It is inconceivable for Parties to leave Nairobi without concrete and progressive decisions on climate change, the Climate Action  Network (CAN) said during an intervention at the plenary session yesterday.

It is even less acceptable to leave African soil without decisions which benefit Africa.

CAN, a coalition of environmental non-governmental organisations working on climate change, criticised Parties for their lack of urgency, stating: “Over the past few years we have become used to soft and endless dialogue completely disconnected from the reality experienced by people around the world, especially in developing countries.

“The Parties here are also taking their time to discuss urgent issues, even as hunger, drought and dreadful floods are occurring in Kenya and its neighbouring countries. These are likely to worsen as climate changes.

“At the very least, the COP/MOP should take note of the priorities of the most vulnerable countries.”

Negotiations should get to the core of the issue – to achieve stabilisation of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration in the atmosphere at the required time point, in order to be contained at a maximum of 2oC of warming by the end of this century. For this to happen:

• Industrialised countries must commit themselves to more sustainable greenhouse emissions reductions in the short, medium and long term. 
• Emergent countries need to integrate GHG emissions reductions in their development frameworks.
• Capacity must be built, particularly in the poorest countries, to implement innovative development patterns compatible with sustainable development.

On the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), CAN said: “Developing countries expect improvements in the CDM to be of greater benefit to their populations and local development in host countries. Further, CDM should benefit the countries that need it most; the poorest of the developing countries.”