Europe and Latin America Towards More Ambitious Collective Climate Action
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EUROPE AND LATIN AMERICA TOWARDS MORE AMBITIOUS COLLECTIVE CLIMATE ACTION By Hans JH Verolme with Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis and Paola Vasconi Reca Will the international community manage to conclude a fair and values, Latin America and the European Union could strengthen ambitious global agreement in Paris in 2015? their bi-regional partnership and develop new narratives that might help to overcome the North-South division. In spite of the frustration with the slow progress of multilat- eral processes, civil society across the world continuously tries This report provides an introduction to European and Latin to push leaders to commit to meaningful climate action. An American civil society perspectives on international climate ambitious and fair global climate deal can only be reached, if change policy and politics. Europe and Latin America can learn alliances can be formed that go beyond the binary split between a lot from each other and there is significant scope for deeper developed and developing countries. collaboration to increase climate ambition. By exploring the po- tential of joint demands and proposals, the report shows how The European Union plays a key role in international climate Europe and Latin America can ally towards more ambitious negotiations and should strengthen and build new alliances for collective climate action. We hope this analysis innspires civil an ambitious outcome in Paris. With the 2014 Climate Summit society organisations and democratic institutions to further ex- taking place in Lima, Latin America is put into the spotlight of plore the potential for collaboration between Europe and Latin the international climate scene. Based on shared history and America to tackle the global climate crisis. Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, European Union, Brussels – 15 Rue d’Arlon – B-1050 Brussels – Belgium T +32 2 743 41 00 F 32 2 743 41 09 E info@eu.boell.org W www.eu.boell.org Europe and Latin America Towards More Ambitious Collective Climate Action by Hans JH Verolme with Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis and Paola Vasconi Reca Colophon Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the many European and Latin American organisations and interviewees from across a broad spectrum of civil society who have contributed to this report. The opinions expressed and the responsibility for analysis and interpretation of the interviews remains those of the authors. Coordination and editing by Silvia Brugger Design and printing by Micheline Gutman Printed in Belgium, December 2014 Cover pictures: Above, Emilia Tjernström [Arriving at the horizon] Below, by 350.org – Cough4Coal action, 2013 Published by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, European Union under Creative Commons license CC-BY-NC 3.0. You are free to share – copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and adapt – remix, transform, and build upon the material. Under the following terms: Attribution – You must give ap- propriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. Non- Commercial – You may not use the material for commercial purposes. No additional restrictions – You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing any- thing the license permits. For the full license go to https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ D/2014/11.850/5 This publication can be ordered from: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, European Union, Brussels – 15 Rue d’Arlon – B-1050 Brussels – Belgium T +32 2 743 41 00 F +32 2 743 41 09 E info@eu.boell.org W www.eu.boell.org TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 4 Why this Report? 6 Setting the Stage 8 Relations between Europe and Latin America 12 Latin American Civil Society Positions Towards the Climate Summit in Paris 15 The Durban Platform 17 Equity 18 The Emissions Gap 19 Finance and Other Means of Implementation 19 Adaptation, Loss and Damage 20 Forests and REDD 20 Technology Transfer and Cooperation 20 Alternative Development Pathways 21 Conclusions 22 European Civil Society Positions Towards the Climate Summit in Paris 23 The Durban Platform 26 Equity 27 The Emissions Gap 27 Finance and Other Means of Implementation 27 Adaptation, Loss and Damage 28 Forests and REDD 28 Technology Transfer and Cooperation 28 Alternative Development Pathways 28 Recommendations 31 List of Abbreviations 36 Authors Biographies 4 EU R O PE A N D L at IN AM ER I CA TOWARDS MORE AMBITIOUS COLLECTIVE CLIMate ACTION INTRODUCTION The urgency to tackle the climate change chal- The European Union (EU) plays a key role in lenge is greater than ever and time is running out. the international climate negotiations and can After the failure of the international climate nego- leverage support for an ambitious outcome in tiations in Copenhagen five years ago, the global Paris. However, the EU’s commitment to an am- community managed to open another window of bitious climate policy is currently lagging and the opportunity for an international climate agree- credibility of its leadership role is at stake. The ment that shall be concluded in Paris in 2015. time is right to revive European climate leader- However, this window is extremely limited, and ship and show how the EU can strengthen and the task is huge. In spite of the frustration with build new alliances for a global climate deal. the slow progress of multilateral processes, civil society organisations across the world continu- With the 2014 UN Climate Summit taking ously try to push leaders to commit to meaningful place in Lima, Latin America is put into the climate action. spotlight of the international climate scene. The region deserves particular attention. Many Latin In order to keep global warming within the American countries strive for an ambitious global limits of two degrees Celsius, the growth of emis- climate agreement and try to move the nego- sions needs to peak within the next decade. tiations beyond the North-South division. At the Climate policies must therefore urgently break same time, the diversity of negotiating groups the current trend and drive the decarbonisation within the region could help to build trust and en- of our economies. A transition to a low carbon hance understanding between different positions economy entails many benefits including bet- on the basis of common values and identities. ter health and enhanced energy security. In order to secure the trend break and deal with With a third of the parties to the United Nations climate change impacts, a significant amount of Framework Convention on Climate Change investments is needed for both mitigation and (UNFCCC), the EU and Latin America hold con- adaptation. Broader shoulders must carry their siderable negotiating power in the multilateral fair share of the burden. decision-making process. Based on their strong historical, cultural and economic ties, the two re- The clear-cut division between developed gions could strengthen their bi-regional exchange and developing countries within the current ar- in order to formulate joint objectives in the inter- chitecture of the climate negotiations does not national climate negotiations. Climate change has reflect today’s geopolitical and economic reali- also been identified as one of the key themes of ties. An ambitious and fair global climate deal can EU-Latin America relations. only be reached, if alliances can be formed that go beyond this binary split. Preface 5 The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, with its world- The partnership between the EU and Latin wide network of 30 international offices, supports America could be intensified by taking into climate action and civil society participation account these "common denominators" of civil so- at the local, national, regional, bi-regional and ciety at the bi-regional level. An alliance between global level. A diverse spectrum of civil society or- the European Union and Latin America might be ganisations both in Europe and in Latin America able to develop new narratives beyond the North- advocates for solutions to the climate crisis and South division for an ambitious, binding, fair and presents alternative development pathways. equitable global climate agreement in Paris 2015. The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union commissioned the experts Hans JH Verolme, Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis and Paola Vasconi Silvia Brugger, Reca to analyse European and Latin American civil Director Climate and Energy Programme society positions towards Paris. This report tries to explore the potential of joint demands and pro- Patricia Jiménez, posals from the European and Latin American civil Director Global Dialogue Programme society for greater ambition and an equitable cli- mate deal in Paris, while recognising differences in Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, European Union the intra- and inter-regional context. 6 EUROPE AND LATIN AMERICA TOWARDS MORE AMBITIOUS COLLECTIVE CLIMATE ACTION WHY THIS REPORT? “Everyone lives as though his dreams of the future democratic accountability at home, as well as a were already reality.” more focused engagement in international nego- tiations. The focus needs to be driven by concrete Ortega y Gasset demands and articulation of credible alternatives to business as usual. One of the biggest challenges of our time is climate change. If not for the dedication of hun- This short report provides an introduction to dreds of thousands of social activists, making European and Latin American civil society per- change on the ground, the climate challenge can- spectives on international climate change policy not be tackled. Yet, one cannot take on a complex and politics. By contributing fresh analysis and global challenge without taking on power and exploring the potential for deeper collaboration politics. The optimism with which Spanish author between Europe and Latin America we hope to Ortega y Gasset described the mood in Argentina inspire collaboration, across the breadth and at the end of the nineteenth century, may as well depth of NGOs and social movements.