Day 4, Doha 2012: “Arabs are more than oil”

Day four of COP 18 proved to be a day of dichotomies, criticism, and confusion.

While officially termed the Youth and Future Generations Day, continued disagreements about the AWG-LCA negotiating text overshadowed this label. On day 3, the Umbrella Group (most notably the USA, Canada, and Japan) voiced concerns about the substance and suitability of AWG-LCA’s overview text.

This unrest was carried over to day 4: while developed countries criticized the document’s content and questioned its procedural correctness, several developing countries praised the negotiating text. President Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah was criticized for not leveraging his position to broker deals between parties. In the meantime, the Least Developed Countries Group continued to emphasize that a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol is essential for mitigation efforts.

Young participants expressing their discontent (source: Sallie Shatz)

Despite these distractions, the younger demographics were represented on the Youth and Future Generations Day. Speaking for the Arab Youth Climate Movement, Reem al Mealla voiced disapproval of the UNFCCC’s failure to include aspiring policymakers. Furthermore, she pleaded for the Arab world to cut down emissions, noting that “Arabs are more than oil”.

In addition, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres was confronted by teenagers asking for easier access to COPs, as minors are generally prohibited from attending UN conferences. Ms. Figueres offered a dose of realism by referring to UN regulations, but also agreed that younger generations deserve a voice in global climate action (see the video here). Chairman Fahad Bin Mohammed Al-Attiya echoed this sentiment. At the same time, he highlighted the unprecedented opportunities that teenagers enjoy nowadays.

13,000 participants are currently in Doha. This number is expected to grow to 17,600 during the crucial second week. Dichotomies of skeptics and leaders, developed and developing, and young and old will have to be addressed and resolved. For now, participants have created an awful lot of transport emissions and hot air while congratulating themselves on a 96% reduction in paper use. Extending the Kyoto Protocol could be the cherry on top.