- Thousands are already dying
Source: Norwegian Church Aid - Norway
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"We don't have the luxury of being able to talk about the consequences of climate change will be in the future. Thousands of people are
dying already as a result of climate change, said Grace Akumu at a debate at Norwegian Church Aid Wednesday.
Akumu, general secretary of Climate Network Africa, met Norwegian Minister for the Environment Helen Bjørnøy, and members of parliament Børge Brende and Kjetil Solvik Olsen in Norwegian Church Aid's head office in Oslo to debate the possibility of achieving a multi-party consensus on environmental policy. Akumu did not find the debate all too optimistic:
"When I return to Kenya, I will not tell my colleagues that the political parties in Norway are still arguing amongst themselves about climate change policy. That would be too depressing," she said.
Akumu did not conceal her thoughts on Norway's performance as regards the fulfilment of its obligations as laid out under the Kyoto protocol. The Kyoto agreement permits Norway to release a maximum of 50.3 million tonnes of CO2 on average per year during the period 2008 – 2012. However, emission levels for 2006 have already reached 56 million tonnes of CO2, and this figure is expected to increase in coming years, Akumu pointed out.
"In the Norwegian state budget for 2007, the government of Norway lays out its plans to release 57 million tonnes of CO2 during 2008, the first year covered by the Kyoto protocol. This is a 20 per cent increase on 1990 levels, and is in direct contradiction with Norway's obligations under international law," said Akumu.
She added that emissions from two new gas power stations that are soon to be built in Norway will come in addition to these projected figures. Akumu was particularly unimpressed by the fact that Norway is prepared to buy its way out of the Kyoto protocol through emission reduction activities abroad.
"What kind of signal does this kind of behaviour send to the rest of the world? When the world's richest country can't manage to reduce its CO2 emissions, how can Norway expect the rest of the world to commit to the legislation and measures that are so necessary?" she concluded.
The effects of climate change on developing countries is one of the prioritised themes for Norwegian Church Aid's fundraising campaign during Lent, the Lenten Campaign, this year.
Akumu, general secretary of Climate Network Africa, met Norwegian Minister for the Environment Helen Bjørnøy, and members of parliament Børge Brende and Kjetil Solvik Olsen in Norwegian Church Aid's head office in Oslo to debate the possibility of achieving a multi-party consensus on environmental policy. Akumu did not find the debate all too optimistic:
"When I return to Kenya, I will not tell my colleagues that the political parties in Norway are still arguing amongst themselves about climate change policy. That would be too depressing," she said.
Akumu did not conceal her thoughts on Norway's performance as regards the fulfilment of its obligations as laid out under the Kyoto protocol. The Kyoto agreement permits Norway to release a maximum of 50.3 million tonnes of CO2 on average per year during the period 2008 – 2012. However, emission levels for 2006 have already reached 56 million tonnes of CO2, and this figure is expected to increase in coming years, Akumu pointed out.
"In the Norwegian state budget for 2007, the government of Norway lays out its plans to release 57 million tonnes of CO2 during 2008, the first year covered by the Kyoto protocol. This is a 20 per cent increase on 1990 levels, and is in direct contradiction with Norway's obligations under international law," said Akumu.
She added that emissions from two new gas power stations that are soon to be built in Norway will come in addition to these projected figures. Akumu was particularly unimpressed by the fact that Norway is prepared to buy its way out of the Kyoto protocol through emission reduction activities abroad.
"What kind of signal does this kind of behaviour send to the rest of the world? When the world's richest country can't manage to reduce its CO2 emissions, how can Norway expect the rest of the world to commit to the legislation and measures that are so necessary?" she concluded.
The effects of climate change on developing countries is one of the prioritised themes for Norwegian Church Aid's fundraising campaign during Lent, the Lenten Campaign, this year.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
