The first period of Kyoto Protocol draws to an end, and governments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, meeting in Poznan between 1 and Dec. 12, 2008 were committed to take determined steps to reach an agreement for the new commitment period after 2012.
Several issues were crucial in this round of negotiations: a shared vision, reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation, financial obligations and technology transfer and the adaptation fund, among other key elements to effectively tackle with climate change.
However, like in Bali, no progress was evident and the absence of leadership from the European Union were the most prominent outcomes to the public. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the new period of commitments for Annex I countries should at least contemplate reductions of 25% for 2020 compared to the year 1990. Instead, the EU committed itself to 20%. The ideal compromise would have been 40% for 2020.
On the other hand, an agreement from Annex I countries to meet their financial obligations and technology transfer under the Convention was not reached. The G77 + China gathering developing countries which are the hardest hit by climate change were pushing for an extension of the proceedings for the adaptation fund, additional to the 2% from the Clean Development Mechanism, by including the Joint Implementation and Emissions Trading mechanisms. Developed countries did not even take the trouble to discuss it.
The frustration is widespread, for example the international delegation of youth, with over 500 representatives in Poznan, were very disappointed and ended up making a desperate call to governments saying that "survival is not negotiable". This can be considered a positive point: the increasing awareness of young people around the world, especially in developed countries, and the potential movement compared to the inaction of governments of their countries under the Convention.
The road to Copenhagen represents a very important opportunity for young people also in developing countries, affected by climate change, to develop a process to influence our governments to support and to strengthen the position of the G77 + China under the principle of responsibility shared but differentiated responsibilities and the right to development, to demand from Annex I countries and the industrialized countries signatories of the UN Framework Convention, to meet their financial obligations, technology transfer and emission reduction, unconditionally and urgently.
