With just six weeks until the 2009 Kobenhavn Climate Conference, the global community has not much time to review and assess the failures of well-intentioned multilateral undertakings, commitments and promises at such global talkfests of living memory:
2008 - Rudd's 2020 Summit - how far are the results along the tri-election-cycled 12 year milestone?
2005 - Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
2005 - World Summit
2004 - Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity Building
2002 - Earth Summit in Johannesburg
2002 - World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)
2001 - Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
2000 - Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
2000 - Malmö Declaration - first Global Ministerial Forum on the Environment
2000 - Millennium Declaration - environmental sustainability included as one of eight Millennium Development Goals
1998 - Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent
1997 - Kyoto Protocol
1995 - Global Programme of Action (GPA) launched to protect marine environment from land-based sources of pollution
1992 - Rio Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development)
1992 - Convention on Biological Diversity
1989 - Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes
1988 - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
1987 - Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
1985 - Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
1979 - Bonn Convention on Migratory Species
1975 - Mediterranean Action Plan first UNEP-brokered Regional Seas agreement
1973 - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
1972 - Stockholm United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE)
Twenty three very noble and ideal talkfests!
Most of these may be found at:
United Nations Environment Programme
But where are the results of all the undertakings, commitments, promises and hype?
Why are the total costs of these talkfest not disclosed? - the immense public cost of collective high emitting airfares, the extravagance of flying the delegates business class' and five star aristocratic accommodation, plus the salary costs of all involved apportioned to these events, copious catering, one-off extravagant printing, and the many event overheads unquestioned to date? The TOTAL SUMMIT COST is reflective on the authenticity of any such E-summit. Event organisers (politicians) must be held publicly to account for costs and condemned for such hypocritical largesse.
And what's wrong with online conferencing from home - it would probably save the outlay equivalent to the annual GDP of a small third world country!
Each talk fest should be accountable for on ground results and at the very least a positive Return on Talkfest Investment (ROTI) before launching head long into the next extravaganza. Cut the E-hype! Demand results of past promises and start sacking underperforming UN bureaucrats.
Emission Cut Recommendation:
'By 2020, the E-20 (world's 20 top emitters) fully replace their coal-fired power stations with geothermal power stations and use the redundant open-cut coal mines as non-toxic landfill. UN to provide a financial incentive for each country that does so with granting a 100% national debt forgiveness. Only such large scale pragmatic 'do-able' actions will make a noticeable reduction in global emissions.
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