Impressions of Copenhagen from CCC's Observer and Advocate. By James Handley, CarbonTax.org, December 19, 2009. "While the mainstream press lamented the COP15 stalemate, and delegates struggled through the night to spin their impasse over 'targets' and 'verification' into some semblance of progress, the scene was harmonious, even jubilant at Klimaforum, the 'people's climate summit' near Copenhagen's main train station Friday night. Klimaforum negotiations coordinator Mathilde Kaalund-Jørgensen proclaimed to a standing room-only audience in the main auditorium that she had been admitted to the Bella Center (off limits to most non-governmental organizations since Wednesday), only to sit through hours of 'very boring' speeches by heads of state, droning on about 'urgency' and 'binding targets.' The UN granted Mathilde just two minutes at its plenary session to introduce the Klimaforum Declaration. The consensus Declaration calls on industrialized nations to recognize and begin to pay their 'climate debt' for the Earth's accumulated greenhouse gas pollution that is already raining destruction and death disproportionately on developing nations. The Declaration rejects carbon trading, carbon markets and offsets as false solutions and perhaps most importantly, includes a clear call for a transparent carbon tax with revenue returned to the people. After Mathilde's remarks, Klimaforum closed with a rollicking, diverse celebration, including latin, kletzmer, waltz and folk music, dance and some good laughs...
"For the first week and a half of COP15, I divided my time between UN events at the Bella Center and the Klimaforum. While the plenary sessions were grinding along, the UN side events offered a wealth of information and occasional inspiration: British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell was congratulated for enacting North America's first revenue-neutral carbon tax which led in May to his comfortable re-election. The German government detailed ambitious plans for 95% reductions in GHG emissions by 2050, pointedly including a scenario in which carbon capture and sequestration turns out not viable... The Klimaforum presentation, Carbon Taxation - A forgotten climate policy tool, by Global Utmaning (Global Challenge), an independent Swedish think-tank... was thorough, clear and well documented, covering the advantages of direct carbon pricing in reducing emissions and encouraging alternatives... I also attended two Klimaforum sessions featuring prolific and influential Guardian columnist George Monbiot... At his session later in the week entitled: 'Are you getting the climate agreement you came for?,' Monbiot mentioned climatologist Jim Hansen's trenchant critique of cap-and-trade and called on me during a comment period. I explained some of the flaws of carbon trading and suggested a direct carbon pricing system. Later, Monbiot picked up the point, explaining that a carbon tax is a way to reduce demand for fossil fuels and put alternatives on a stronger footing. Perhaps he'll adopt revenue-neutral carbon taxing as a future talking point. (Click here for Monbiot's bristling valedictory from COP15.)...
"Like so many, I came to Copenhagen with a vague hope for a 'fair and binding' agreement. I now question whether that was even a good framework to begin with... What's a better framework? How about one major trading bloc (e.g., the European Union or the U.S.) setting a steadily-increasing carbon tax? That would create pressure for others to follow, as the carbon-taxing countries collected (and kept) the laggards' carbon taxes for them at the border. In effect, penalize the laggards while offering a bounty of tax revenue for those that join. The only international agreement needed -- if at all -- would be that every country will enact a carbon fee, along with clarification of World Trade Organization rules on border tax adjustments. Nations don't even need to agree on the same carbon tax rate, since individual countries' rates can be harmonized at the border. Forget targets, verification, offsets, trading… And don't wait for the UN. Just lead: set a carbon price. The world will follow." James Handley's earlier post (Copenhagen Klimaforum To Press UN Delegates for Carbon Tax, 12/10/09) describes his involvement with the Klimaforum Declaration. James' work in Copenhagen was sponsored by the Climate Crisis Coalition, the Carbon Tax Center, and Citizens Climate Lobby.
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