By Andualem Sisay
The French and Ethiopian climate proposal appeared on the French Presidency’s website today is facing opposition from non governmental organizations and civil societies.

Some reacted with anger and disappointment to a joint appeal by France and “Ethiopia, representing Africa” for a so-called ‘Copenhagen Accord’ to result from the current COP15 negotiations being held in the Danish capital.

According to NGOs and Civil societies, the proposed accord ignores the latest science, fails to put forward greenhouse gas concentration targets that will be sufficient to prevent dangerous global warming, and makes a mockery of calls for sufficient funding for climate adaptation and mitigation.

“Every other African country has committed to policy based on the science. That means at least 45% cuts by rich countries by 2020 and it means $400 billion fast-track finance not $10 billion” said Augustine Njamnshi of Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance. “You cannot say you are proposing a ’solution’ to climate change if your solution will see millions of Africans die and if the poor not the polluters keep paying for climate change.”

The announcement by President Sarkozy and Prime Minister Zenawi of Ethiopia comes on the same day the White House is reporting that President Obama called Zenawi to discuss the UN climate talks: “He expressed his appreciation for the leadership role the Prime Minister was playing in work with African countries on climate change, and urged him to help reach agreement at the Leaders summit later this week in Copenhagen.”

“The ugly and overt pressure on developing countries to sign an agreement that will put their very survival in jeopardy has begun,” said 350.org founder Bill McKibben.

“It’s very tough to stand up to the Americans, especially Barack Obama. But even the U.S. president can’t protect nations against rising waters, withering droughts, and dried-up glaciers. This is the moment for Africa, for island nations, for the developing world to insist on a future.

By calling for an upper limit of temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius, the Zenawi and Sarkozy proposal ignores the threat that this level represents to Africa: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report says that should the average temperature of the globe rise by 2 degrees C, Africa’s “median temperature increase would be between 3°C and 4°C, roughly 1.5 times the global mean response” – an extremely dangerous rise.

“The IPCC science is clear – 2 degrees is 3.5 degrees in Africa – this is death to millions of Africans” said Mithika Mwenda of Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance.

The proposal also makes a mockery of calls for sufficient funding for climate adaptation and mitigation to flow form rich to poor countries.

The proposed “fast start” fund, which would pay out $10 billion over the years 2010, 2011 and 2012, is wholly insufficient to address the needs of African countries, many of whom are already suffering massive losses due to climate change.

Although it calls for larger and more sustained financing to flow to climate-vulnerable countries from 2013 onwards (paid for by a possible tax on financial transactions and sea and air transport) this call will not be a binding part of the French / Ethiopian proposal.

If details do emerge on the finance piece of the deal, there could be a silver lining to this announcement, but as of yet, we aren’t seeing or hearing any real figures. One can only hope that Zenawi is still pushing hard for a real financial commitment from developed countries.

France and Ethiopia Joint Accord
In their joint appeal France and Africa’s negotiator, Meles call on the halving of global CO2 emissions by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. “This implies, according to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, that developed countries commit to reducing their emissions by 80% at least by 2050...”

They also indicated in their statement that long-term financing needs for mitigation and adaptation in developing countries are estimated, at least, at 50 billion euros by 2015 and 100 billion euros by 2020.

“Beyond public financing, France and Ethiopia, representing Africa, encourage the development of carbon markets, which will be a major source of capital flows and investments between the North and the South.”

In addition, they also call on the adoption of a “fast-start” fund of 10 billion dollars per year covering the next 3 years, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

“…It will be dedicated to adaptation and mitigation actions, including the fight against deforestation, in developing countries, mainly the poor and vulnerable ones. 40% of the fund should be dedicated to adaptation in Africa. 20% of it should be dedicated to early action on “REDD +”, in order to reach the objective of halving deforestation by 2020 and halting it by 2030. A high-level group, mandated by the UNFCCC, composed of developed and developing countries’ experts will work out details as soon as possible, with a view to launching the fund by the next G20 Summit in Canada after consideration and approval by the UNFCCC."

To see the full Joint appeal of France and Ethiopia, representing Africa, for an ambitious Copenhagen Accord you can visit:
http://www.elysee.fr/docu...ew&cat_id=1&press_id=3195