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2011 December 07

WBA initiative sent to the President of the COP17, H. E. Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

Concern: Proposal for a ‘Durban Initiative – Concerned countries moving forward to 2 t CO2/capita by 2040’

To the president of the COP17, 

H. E. Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane


Dear Ms. President,

We congratulate you for the excellent organization of this conference, and forsiting it in this wonderful part of South Africa. And we thank you for the opportunity to present our proposal.

The decision to formulate the attached summary of our proposal arose because of concerns about the possibility of this COP not achieving a unanimous decision on the key objectives, and our feeling that there may be a way to provide a complementary option for the many countriesthat are already committed to change and for the countries that are wavering or politically constrained for some reason.

Ms. President, you are keenly aware that a substantial decrease in global warming can only be attained if a rapid reduction in the use of fossil fuels can be reached. We suggest that in endorsing this proposal Durban COP 17 would send strong encouragement to all concerned parties, and this may the start of a coordinated movement among the parties to collaboratively introduce energy systems that uses less and less fossil fuels. Such a message would be important for concerned governments worldwide, to help guide them forging a new and successful energy and climate policy. 

Therefore we present you the proposal: “Durban Initiative - Concerned countries moving ahead” and ask you to consider our concept in detail. 

Let’s turn Durban and COP17 into the meeting that changed our view on how we create a common global climate movement. Instead of guarding positions leaving it to the unwilling to set the agenda, let us, the concerned people and countries, leave them behind and move forward. Durban must show that combating climate change is not about sharing burdens, it’s about sharing opportunities.

The science has already proven that there is no time left to postpone decisions on how to achieve the 2°C target. Each year lost is lost forever. We have seen that aprocess based on unanimous legal binding decisions is too slow to get thesedecisions in time. Therefore an additional initiative is needed, based on concerned countries, companies, individuals, who are ready today to set a roadmap to reach a 2 t C02/capita lifestyle in 2040. 

We ask you as president of the COP 17 to encourageinterested countries to develop this initiative.

Sincerely, 
Kent Nystrom, President, WBA


Download this letter. 

Download paper: “Durban Initiative - Concerned countries moving ahead” 

For more information, please contact:
- Karin Haara, email: Karin.haara@worldbioenergy.org, tfn +46705432641
- Kent Nyström, email: kent.nystrom@worldbioenergy.org, tfn + 46706768538
- Heinz Kopetz, email: hg.kopetz@netway.at , tfn +436506806988
- Andrew Lang, email: andrewlang@smartimbers.com.au, tfn +61409977048
- Jennifer Handoondo, email: jennipherhandoondo@yahoo.com, tfn +260977545546