{"id":36426,"date":"2017-05-11T22:22:11","date_gmt":"2017-05-11T12:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/?p=36426"},"modified":"2019-04-16T13:31:07","modified_gmt":"2019-04-16T03:31:07","slug":"australia-shamelessly-backs-fossilfuel-influence-at-bonn-climate-negotiations-reports-takvera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/australia-shamelessly-backs-fossilfuel-influence-at-bonn-climate-negotiations-reports-takvera\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia shamelessly backs #fossilfuel influence at Bonn climate negotiations reports @takvera"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_36427\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36427\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nofibs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/20170510-Bonn-corporate-accountability-feature.jpg?resize=800%2C400\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" class=\"size-full wp-image-36427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/20170510-Bonn-corporate-accountability-feature.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/20170510-Bonn-corporate-accountability-feature.jpg?resize=300%2C150&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/20170510-Bonn-corporate-accountability-feature.jpg?resize=768%2C384&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/20170510-Bonn-corporate-accountability-feature.jpg?resize=600%2C300&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-36427\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Press briefing by Corporate Accountability International at Bonn Climate Change Conference \u00ad- May 2017<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In a workshop on how non-party actors can boost climate action at the UN #SB46 climate negotiations in Bonn, Australia shamelessly supported business and fossil fuel interests in the discussion on development of conflict of interest policy for UN climate negotiations.<\/p>\n<p>The negotiations in Bonn started well, with Australia noting the need for sustained and focused work at the Bonn climate negotiations session this week. <\/p>\n<p>On the first day of the talks transparency &#038; accountability were prominent in many discussions.<\/p>\n<p>Then it got worse for Australian diplomats, when conflict of interest started being discussed in a workshop. Norway, then Australia were in the fray supporting business and big polluter participation at UN climate negotiations.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Norway then Australia defend the inclusion of ALL stakeholders, ie the fossil fuel industry. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/pollutersout?src=hash\">#pollutersout<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/observerworkshop?src=hash\">#observerworkshop<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/sb46?src=hash\">#sb46<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Pascoe Sabido (@pascoesabido) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/pascoesabido\/status\/861963599459299328\">May 9, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Australia shamelessly advocated for fossil fuel industry influence over climate policy at the UN today <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SB46?src=hash\">#SB46<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/climatejustice?src=hash\">#climatejustice<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/UNFCCC?src=hash\">#UNFCCC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Stephen Leonard (@svleo1111) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/svleo1111\/status\/862041795219378176\">May 9, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The next morning a Corporate Accountability International <a href=\"https:\/\/unfccc6.meta-fusion.com\/bonn_may_2017\/events\/2017-05-10-11-00-corporate-accountability-international\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">press briefing on conflict of interest<\/a> in the UNFCCC negotiations was held. <\/p>\n<p>Australia was particularly highlighted for defending business interests and working against conflict of interest policy. The Conflict of interest discussion came up at the SB46 UNFCCC negotiations in an <a href=\"http:\/\/unfccc.int\/meetings\/bonn_may_2017\/items\/10088.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">In-session workshop<\/a> on opportunities to further enhance the effective engagement of non-Party stakeholders with a view to strengthening the implementation of the provisions of decision 1\/CP.21.<\/p>\n<p>Corporate Accountability International spokesperson International Policy Director Tamar Lawrence-Samuel had this to say in the press briefing:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;One of the most notable interventions came from Australia, who laid across the tracks, so to speak, to defend Exxon-Mobil by insisting that the very solutions to climate change would come from the very industries driving the climate crisis, making them the key to the solutions for climate change. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was very clear from the workshop who was in favour of a conflict of interest policy and who wasn&#8217;t. The interests represented in the room that were in opposition to a conflict of interest policy were clearly from the business side. I can&#8217;t stress enough the importance of this workshop itself and this development is. It really places the fundamental problem of industry access to climate policy making and implementation squarely on the table requiring that parties contend with the issue and have to formulate a position. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Yesterday&#8217;s significant discussions came on the back of lengthy discussions last May in Bonn where the Eu, US and Australia discussed the issue for the better part of the negotiations in the agenda item that was relevant to this topic but then refused to adopt conclusions that reflected the discussions that had happened in that contact group. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;After yesterday&#8217;s workshop I think there is no longer any way for parties to ignore this issue or to avoid this issue. A robust and evidence based policy will be really central to the creation of the Paris rulebook, to the implementation of party existing obligations under the convention as well.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&quot;For more than 20 years we have been unable to do what is truly needed to address climate crisis&quot; &#8211; Tamar of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/StopCorpAbuse\">@StopCorpAbuse<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/sb46?src=hash\">#sb46<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; climate-justice.info (@ClimateJustInfo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ClimateJustInfo\/status\/862232780280926208\">May 10, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So for more than 20 years we have been unable to do what is truly needed to address the enormity of the climate crisis in a way that just transforms our energy systems and that is primarily because of the interests of the fossil fuel industry and others whose business profits depend on inaction. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The next couple of weeks here in Bonn will be really critical in defining the future of this question at the UNFCCC.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Must differentiate b\/w nature of participation of rights holders (indigenous ppl, women etc.) Vs. responsible parties (industry) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/sb46?src=hash\">#sb46<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; climate-justice.info (@ClimateJustInfo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ClimateJustInfo\/status\/862233658140368896\">May 10, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AKSI_MUDA\">@AKSI_MUDA<\/a>: clear criteria should apply for private sector to be involved in climate policy space. Otherwise just greenwashing <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/sb46?src=hash\">#sb46<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; climate-justice.info (@ClimateJustInfo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ClimateJustInfo\/status\/862234769358278656\">May 10, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ConflictOfInterest?src=hash\">#ConflictOfInterest<\/a> clearly a problem. There must be a firewall to prevent polluters interfere with climate policies. &#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/pascoesabido\">@pascoesabido<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SB46?src=hash\">#SB46<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/T7h5lcQeNi\">pic.twitter.com\/T7h5lcQeNi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; DemandClimateJustice (@DClimateJustice) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DClimateJustice\/status\/862237574106140673\">May 10, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Corporate Accountability International released a report on 1st May 2017 titled: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stopcorporateabuse.org\/insidejob\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">INSIDE JOB:Big Polluters\u2019 lobbyists on the inside at the UNFCCC<\/a>. The report singles out from Australia the Business Council of Australia (BCA). It describes the Business Council and it&#8217;s climate policy advocacy as:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The Business Council of Australia (BCA) member base is made up of 127 CEOs from Australia\u2019s biggest and wealthiest companies. The council serves as a \u201cway in\u201d to the world of policy debate for its members. It is funded by big time polluters that also play a lead role in deciding its priorities, and its president is an executive of a major polluter. The BCA has given almost no nod to the severity of climate change, its causes, or the dire need for mitigation, and it supports the Paris Agreement only insofar as it does not burden businesses. Consistent with this stance, it has opposed climate policies and dismissed key targets of the Paris Agreement as far-fetched.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The report outlines briefly the BCA&#8217;s track record on climate policy:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>BCA president Grant King is on Big Oil\u2019s payroll (BHP), formerly at Origin Energy and AGL Energy.<\/li>\n<li>Opposed Australia\u2019s carbonpricing scheme.<\/li>\n<li>Has denounced curbing global warming as \u201cunrealistic.\u201d, opposing further reductions in Australia\u2019s emissions targets.<\/li>\n<li>BCA members are at the center of controversial Great Australian Bight project. These include oil giants BP and Chevron, who have controversial plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight.<\/li>\n<li>BCA pays scant regard for climate risks or liabilities. BCA\u2019s 2014-2015 \u201cA Year in Review\u201d hardly mentioned climate change or mitigating risk to the environment. Its 2015-2016 annual review also fails to commit to climate change as a priority. Priority is given to increasing gas exploitation, including unconvential gas through fracking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Fossil fuel corps have NO place in climate policy&#8230;so why do they have a seat @ UN climate negotiations? <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PollutersOut?src=hash\">#PollutersOut<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/XWTT6pvj9R\">pic.twitter.com\/XWTT6pvj9R<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Corp Accountability (@StopCorpAbuse) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/StopCorpAbuse\/status\/859502505239101440\">May 2, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The campaign to kick big polluters out of the UN climate negotiations has been going for some years. I reported on <a href=\"http:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/corporate-greenwashing-and-conflict-of-interest-at-un-climate-conference-cop21-reports-takvera\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Corporate Greenwashing and conflict of interest at UN climate conference #COP21<\/a> in 2015, as well as <a href=\"http:\/\/takvera.blogspot.com.au\/2016\/11\/kick-polluters-out-of-cop22-climate.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">protests against corporate polluters at COP22 in Marrakech<\/a> in 2016.<\/p>\n<p>The movement to adopt conflict of interest policy as part of the UN climate negotiations is gaining support with governments representing nearly 70 percent of the world\u2019s population in May 2016 pushing for the UNFCCC to address conflicts of interest. Last year the proposal was met with strident opposition from major developed nations such as the United States, European Union, and Australia.<\/p>\n<p>How nations excluded tobacco companies in the World Health Organisation <a href=\"http:\/\/www.who.int\/fctc\/text_download\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">global tobacco treaty<\/a> is seen as an important precedent. According to Corporate Accountability International, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stopcorporateabuse.org\/global-tobacco-treaty\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this treaty&#8217;s key provision, Article 5.3<\/a>, and the guidelines for implementation of Article 5.3 protect against classic industry interference tactics by barring partnerships, financial relationships, revolving door cases, and industry participation in the policy making process. <\/p>\n<p>The World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan have called this 2003 tobacco treaty  <a href=\"http:\/\/www.who.int\/dg\/speeches\/2014\/tobacco-control-cop6\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the single largest catalyst of progress in a treaty that could save 200 million lives by 2050 when fully implemented<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Margaret Chan said: &#8220;giving any tobacco company a place at the negotiating table is akin to appointing a committee of foxes to take care of your chickens.&#8221; <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The same analogy applies to businesses that are fossil fuel polluters attending climate negotiations. It&#8217;s about time these business interests were excluded as having a substantial conflict of interest, and Australia stopped being their diplomatic proxy.<\/p>\n<p>Read all the related social media for this article in the storify: <a href=\"https:\/\/storify.com\/takvera\/australia-backs-fossilfuel-conflict-of-interest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Australia shamelessly backs fossil fuel influence at #SB46 UN climate negotiations in Bonn<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"storify\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/storify.com\/takvera\/australia-backs-fossilfuel-conflict-of-interest\/embed?header=false&#038;template=slideshow\" width=\"100%\" height=\"750\" frameborder=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\"><\/iframe><script src=\"\/\/storify.com\/takvera\/australia-backs-fossilfuel-conflict-of-interest.js?header=false&#038;template=slideshow\"><\/script><noscript>[<a href=\"\/\/storify.com\/takvera\/australia-backs-fossilfuel-conflict-of-interest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">View the story &#8220;Australia shamelessly backs fossil fuel influence at #SB46 UN climate negotiations in Bonn&#8221; on Storify<\/a>]<\/noscript><\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a workshop on how non-party actors can boost climate action at the UN #SB46 climate negotiations in Bonn, Australia shamelessly supported business and fossil fuel interests in the discussion on development of conflict of interest policy for UN climate negotiations. The negotiations in Bonn started well, with Australia noting the need for sustained and [&hellip;]<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":36427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[3434,3404,3331,3387,3172,1986,675,651,585,907],"tags":[2493,2832,2912,3248],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/20170510-Bonn-corporate-accountability-feature.jpg?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t0mw-9tw","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36426"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36426\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}