means that the developed countries must do their homework and cut their emissions radically. But the figures that is on the table is not enough to reach the goal to stay under a 2 degree increase. And since the developed countries have built their well fare on fossil fuels to a huge amount they also ave a greater responsibility to act first and rapidly.
EU is not so fabulous as they want to appear to. Instead of taking the lead and announce that they understood what is at stake and raise their ambitions and say at least 30% cut of emissions to 2020 and do it domestic, they points at China and US and say you must raise your ambitions. That is not taking the lead that is being a coward.
Come on you EU guys! Show some guts and be brave! That would challenge China and the US. Everbody want´s to be in the winning team, as Archbishop Desmond Tutu says, so start the move and become a FAB!

Lights of hope in Copenhagen

Now the time is running up for COP 15 in Copenhagen. The next 48 hours are pivotal to the way the world will take. To be true; We can not await the best treaty in the world and that everything will be changed to a 100% sustainable path. But this is the time to bend the development of the world to a little more sustainable way.
Last Sunday people of different Christian denominations came together in the cathedral of our lady in Copenhagen to pray and to stress the fact that we need a different way of viewing our life. To change from greed to sharing, from confrontation to love. Let´s hope that the outcome on Friday (or Saturday) will be a start of a new way of working together and create a more just and sustainable world.

Largest Climate Summit Ever!

We are many people gathered in Copenhagen these days. They say that about 45 000 have accreditation to the meeting. But the resources to get people in seems to be closer to 450 than 45 000. People got stuck in the very bad organised line outside the Bella Center. And now they will not let more then a few of the NGO.s come in to the center. Today 7000 tomorrow maybe half that much and the last day, Friday, 90 persons!
The negotiations are more or less stuck which is more or less normal at meetings like this. Heads of states are flying the next days and they all looking for an opportunity to win some political credits from the world by putting a better offer on the table. And everybody wants to come close to Obama that will be here in the end of the week.
I am concerned over the lack of initiative from the Swedish EU presidency and the way they are attacking the developing countries for not accepting the bid from the industrial countries. The truth is that those with the best capacity to walk the low carbon path are the developed countries and they have to start and do their homework and then support the developing countries to take a leap over the carbon-step of development. There is a moral obligation to start were there is capacity to act and not first put the pressure on developing countries to act.

Countdown manifestation done and the bells ringed!

Today the Countdown to Copenhagen was delivered to UNFCCC executive secr. Yves de Boer by Desmond Tutu. A great moment for the campaign.
Now we just need to see some major steps for the negotiations at the Bella Center. But we probably have to wait until the heads of states will show up in the end of the week. Everybody wants to shine and get the image of being the saviour.
Look at the clip and you might be inspired by Desmond Tutus speech

In the panel from the left side Firmin Adjahousso, Satu Hassi, Sara Hlukepile Longwe, Henrik Grape, Clarisse Kehler Siebert and the moderator Anders Wijkmann

The European Development Days are over for this time and for the first time in Stockholm, Sweden.
I contributed to this panel on Climate Change and a fair treaty in Copenhagen. A good thing with this panel was that we were not just talking about "the other" not present but the panel had representation from Africa (man an woman) from the EU institutions from research and faith community. This was a broad perspective and I think that is needed to keep on mowing to a sustainable direction.



I will just put my last lines in my first intervention in the talk on this blogg.


"I think that we are in a very decisive moment. The window of opportunity is still open but not so much longer. We are in a position were we could reach a win/win solution. A sustainable development for the planet and a slightly more equitable world but we can also end up with a loose/loose deal. It means that we doesn’t respond properly do the climate and development challenge. And everyone will come out as losers.

People in the developing countries could get the means for a low carbon development and people in the rich countries could switch from a high material consumption level to a more efficient and smart use of natural resources with a better quality of life as a possible result.
Or we can go on with the business as usual pattern and everybody becomes a looser. Poor people first and then everybody else.

But being a part of families of faith I work in the hope business and have a hope that we can change, that we can see the possibilities of the people of the planet to come together and share the planet with much more of care and respect for each other and the limits of the planet.
I am , together with many people around the world, very concerned about how the climate change issue is dealt with today. But not without hope"

European Development Days - Stockholm

Together with other organisations I will be involved in a panel today on the theme "Copenhagen and the right to development".
It is obvious that climate change is absolutely a core issue when it comes to development and a fair and sustainable development.
But sometimes I think that even if there are so much of goodwill when talking about climate change ; Are we really aware of what is at stake and what it takes to change?
On one hand it looks likes it is just to much and the means to shape a low carbon future are simply not there. On the other hand, we got the scientific knowledge, we know what to do and the costs is not as much as the money put into the financial systems to save the bank system.
We need a new way of thinking and to cut the structures that created the "carbon-chaos" that we are facing today.
We need other driving forces for change then just money. We need a vision of a better way of living in the global village. And it is not that far away. We just need to turn around and think more in terms of sustainable then economic growth. In one way it is as simple as that. And at the same time it is so complicated! But we have to be hopeful and on our toes to get together and act.

Air traffic

This video shows air traffic around the world for 24 hours. Remember that this traffic is not in the negotiations under UNFCCC.
A carbon tax on flights is more necessary than ever and let the money go to low carbon development in developing countries. As you see the flights are most common in the rich world but remember the most vulnerable lives in the other parts!