Bonn, 5 August (Hilary Chiew, Dale Wen and Meena Raman) - A workshop on the scale of emission reductions to be achieved by Annex 1 Parties under the working group of the Kyoto Protocol in Bonn, revealed the low level of ambition in the pledges of developed countries which are compounded even further by ‘loopholes’ that could potentially lead to an increase in emissions by 2020, based on 1990 levels.

Several presenters showed that the nominal aggregate of the pledges of Annex 1 Parties (including the United States) amount to only a 12-18% reduction in emissions compared to 1990 levels, when developing countries have called for more than 40% reductions by 2020.  The loopholes alone could account for around 21% of emissions, thus effectively neutralizing Annex I Parties emission pledges, and potentially allowing emissions to rise above 1990 levels by 2020.

Bonn, 3 August (Meena Raman) – Parties at the opening session of the Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) expressed their willingness to engage in negotiations on the basis of the “text to facilitate negotiations among Parties” that was produced on the 9th of July 2010 by the Chair of the working group.

The Chair of the AWG-LCA, Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe of Zimbabwe had on July 9 prepared a new text to “facilitate negotiations among Parties”. (See TWN Bonn News Update 1 on highlights of the new text.) The AWG-LCA’s 11^th session commenced in Bonn on 2 August and will conclude on 6 August.

Bonn, 2 August (Hilary Chiew) – Developing countries urged developed country Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to reaffirm their commitment to its supplementary treaty, the Kyoto Protocol.

Groups representing developing nations or non-Annex I Parties also expressed concern that the slow progress in the Ad hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) would result in a gap between the first (2008-2012) and second commitment periods.

Bonn, 2 August (Martin Khor) - The adoption of water as a human right by the UN General Assembly and the issuing of a new report on climate change kept environmental issues in the news last week, while the UN climate talks resume this week.   Thus, the environment continues to be in the news spotlight in these weeks.

The General Assembly on 28 July at last recognised the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life and all other human rights.

The resolution was adopted by a vote of 122 countries in favour, none objecting and 42 abstaining.

Introducing the resolution and urging for a "yes" vote, Bolivia's Ambassador, Pablo Solon, said:  "I ask all delegations to bear in mind the fact that, according to the 2009 report of the World Health Organization and UNICEF entitled "Diarrhoea: Why children are still dying and what can be done," 24,000 children die in developing countries every day from preventable causes like diarrhea contracted from unclean water.

Bonn, 2 August (Meena Raman) – A new text to “facilitate negotiations among Parties” has been issued by the Chair of the UNFCCC's working group following up on the Bali Action Plan.

The text dated 9 July 2010 will be discussed at the 11^th session in Bonn on 2-6 August of the Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA).  At the same time, the Ad-hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex 1 Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) will also be meeting.

We need you to act now. This petition contains a statement on water and climate that is important for our collective work on these issues.

The reason we are asking you to sign this now is that This week in Bonn, the Climate meetings are preparing for COP 16 in Cancun Mexico.

Oslo - Governments must confront risks that the UN's Kyoto Protocol for fighting climate change will collapse because of splits about a successor treaty, the UN's top climate official said on Monday.

Koenigswinter - Outgoing UN climate chief Yvo de Boer shot down expectations of a climate treaty this year, saying on Monday that a major UN conference in December would yield only a "first answer" on curbing greenhouse gases.

Climate change has already claimed millions of victims. Not where we live, but in the South. Farmers, cattle breeders and fishermen are complaining that seasons seem to have a mind of their own, downpours and cyclones that destroy everything, drought that scorches the earth and a lack of sweet water. Ever-increasing poverty is making many leave in search of a nice, pleasant place to live…

Climate Chaos in the South/Caos climatico en el Sur is a documentary film which is available in four languages (Dutch, English, French and Spanish). This project is an initiative of NGOs which aims to provide voice of the victims of climate change in the South.

Please visit www.caosclimatico.be to watch the trailer and to find other information on this film.