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November 29, 2011

United Nations Climate Change Conference in South Africa Enters Second Day 
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In Durban, South Africa, a major United Nations conference on climate
change has entered its second day. The talks in Durban have been
described as the last chance for world leaders to set another round of
legally binding greenhouse gas emissions targets before the first stage
of Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012. Tasneem Essop works with the World Wide
Fund for Nature in South Africa.

Tasneem Essop, World Wide Fund for Nature in South Africa: "We do run
the risk of losing the Kyoto Protocol, the only rules-based system that
we have. And what would be devastating is that the sum total of all of
that could once again break down the trust that we have in the
multilateral process, the only process that is inclusive and gives voice
to the most vulnerable. So, we're coming to this COP with all in play.
This allows for the risks that I have spoken about but also the
opportunities that can exist for parties to, in fact, rise to the
occasion. And the missing element, we believe, is political leadership."

Selwin Hart, a climate negotiator from Barbados, called on wealthy
nations to do more to help protect member of AOSIS, the Alliance of
Small Island States.

Selwin Hart, Alliance of Small Island States: "The physical consequences
will be extinction for some of the small islands and developing states
that is not a deal that we are prepared to sign up to, the Chair of
AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States) was quite clear, at the heart of
any agreement should be the principle that no country is expendable, we
cannot afford and we should not, it's morally and unethically to sign an
agreement that will result in the demise of a single nation state."

Democracy Now! will be broadcasting from the U.N. Climate Change
Conference in Durban next week.



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