While the world's attention is elsewhere, the global negotiations to tackle the climate crisis are reaching a crunch point. Talks are underway in Poland and Brussels to hammer out a deal that should lead to a new and powerful global treaty. But now, Italy, Germany, and Poland itself are aggressively undermining the talks.
If these countries' leaders -- Merkel, Berlusconi and Tusk -- don't change course now, Europe will fail to reach a unified position, which could unravel the entire global process.
Here at the Poland UN conference and at the EU talks in Brussels, Avaaz members have secured face-to-face meetings with climate negotiators and we're preparing a flood of popular pressure -- organising a big rally next week when Merkel and Tusk meet, commissioning fresh opinion polls showing support for a strong climate deal and delivering this petition every way we can:
A bold EU climate package is critical to the global climate negotiations. Europe must honour their promise to increase binding, carbon-cutting commitments to at least 30% by 2020 if a global deal is reached; and provide leadership in the United Nations talks to deliver a powerful new global agreement.
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For the last year, the US, Canada, and Japan have been the worst obstructionists in climate talks -- as more than 300,000 of us helped expose in Bali. But now, Bush, Fukuda and Harper are gone or heading out the door. A breakthrough could be near as we approach the final stretch... if only Europe weren't on the verge of abandoning its ambitious climate program.
Coal and heavy industry lobbies are using the financial crisis as a smokescreen to block progress. Due to Germany, Italy, and Poland, the European Union is deadlocked in Brussels -- and ineffective at the United Nations talks. We must succeed this week to have any chance of building the road map to the final UN meeting in Copenhagen next year.
In all three countries, it's not too late. We can show these governments that their own citizens and the rest of the world will not settle for anything less than strong climate action. Our plan: On Tuesday, Merkel and Tusk are meeting in Warsaw--and Avaaz will greet them with a mountain of petitions and messages from around the world. We'll follow up with independent opinion polls in Italy, Poland, and Germany that demonstrate public support for action. And we'll press on in meetings, stunts, and through the media at the UN and EU talks to shame, cajole, and encourage EU leaders to do the right thing. Click here to add your name to the petition:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/
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http://www.avaaz.org/en/
Before Obama takes the helm in the US, the next step in the world's response to climate change utterly depends on European leadership. Here's what we need Europe to bring to the global table: 30% emissions cut by 2020 if a global deal is reached, 100% auctioning of permits, and a strict compliance regime to ensure targets are met. The EU's climate policy will electrify or turn out the lights out the international negotiations in Poland, while setting the stage for the final meeting in Copenhagen.
For all of us who have ever been concerned about climate change, now's the time to send a message calling for leadership and vision. By the time we reach the new year, Europe's policy could be sealed, and with it much of the global response to the climate crisis.