Greenpeace Questions Guilty For Rio+10 Failure

Thu, 5 Sep 2002

Greenpeace Questions Those Guilty For The Failure Of Rio+10

Activists want to know why governments failed at Johannesburg to ensure a sustainable future to the planet, through clean, renewable energy

Rio de Janeiro, 5 September 2002 - Greenpeace activists hung the banner “RIO+10 = 2nd CHANCE?” across the arms of the Christ the Redeemer (on Corcovado) in Rio de Janeiro today to protest against the world leaders’ failure to secure the future of the planet. The Earth Summit, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, ended yesterday.

“The outcome of the energy negotiations epitomises the failure of world governments to ensure a clean and sustainable future for the next generations. Governments did nothing to ensure that two billion people that live without electricity have access to clean, renewable energy,” said Marcelo Furtado, of Greenpeace. “The final text of this negotiation is the most evident icon against sustainability.”

The Brazilian proposal, calling for a target of 10% renewables by 2010, was blocked by the United States, Japan and the member countries of OPEC (1). Instead, the final text contains no targets or timetables for the implementation of clean energy that would allow development while protecting the climate. Additionally, the text promotes large-scale hydro projects and transference of fossil fuel technologies to developing countries, and does not exclude the possibility of nuclear energy projects.

“Humanity cannot remain silent after the failure of Rio+10. We should all question the governments that killed Brazil’s proposal as well as the targets and timelines for implementation of clean, renewable energy. Powerful oil exporters and consumers are frying our future and the oil industry is behind it, using greenwash to hide its dirty and extremely dangerous games,” said Frank Guggenheim, executive director from Greenpeace Brazil. “What’s worse, governments are letting them get away with it and in fact, globally, subsidise the fossil fuel and nuclear industries to the tune of 250-300 billion USD per year [Source: International Energy Agency].”

As part of today’s protests, Greenpeace activists will deliver the “mortal remains” of the Johannesburg Earth Summit to those responsible for the Summit’s failure: the worlds multinational fossil fuel corporations gathered at the World Petroleum Congress in Rio, the city which hosted the first Earth Summit ten years ago.

Greenpeace will continue to press world governments to create the necessary conditions to implement clean and sustainable energy and to guarantee a safe future, free from environmental devastation.

NOTES:

(1) OPEC, Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, is integrated by Algeria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar and Venezuela.

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