Posted under Express 76

Message from the Editor

By nature and by action, I’m obviously far too polite. In my newsletter and in my book, I have consistently and fairly raised issues, reported on the words of prominent people and organisations, and set out opportunities or action. I have been quietly critical of Governments and business leaders from time to time. Did anyone notice? Did anyone in Government stop and think? Maybe I need to stop being so passive and raise my voice louder and harder. Someone told me the other day I’m doing such a good job that it’s what Government should be doing. Educating and informing about climate change awareness and action. Speaking of Government, I offered to personally present the Prime Minister with a copy of my book, but his office said this wasn’t possible. But he had time to launch a book by Paul Kelly on political leaders! I personally presented Penny Wong with a signed copy of my book. So far not a whisper of acknowledgment. What’s wrong with this Government when it cannot even acknowledge the works and words of others who are communicating and campaigning to achieve a satisfactory outcome for the climate and the country? This issue of Express – our 76^th – has some very hard hitting messages. Will someone, somewhere put up a hand and agree to act? – Ken Hickson

Posted under Express 76

Global Priority: Climate Finance

 ABC Carbon Express #76

The Australian Government must use its influence as part of the G20 group to make a clear and immediate commitment of “climate finance” to help developing countries adapt and mitigate climate change, while a poll across 20 countries conducted for BBC World Service shows 72% support investments by Governments in renewable energy and green technology.

Australia and G20 must commit to climate finance

 

Joint statement from WWF, ACF, Greenpeace and World Vision:

Australia and G20 must commit to climate finance

 

Environment and development groups are calling on Australia to make a clear commitment to contributing our fair share of public funds to international climate change action.

 

Lack of agreement to effectively deliver public finance from developed countries to the developing world to fund greenhouse gas reductions and adaptation to unavoidable and immediate climate change impacts is the major impediment to securing the necessary global consensus at Copenhagen to avoid runaway climate change.

 

We call on the Australian Government to use its influence as part of the G20 group of nations to make a clear and immediate commitment to the provision of public finance to developing countries at the G20 leaders’ meeting next week.

 

It is in Australia’s and the world’s interest to commit to delivering transparent, predictable and equitable international climate finance. Helping developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change is critical to getting a deal at Copenhagen.

 

Australia will be among the worst affected countries in the developed world if climate change continues, to avoid this, we must help developing countries shift to low carbon economies. Investing in tackling climate change now will sow the seeds for resilient and sustainable economies in the future, ignoring the problem will simply mean bigger financial bail outs in years to come.

 

The following commitments are urgently required to ensure that an effective global deal for rapid and equitable climate change action in Copenhagen in December:

 

1. Developed countries must commit to provide at least US$150 billion per annum in new and additional public finance to help developing countries reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

2. The G20 members should identify new, predictable and adequate sources of public finance to meet this commitment, including a levy on international shipping and civil aviation, the auctioning of emissions allowances under the Kyoto Protocol, and a fund to prevent deforestation in developing countries.

3. The G20 should affirm that the governance of the finance mechanism will be guided by and accountable to Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC.

4. Australia must publicly indicate that this finance be new and additional to the existing 0.7% commitment of official development assistance, because climate change is compounding and worsening poverty world-wide.

 

In addition, the G20 nations must mobilise money in the short term to kick-start immediate and effective climate change action.

 

Money has been committed, but not delivered for agreed adaptation priorities for least developed countries: in the mean time, over 300,000 people die from climate change causes every year. Around 60 million hectares of tropical forest is expected to be lost in the next five years. A public fund is urgently needed to stem the tide of deforestation, the source of one fifth of the world’s greenhouse emissions.

 

Australia must fulfill its obligations to the developing world and make this financial commitment immediately. The success of the Copenhagen talks hangs in the balance. Australia must not let the opportunity to break the finance deadlock pass.

 

Source: www.wwf.org.au; www.acfonline.org.au; www.worldvision.org.au; www.greenpeace.org.au

 

The survey of more than 22,000 people, conducted by GlobeScan/PIPA, found that an average of three in five (60%) citizens—and majorities in 13 of the 20 countries polled—support “significantly increasing government spending to stimulate the economy.”  Support is especially strong for investments in renewable energy and green technology (72%) and for giving financial support to major industries and companies in trouble (62%).

Majorities around the world support governments playing an active role in stimulating and regulating their national economy in response to the current recession, according to a new poll across 20 countries conducted for BBC World Service.

Large numbers (67% overall) also want to see an increase in “government regulation and oversight of the national economy.” Among the major economies, this support was highest in China (94% support) and lowest in the US (50%) and Japan (38%).

The US government’s efforts to address the crisis, which have included far-reaching measures to stimulate the US economy, are being relatively well-received around the world. Nearly half (46%) of all respondents say they are satisfied with what the US has been doing, compared to 39% who are dissatisfied.

In comparison, 44% on average are satisfied with their own government’s response, 36% are satisfied with the actions of the World Bank and IMF, 32% with executives of major banks and 31% with the government of China. Overall people in developed countries show lower levels of satisfaction with all of these groups than do people in developing countries.

People’s satisfaction with their own government’s response varies greatly from country to country. Most express satisfaction in Australia (68%), Egypt (63%), Brazil (59%), Canada (57%), and Indonesia (57%). However, satisfaction is low in France (27%), Mexico (9%), Japan (18%), and the Philippines (24%). Americans are evenly split between those happy and those unhappy with their government’s response.

The results are drawn from a survey of 22,158 adult citizens across 20 countries, conducted for BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan, together with the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. GlobeScan coordinated fieldwork between 19 June and 17 August, 2009.

GlobeScan Chairman Doug Miller comments, “It is clear that citizens in many countries are still not seeing the kind of economic leadership they think is needed from their national government. Particularly low levels of satisfaction in Europe, Japan and Latin America suggest that stronger consumer confidence—seen as essential for economic recovery—will take more time in these parts of the world.”

Steven Kull, director of PIPA, comments, “People around the world are looking for a dynamic approach to the economic crisis and are giving relatively good marks to the active efforts of the Obama administration.

Source: www.globescan.com

Posted under Express 76

Profile: Amanda McKenzie

First published in Express News letter #76

 “Youth Decide is about giving the generation who will be most affected by the decisions made at Copenhagen the opportunity to vote for the world they want to inherit.” Providing leadership is Amanda McKenzie, the National Co-ordinator Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Voting online continues until 21 September.

 

Organised by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) and World Vision Australia, Youth Decide is a national campaign allowing 12 to 29 year olds to register to join the movement and then cast their vote online from 14 to 21 September.

 

Ms McKenzie said the vote results would be shared with Australia’s government leaders and then taken to the United Nations during Climate Week in New York in September and to Copenhagen in December.

 

Amanda McKenzie is the National Co-ordinator Australian Youth Climate Coalition

 

Amanda has spent significant time working to inspire, educate and empower young Australians to take action on climate change, in their own lives, schools and communities.

 

This has included:

• establishing ASCENT, the Australian Climate Change Education Network in 2006, an independent non-profit organisation aiming to bring accurate information about climate change to the average person
• playing a key role in the development of the international youth climate movement, in particular helping organise the International Youth Climate Conference which brought together 200 youth delegates from across the world.

 

Amanda is currently the National Coordinator of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, the peak youth body on climate change which represents youth organisations across Australia.

 

The AYCC both coordinates its member groups activities as well as developing collaborative national projects and campaigns to build a generation wide movement to ensure adequate action is taken to avert the climate crisis.

 

Amanda attended the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali as a member of the Australian Government’s delegation as an official advisor and youth representative.

 

She represented Australian youth in discussions with Federal Ministers, State Government representatives, Professor Ross Garnaut and business and industry representatives from across the world.

 

Amanda completed a Law degree with honours at Monash Univeristy after completing a Arts degree from Melbourne University in 2004. Her 15,000 word honours thesis, for which she acheived a High Distinction considering: ‘Designing an Emissions Trading Scheme that is Compatible with the Global Carbon Market’.

 

 Youth to decide on their climate change future

 

Australia’s youth, who will be the most impacted by climate change, will for the first time have their say on the action they want global leaders to take, with Youth Decide.

 

Organised by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) and World Vision Australia, Youth Decide is a national campaign allowing 12 to 29 year olds to register to join the movement and then cast their vote online from 14 to 21 September.

 

Amanda McKenzie, co-director of AYCC and this year’s winner of the Banksia Young Environmentalist of the Year Award said the future of the world’s youth was at stake.

 

“Youth Decide is about giving the generation who will be most affected by the decisions made at Copenhagen the opportunity to vote for the world they want to inherit,” Ms McKenzie said.

 

“Approximately 50 youth from Canberra are here for the launch of Youth Decide to address politicians who will this week be making decisions in Parliament on the CPRS legislation.

 

“While the government can rescue irresponsible financial institutions and hand consumers cash, the environment won’t respond to stimulus packages. Inadequate action will leave us with an irreversible debt that we won’t be able to spend our way out of,” she said.

 

World Vision’s CEO Tim Costello said throughout history young people had been at the front of movements for social and political change and had an important role to play in the climate change debate.

 

“Businesses, unions, resource groups, environmentalists, scientists, governments are all clamouring to be heard, but we need to give voice to the very people who will be most impacted by our decisions,” Mr Costello said.

Alana Smith, National Director of World Vision’s youth movement, Vision Generation, said Youth Decide was sending a message to government’s all around the world that young people cared deeply about the future of the planet and wanted to take part in the solution.

 

“Many young people are passionate about climate change but feel frustrated that individual voices aren’t being heard,” Ms Smith said. “We’re changing that by coordinating a youth movement that all young people can join.

 

“We are talking with schools and universities right across Australia and organizing local events run by young people where they can learn how policy will impact climate change outcomes.”

 

Drawing on research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Youth Decide is working with leading Australian Climate Scientists to summarise likely outcomes for the various emission reduction targets governments are proposing. This will then form part of the vote.

 

Ms McKenzie said the vote results would be shared with Australia’s government leaders and then taken to the United Nations during Climate Week in New York in September and to Copenhagen in December.

 

“We are encouraging all young Australians to visit www.youthdecide.com.au to register to vote and to receive news and updates about how they can get involved in their local area.”

 

Source: www.youthdecide.com.au and www.aycc.org.au