High Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Must Avoid Pitfalls

Speaking in advance of the anticipated release of the recommendations of the High-level Advisory Group on Climate Finance, tomorrow, convened by UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon in the aftermath of the Copenhagen climate conference last year, Friends of the Earth's Climate Campaigner Asad Rehman said:

"The recommendations of the High-Level Advisory Group could boost the chances of progress at the upcoming climate negotiations in Cancun - but they must avoid the pitfalls which will slow negotiations down to a crawl."

"It's totally inappropriate for the countries who have mortgaged our planet's future to lend money to developing countries to tackle climate change - and then leave them saddled with financial and environmental catastrophe."

"New money from the rich to the developing world must be in the form of grants, not loans."

"Recommendations for a global carbon market would risk a speculative trading bubble and a double whammy of financial and climatic disaster."

"There are a range of options already on the table which can generate, fairly and effectively, the $200 billion which is the minimum required annually for developing countries to tackle climate change."

"These should include a 'Robin Hood tax' on international financial transactions, a levy on international flights and ending fossil fuel subsidies."

"This new money should form part of a Global Climate Fund under the control of the UN, which would provide money for developing countries in a transparent and democratic way."

For further information on the Robin Hood tax, visit www.robinhoodtax.org.uk