Pre COP Workshop Report - Addis Ababa Oct...

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Report on CAN Pre COP Workshop, Addis Ababa, 1921 Oct 2011 1 Report on CAN Pre COP Workshop Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 19 th to 21 st October 2011 Climate Action Network International October 2011 In Support with:

Transcript of Pre COP Workshop Report - Addis Ababa Oct...

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Report  on  CAN  Pre  COP  Workshop  Addis  Ababa,  Ethiopia  19th  to  21st  October  2011  

 

   

                     

     

Climate  Action  Network  International  October  2011  

 

In  Support  with:  

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1.  Background  In  recent  years,  Climate  Action  Network  –  International  (CAN)  has  developed  Southern  Capacity  Building  Programme  (SCBP)  in  order  to  bolster  the  voices  of  developing  country  member  organizations  and  partners  working  on  climate  advocacy  at  both  domestic  and  international  levels.    Often,  due  to  resource  constraints  and  lack  of  information  on  the  issues,  voices  from  developing  countries  have  been  marginalised.  What’s  more,  it  has  often  been  the  case  that  participation  from  developing  country  advocates  has  been  inconsistent  and  often  with  limited  knowledge  on  the  subject  matter  due  to  lack  of  exposure.    Through  the  work  of  the  SCB  programme  of  CAN  over  the  last  two  years  dedicated  policy  analysts  and  activists  have  been  empowered,  with  some  building  their  capacity  so  far  as  to  become  experts  in  their  fields.    This  program  has  helped  CAN’s  Southern  NGOs  and  networks  to  build  their  knowledge  and  experience  in  the  areas  of  policy  advocacy,  lobbying  governments,  media  relations,  and  mobilization  around  policy  work  for  broader  civil  society  agenda.  It  has  further  built  their  relationships  with  their  respective  governments  and  to  influence  them  through  their  ability  to  articulate  policy  perspective  and  their  agenda  of  the  poor  and  vulnerable  people.      As  a  part  of  capacity  building  and  to  enhancing  the  dialogue  on  policies  issues  within  CAN  members  and  partners  in  the  Global  South  CAN  organized  a  Pre  COP  capacity  building  and  knowledge  sharing  workshop.  Attending  the  international  climate  negotiations  alone  will  not  be  sufficient.  Participants  will  also  have  to  share  their  knowledge  and  skills  gained  at  the  negotiations  with  other  civil  society  members  and  government  in  their  country  and  region.  Given  the  political  dynamics  in  climate  change  negotiations,  it  is  becoming  a  complex  phenomenon.    In  this  context,  it  is  important  that  more  southern  people  build  their  knowledge  and  capacity  to  work  around  these  issues.  In  order  to  do  so,  they  will  have  to  engage  in  dialogue  and  discussion  among  themselves  and  have  time  and  space  to  further  sharpen  this  debate.  This  workshop  is  a  milestone  in  achieving  such  goal.      2.  Pre  COP  workshop  in  Addis  Ababa  CAN  International  organized  a    "Pre  COP  Workshop"  for  developing  country  CAN  members  in  Addis  Ababa,  Ethiopia  from  19th  to  21st  October  2011.    This  is  a  part  of  CAN’s  ongoing  efforts  under  the  Southern  Capacity  Building  program.  Roughly  50  participants  from  over  35  countries  from  Africa,  Asia,  Latin  America  and  the  Pacific  regions  attended  the  workshop.      This  event  was  primarily  for  civil  society  members  in  the  Global  South,  and  aimed  to  

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strengthen  its  participants’  capacities  and  work  towards  a  common  Southern  civil  society  voice  within  CAN  and  like  minded  organisations  in  the  lead  up  to  COP  17.    This  event  built  upon  the  similar  and  successful  pre-­‐COP  workshop  held  last  year  in  Mexico  City  in  which  roughly  50  CAN  members  and  partners  attended.    The  CAN-­‐International  Secretariat  had  the  pleasure  to  plan  the  workshop  in  collaboration  with  a  large  variety  of  CAN  members  and  partners,  whose  financial  support  not  only  made  this  event  possible  but  also  whose  engagement  brought  richness  to  the  discussions.  CAN-­‐International  received  support  from  the  Heinrich  Böll  Foundation  (Ethiopia  Office),  Bread  for  the  World,  Greenpeace  International,  WWF-­‐International,  Oxfam  International,  the  Norwegian  Environment  ForUM,  the  Development  Fund,  the  Southern  Voices  Program  consortium  and  CARE  Denmark.  We’d  like  to  thank  these  organizations  and  partners  for  making  this  event  a  success.      3.  Objectives  of  the  workshop  Primarily,  this  program  aimed  to  strengthen  the  capacity  and  voice  of  CAN  southern  members  and  like-­‐minded  organisations  on  climate  policy  to  advocate  at  the  national,  regional  and  international  level.  In  addition,  the  workshop  aimed  to  build  their  capacity  to  influence  the  climate  negotiations  and  engage  in  constructive  debate  while  they  also  had  the  opportunity  to  share  their  experiences  in  network  institution  strengthening.    Their  active  participation  helped  enhanced  their  ability  to  articulate  policy,  understand  the  complexities  of  climate  negotiations  and  work  in  cooperation  with  wide  range  of  networks.      Some  of  the  specific  objectives  included:  

1. Provide  space  for  developing  country  CAN  members  and  other  stakeholders  to  work  on  a  common  and  unified  southern  voice  for  greater  influence  at  the  Seventeenth  Conference  of  Parties  in  Durban.  

2. Strengthen  the  South–South  dialogue  and  discussion  in  order  to  support  the  CAN-­‐International  policies  to  have  impact  in  the  climate  negotiations  through  broader  understanding  and  knowledge  base.  

3. Strengthen  and  reinforce  the  connections  between  the  southern  civil  society  members  to  continue  dialogue  and  strategize  for  future  advocacy  and  actions  in  their  respective  country  and  regions.  

4. Have  dialogue  and  interaction  with  African  governments  and/or  the  African  Union.  

 4.  Workshop  methodology  Different  methodologies  were  practiced  in  the  workshop.  Since  the  workshop  was  designed  to  build  the  capacity  and  share  lessons  learned,  a  participatory  process  was  utilized,  where  participants  had  

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opportunities  to  present,  share  their  opinion  and  break  out  into  groups  for  more  rigorous  discussions.      Apart  from  a  selected  few  invited  experts  who  served  as  resource  persons,  methods  were  used  to  recognize  and  utilize  the  participants  themselves  as  resource  people  in  their  own  rights.  Many  of  them  played  the  role  of  presenters,  group  moderators,  session  chairs  and  facilitators.  It  was  a  very  participatory  workshop  encouraging  participants  to  be  highly  engaged.  This  style  seemed  to  have  worked  well  and  the  participants  enjoyed  it.    Often  the  participants  were  broken  into  smaller  groups  for  theme  discussions,  regional  planning  etc.  This  allowed  participant  to  interact  and  know  each  other  better.    5.  Participants  of  the  workshop  CAN  members  and  like-­‐minded  organisations  from  developing  countries  having  policy  experiences  especially  related  to  the  UN  Framework  Convention  on  Climate  Change  (UNFCCC)  process  (either  at  national,  regional  and/or  international  international  levels)  were  invited.  Participants  came  from  developing  countries  from  a  variety  of  regions.    Participant  selection  was  done  in  a  transparent  manner  to  make  it  inclusive  of  different  regions  where  gender,  organisation,  country  and  regional  balance  was  considered.  One  of  the  criteria  of  selection  was  also  such  that  these  participants  from  the  workshop  would  go  back  to  their  home  country  or  region  and  share  information  and  learning  from  the  workshop  with  wider  stakeholders.  Participants  showed  commitment  to  this  requirement  and  many  had  already  made  plans  to  do  so  once  they  returned.      6.  What  was  discussed?  The  workshop  covered  a  wide  range  of  topics  from  debate  on  low  carbon  development  strategies  to  policy  choices  for  adaptation  and  sharing  of  experience  from  different  networks.  However,  the  main  focus  of  the  program  was  on  policy  framing  and  influencing  the  outcome  of  the  17th  Conference  of  Parties  to  the  UNFCCC  (COP17).  While  looking  at  the  national  and  regional  level  issues,  attention  was  given  to  major  areas  within  the  UNFCCC  processes,  including  thematic  issue  discussion  such  as  low  carbon  development,  adaptation,  and  institutional  strengthening.      The  participants  also  met  within  regional  groupings  in  order  to  identify  and  prepare  work  plans  around  key  issues  relevant  to  their  region.      6.1.  Low  carbon  development  pathways  The  workshop  started  with  a  panel  discussion  on  low  carbon  development  and  sustainable  future  from  a  developing  country  perspective.  Speakers  from  different  regions  presented  their  opinions.  They  highlighted  what  was  happening  in  their  

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regions  and  what  more  needed  to  happen.  It  was  an  interactive  session  where  participants  had  varied  thoughts  and  questions.      Shirley  Atatagi  from  Samoa  shared  that  low  carbon  development  stays  true  to  principles  of  sustainable  development,  and  that  development  should  happen  in  a  low  carbon  manner.  She  conveyed  her  opinion  that  low  carbon  development  now  is  not  driven  by  moral  reasons,  but  mainly  due  to  economic  reasons  and  essentially  survival  to  exist.    

 In  South  Africa  for  instance  the  issue  is  who  will  pay  for  the  transition  from  cheap  coal  to  (currently)  more  costly  renewable  energies.  But  in  Small  Island  Developing  States,  where  fossil  fuels  are  expensive  because  of  the  high  import  prices,  the  switch  to  renewables  may  be  less  costly.  The  transition  to  low  carbon  development  is  then  ideally  easier  for  SIDS  and  Pacific  states  and  is  very  much  an  economic  driver.    

 Chandra  Bhushan  from  India  highlighted  that  India  is  a  high  emitting  country  and  has  growing  energy  intensive  industries.  Energy  cost  is  high  which  is  a  major  driver  for  change.  Therefore,  low  carbon  relates  to  technology  for  these  industries.  Developing  countries  are  actually  enhancing  their  technology  efficiency  -­‐  for  instance  India  is  building  up  its  infrastructure  now.  Low  carbon  is  hence  built  in  to  their  development  pathways  of  business  as  usual  anyway.  Fair  effort  sharing  needs  to  be  the  basis  of  negations  for  India.    Similarly,  Jiayi  Xu  from  China  shared  that  China  is  one  of  the  major  emitters  in  the  world.  Coal  consumption  is  very  high  in  the  power  sector  and  low  carbon  is  the  only  sustainable  way  for  China  in  the  future  though  there  is  a  price  to  be  paid.  Poverty  alleviation  needs  to  be  considered  for  a  country  like  China  with  continuing  development  needs.  The  presentation  suggested  that  even  with  nuclear  plants,  China  will  still  suffer  from  a  large  gap  in  energy  demand  in  the  future  especially  for  industries.  China  may  have  a  higher  ambition  for  emission  reduction  in  the  future,  but  there  are  many  challenges  currently.  The  eastern  part  of  China  differ  from  Western  part  of  China  in  its  energy  demand  and  vulnerability,  which  presents  further  challenges.  All  that  said,  low  carbon  development  is  currently  thoroughly  incorporated  into  the  national  five-­‐year  plan.    Mithika  Mwenda  from  Kenya  then  highlighted  the  challenges  facing  Africa  in  its  transition  from  fossil  fuel  development  to  low  carbon  development.  Given  its  level  of  development,  Africa  needs  major  resources  to  transit  to  low  carbon  development  but  the  questions  remains;  Who  will  pay?  For  Africa  low  carbon  could  be  an  investment  opportunity.  CDM  was  originally  developed  as  a  financer  for  developing  

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countries  including  those  in  Africa  for  low  carbon  development,  however  Africa  remains  the  continent  with  the  least  benefits  from  this  mechanism  due  to  lack  of  capacity.  Capacity  building  is  essential  for  low  carbon  development  in  Africa.  Will  low  carbon  solve  the  problem  for  Africa?  The  problem  in  Africa  is  not  mitigation  but  actually  adaptation.  Hence  low  carbon  development  must  be  seen  as  working  in  concert  with  the  priority  of  adaptation.    Similarly,  Mohamed  Adow,  also  from  Kenya,  reminded  the  group  that  Africa  is  the  most  vulnerable  and  least  responsible  for  the  cause  of  climate  change.  Africa  can  however  be  a  leader  for  low  carbon  development.  The  threat  of  poverty  is  a  problem  and  is  now  exacerbated  by  climate  change.  Addressing  poverty  is  a  direct  link  in  addressing  climate  change  and  financers  need  to  understand  this  and  not  distinguish  between  them  separately.  Roughly  eighty  per  cent  of  energy  in  Africa  is  fossil  fuel  –  coal,  oil,  and  natural  gas.  Irregular  power  outages  are  common  in  Africa,  and  inadequate  power  distribution  across  continent  remains  a  challenge.  The  majority  of  people  globally  that  do  not  have  reliable  energy  live  in  sub-­‐Saharan  Africa.  The  forty  TW  of  power  used  by  all  of  sub-­‐Saharan  Africa  is  the  same  amount  as  the  New  York  City  alone  and  this  shows  the  problem  in  equity  and  fair  sharing  globally.  Africa  is  endowed  with  renewable  energy,  and  hence  it  is  possible  to  power  Africa  that  does  not  have  access  to  energy  demand  with  clean  energy.  Africa  requires  preferential  finance,  technology  and  capacity  to  tap  into  this  renewable  potential  and  move  to  low  carbon  development.      

Low  carbon  development  is  the  solution    

I   believe   a   low   carbon   future   is   possible   with   the   agreement   of   all  parties   contributing   to   change   their   ‘Business   as   Usual’   practices,   it  might   be   an   expensive   goal   in   the   short   term,   but   the   long   term  advantages  outweigh  the  short   term  expenses,  and  for  small   islands  a  low   carbon   future   makes   sense,   and   various   bodies   like   the   Small  Islands  Developing  States  (SIDS)  can  be  an  effective  entity  to  influence  and  make  a  difference  within  the  G77+China  group.    

By   participating   in   the   pre   COP  workshop   I   felt   that   it   added   a   great  value   in   enhancing   my   understanding.     There   was   a   wide   range   of  presentations,  which  were  informative,  and  I  learnt  new  things.  I  found  the   panel   presentations   really   interesting,   especially   the   discussion  that  gave  me  more  insight  to  G77  and  China.    

The   regional   and   thematic   breakout   groups   helped   me   understand  more   about   climate   change;   identifying  major   regional   issues   such   as  climate  change  impacts,  low  carbon  development  drivers  and  capacity  building.     In   the   thematic   breakout   groups,   I   followed   the  mitigation  group  and  it  was  very  helpful  to  be  a  part  of  a  group  where  people  with  different  perspectives  participated.  Being  a  part  of  the  mitigation  group  helped  me  understand  the  current  situation  of  the  Kyoto  Protocol.    

One  really  beneficial  part  of   this   three-­‐day  workshop  was   the  sharing  of   experiences   from   other   countries   and   different   regions   as   I   learnt  more  about  the  situation  of  other  countries.  Knowing  this  will  help  me  take   this   into   account  when   I   plan   or   share   information   amongst  my  colleagues   and   organisation   in   the   Pacific   region.   Being   a   part   of   this  workshop  has  helped  me  understand  how  NGOs  view  and  influence  the  climate  negotiations    

I   recommend   that   it  would   be   of   added   value   to   have   one   additional  day   to   allow   bit  more   interaction   time   in   between   sessions   from   the  panel/presentations  and  the  floor.  

-­‐  Ewan  Cameron,  Cook  Islands      

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6.2.  Thematic  issue  discussions  To  give  an  overview  of  what  is  happening  in  the  climate  negotiations,  a  selection  of  CAN’s  policy  working  group  coordinators  and  other  experts  presented  on  various  building  blocks  that  are  under  discussion  at  the  UNFCCC.  These  themes  included  adaptation,  mitigation,  finance,  technology,  reducing  emissions  from  deforestation  (REDD)  and  capacity  building.  The  presentation  were  made  based  on  CAN’s  agreed  policy  document  prepared  for  COP17,  called  the  ‘Durban  Expectations.’  The  full  document  can  be  accessed  from  the  CAN’s  website.  http://climatenetwork.org/sites/default/files/CAN_durban_expectations_september2011_web.pdf        In  order  to  further  flesh  out  and  understand  these  building  blocks  participants  were  divided  into  smaller  groups  based  on  their  interest.    While  discussing  these  issues  with  the  help  of  the  experts,  participants  were  also  asked  to  relate  to  their  country  or  regional  interest  and  importance.      6.3.  Effort  sharing  Effort  sharing  is  considered  one  of  the  most  important  and  challenging  debates  in  the  climate  negotiations.  Sanjay  Vashist  from  India  made  a  brief  presentation  and  participants  provided  further  input  through  discussion.  The  presentation  was  also  very  much  framed  on  the  ongoing  discussion  taking  place  within  CAN  International.  Some  of  the  equity  principles  he  put  for  discussion  based  on  the  issues  being  discussed  in  the  UNFCCC  context  were:    

• Common  but  differentiated  responsibilities  and  respective  capabilities  • Developed  countries  should  take  the  lead  • Full  consideration  for  needs  and  circumstances  of  developing  country  

Parties,  especially  those  that  are  particularly  vulnerable  to  the  adverse  effects  of  climate  change  

• Precautionary  approach  to  avoiding  climate  change  and  its  adverse  effects.  • Approach  is  cost-­‐effective,  and  comprehensive,  while  accounting  for  different  

socio-­‐economic  contexts  • Approach  is  appropriate  given  Parties  conditions  and  development  needs  • Preserves  the  right  to  sustainable  development  • Supports  sustainable  economic  growth  and  development  

 Participants  gave  various  opinions  and  discussed  on  the  above  principles.  There  were  also  additional  thoughts  put  forward  and  interpretation  done  on  the  above  principles.  From  the  discussion  it  was  also  realized  that  not  many  participants  were  aware  about  this  debate  as  for  some  it  was  the  first  time.  They  needed  time  to  understand  and  read  more  materials.  The  presentation  has  been  shared  among  the  participants  for  their  benefit.    6.4.    Regional  dynamics  and  synergy  Regional  dynamics  and  synergy  was  another  important  session  that  was  discussed.  Panel  speakers  from  different  regions  shared  the  dynamics  going  on  in  their  regions  

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and  how  these  regional  groups  would  leverage  into  the  climate  negotiations  to  strengthen  the  Southern  Voice.      Habtemariam  Abate  from  Ethiopia  briefed  the  group  regarding  the  Africa  region.  He  stressed  that  there  are  many  African  organs  but  the  three  major  ones  to  discuss  climate  change  are  The  Assembly  of  the  Union,  African  Union  Commission  and  The  Economic,  Cultural  and  Social  Council.  Habtemariam  suggested  that  Africa  has  a  serious  fragmentation  and  no  unified  voice.  He  recalled  that  strength  often  lies  in  unity  and  recalled  that  Africa  had  demonstrated  this  when  they  walked  out  of  the  

climate  negotiations  in  August  2009.  Africa  is  now  focused  heavily  on  adaptation  but  it  needs  a  paradigm  shift  to  focus  on  mitigation  too.    Sanjay  Vashist  from  India  shared  that  South  Asian  Association  for  Regional  Corporation  (SAARC)  is  comprised  of  8  countries  of  South  Asia.  Among  these  countries  is  a  mix  of  least  developed  countries  (LDCs),  a  major  emerging  economy  and  some  other  G77+China  countries  like  Sri  Lanka  and  Pakistan.  SAARC  

as  an  entity  does  not  have  a  unified  climate  change  strategy  and  mainly  focuses  on  infrastructure  development  –  dams,  etc.  Sanjay  suggested  that  more  collaboration  on  equity  principles  and  resource  sharing  is  needed.  Lessons  learned  from  each  SAARC  state  are  important;  for  instance  Bangladesh  has  strengths  on  adaptation  it  can  share,  etc.      Gurmit  Singh  from  Malaysia  talked  about  the  Association  of  Southeast  Asian  Nations  (ASEAN).  He  suggested  that  Myanmar  is  holding  up  negotiations  in  the  ASEAN  context.  Like  other  regions  discussed,  ASEAN  as  an  entity  does  not  speak  as  a  unified  voice  in  UNFCCC.  This  is  a  diverse  group  so  they  cannot  come  up  with  a  common  understanding  on  climate  issues.  Gurmit  suggested  that  the  role  of  ASEAN  could  be  strengthened  as  it  is  an  integral  body  for  the  region.    Gaines  Campbell  from  Brazil  spoke  on  the  BASIC  (Brazil,  South  Africa,  India  and  China)  dynamics  –  a  grouping  of  countires  not  based  on  geography  but  rather  on  similarities  in  economic  status.    BASIC  leaders  became  visible  in  Copenhagen  at  COP15  but  these  four  countries  may  have  similar  characteristics  but  not  necessarily  have  similar  interests.    They  all  are  committed  to  the  two-­‐track  process  –  the  Kyoto  Protocol  and  the  working  group  on  Long-­‐term  Cooperative  Action.  The  BASIC  group  seems  to  be  committed  to  the  UNFCCC  being  the  only  forum  for  climate  negotiations.  They  demand  that  mitigation  actions  by  developing  countries  must  be  accompanied  by  support.  They  strongly  advocate  for  second  commitment  period  of  

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KP  and  insist  that  there  should  not  be  a  gap  between  the  first  and  second  commitment  period.  Technology  transfer  is  also  a  vital  agenda  item  for  them.    Shirley  Atatagi  from  the  Pacific  stated  that  different  interests  lies  within  Small  Island  Developing  States  (SIDS)  and  the  Alliance  of  Small  Island  States  (AOSIS);  for  instance  the  position  of  Singapore  is  much  different  from  other  members.    Fourteen  Pacific  island  states  are  working  to  harmonise  their  positions.  But  G77+China  as  a  whole  has  lots  of  competing  interests  and  often  struggles  to  find  harmony.  Shirley  suggested  the  position  of  Pacific  states  can  sometimes  become  watered  down  by  the  time  it  reaches  G77+China.  AOSIS,  LDCs,  and  the  Africa  Group  are  most  vulnerable  and  hold  the  most  representation  in  G77+China,  but  have  the  least  influence  in  the  same  .  When  unity  is  needed  there  is  competition  happening  amongst  these  3  groups  on  who  is  the  most  vulnerable  especially  to  see  who  will  get  the  very  limited  funding  available.  AOSIS  concerns  are  being  blocked  on  all  issues  so  now  they  have  started  to  talk  to  Cartagena  Dialogue.  Pacific  states  are  starting  to  think  whether  or  not  UNFCCC  is  worth  it,  and  whether  it’s  the  right  platform.    Mahomad  Adow  from  Kenya  spoke  on  the  dynamics  of  G77+China.  He  stressed  that  China  is  the  biggest  polluter  with  19%  world  population.  But  the  world  needs  to  realise  how  the  equity  debate  is  phrased  and  responsibility  taken  by  looking  at  the  emissions  vs.  population  aspect.  Annex  1  countries  have  18%  of  world  population  but  their  responsibility  and  capability  index  (RCI)  responsibility  is  88%  of  emissions.  G77+China  is  reactive  to  the  second  commitment  period  of  the  Kyoto  Protocol.      7.  South-­‐South  experience  sharing  among  participants  Experience  sharing  and  providing  constructive  feedback  was  an  integral  part  of  the  workshop.  Since  this  workshop  was  focused  around  policy  discussions  at  the  national,  regional  and  international  level,  in  support  of  this  process,  participants  were  encouraged  to  share  their  experiences  for  the  benefit  of  all.  The  idea  was  basically  to  learn  from  different  countries  and  regions  to  help  shape  the  climate  agenda  and  polices  at  various  levels  to  execute  the  relevant  strategy  and  insights.      It  was  also  stressed  how  the  work  done  at  national  or  regional  level  in  different  region  would  feed  into  the  international  climate  discussions.  Some  participants  shared  their  learning  of  policy  work  from  the  local  level.    For  instance,  CAN  Uganda  was  set  up  to  start  information  dissemination  

We  need  to  engage  with  the  government    

Congratulations  on  an  exceptional  workshop   to  CANI,  its  sponsors  and  partners  for  being  able  to  assemble   an   impressive   array   of   panelists   and  participants.   I   found   the   workshop   very  enlightening   and   informative   as   participants  from   various   regions   shared   their   opinions   on  issues   such   as   low   carbon   development  including   other   issues   like   adaptation,  mitigation,   technology   and   REDD   and   their  implication  in  our  countries.    

The  workshop  further  enhanced  my  capacity  on  the   need   to   engage   with   various   government  agencies   on   climate   change   issues.   Currently  Ghana  is  reviewing  all  of  its  policies  and  various  inputs  are  required  from  civil  society.  I  intend  to  share   my   learning   experiences   from   the   CAN  pre-­‐COP  workshop  with  persons  working  in  the  field  of  climate  change.    

-­‐  Gloria  Akaba,  Ghana    

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and  also  advocacy  on  appropriate  policy.  They  also  help  the  government  negotiators  on  some  specific  positions  preparation.  Similarly,  CAN  South  Asia  was  strengthening  its  members  and  establishing  itself  as  a  regional  network  to  advocate  on  regional  issues  at  SAARC  (South  Asian  Association  for  Regional  Cooperation)  level.      Also,  a  new  CAN  regional  node  is  in  the  process  of  being  established  in  the  Pacific  region  to  push  for  their  agenda  and  work  in  unison.  This  is  an  encouraging  sign,  as  not  many  networks  exist  in  this  region  working  on  climate  issue.  This  highly  vulnerable  and  spread  out  region  needs  support  and  inspiration.      8.  Dialogue  with  the  African  Union  As  a  part  of  the  program,  a  dialogue  with  the  African  Union  was  also  planned  and  organized.  This  was  primarily  intended  to  learn  the  strategies  of  African  Union  in  the  lead  up  to  COP17,  which  will  be  held  in  Durban,  South  Africa.  Similarly,  as  civil  society  we  also  wanted  to  show  our  support  for  the  Union  for  fruitful  outcomes  in  Durban  as  the  COP  was  being  held  in  Africa  -­‐  one  of  the  most  vulnerable  regions  to  climate  change.    

 A  representative  from  the  Division  of  Environment  and  Natural  Resources  of  the  African  Union  attended  the  program  to  brief  the  group  on  the  Union’s  plan.  He  explained  how  the  African  Union  worked  and  shared  on  some  of  the  challenges  and  strengths  of  the  institution.  This  discussion  was  slow  moving  due  to  having  sequential  translation  from  French  to  English,  but  nonetheless  lively.  Participants  interacted  with  various  questions  related  to  the  upcoming  COP.      

In  order  to  be  sure  the  group  was  prepared  for  a  productive  discussion,  a  preparatory  session  was  held  the  previous  day,  which  made  the  discussion  move  smoothly.  Participants  clearly  delivered  their  message  stating  that  since  this  COP  is  being  held  in  Africa  it  should  be  considered  as  an  African  COP  and  the  Union  should  work  in  harmony  to  make  the  best  out  of  it.  African  being  one  of  the  vulnerable  region  and  already  suffering  the  impacts  of  climate  change  should  work  strongly  for  the  success  of  the  COP.      9.  Developing  a  regional  plan  In  the  third  day  of  the  workshop,  participants  built  a  work  plan  for  their  country  and/or  regions.  These  plans  reflected  the  discussions  from  the  workshop  and  incorporated  what  needs  to  be  done  in  their  respective  regions.  Participants  were  divided  into  four  regional  groups  to  do  the  planning.      

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The  plans  developed  are  to  share  the  learning  from  the  workshop  and  also  initiate  debate  and  discussion  in  the  lead  up  to  COP  17.  Regional  plans  incorporate  two  set  of  activities  –  one  in  relation  to  the  upcoming  COP  and  the  other  beyond  COP  and  Rio+20  conference.    These  activities  will  be  followed  up  and  reported  in  the  updates.  The  full  detail  of  these  regional  plans  can  be  viewed  in  Annex-­‐II.      10.  Learning  from  the  workshop  This  Pre  COP  workshop  is  the  second  workshop  in  two  years,  and  has  built  successfully  from  the  lessons  learned  in  the  previous  years’  workshop.  Like  last  year,  this  workshop  held  in  Ethiopia  was  seen  as  a  success.  There  has  been  many  leassons  from  organizing  this  workshop,  such  as  the  following:  

• For  a  network  like  CAN,  while  conducting  an  international  workshop  having  a  strong  host  is  important  and  in  this  Pre-­‐COP  workshop  the  Heinrich  Böll  Foundation  office  in  Ethiopia  played  a  crucial  role.  We  will  continue  to  seek  such  partners  for  future  programs.  

• Wider  reach  and  mixture  of  participants  is  very  crucial.  As  in  this  workshop  we  will  continue  to  invite  members  from  diverse  regions,  countries  and  with  different  expertise.  Gender  balance  will  always  be  highly  sought.  

• Rather  than  having  to  invite  separate  specific  resource  persons,  it  was  very  fruitful  to  provide  the  opportunity  for  participants  to  act  as  resource  persons  themselves.  This  gave  lots  of  confidence  to  the  participants  and  also  plenty  of  experience  and  information  sharing  was  done  to  support  the  network  members.  

• Some  of  the  sessions  in  the  workshop  seemed  heavy  for  new  comers  and  time  was  short  to  get  into  details.  However,  in  future  workshops  it  could  be  useful  to  organize  something  a  basic  information  session  beforehand  for  new  comers  and  also  look  into  the  length  of  each  sessions  to  ensure  they  meet  the  needs  of  the  topic  at  hand.    

• The  idea  of  having  a  dialogue  with  the  African  Union  was  well  planned,  however  ensuring  the  right  representative  from  the  government  bodies  in  the  future  will  allow  for  more  fluid  discussions  where  language  is  less  of  a  barrier  and  the  expertise  is  aligned  with  information  sought  to  be  discussed.  

• Preparing  the  country  and  regional  plan  at  the  end  of  the  workshop  was  very  strategic  to  see  what  the  participants  would  do  once  they  went  back  home.  Having  a  good  plan  in  hand  gave  encouragement  for  the  participants  to  get  engaged  upon  return  to  their  home  countries.  However,  follow  up  must  be  done  to  ensue  that  these  plans  are  implemented.  

 

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 11.  Participant’s  feedback  from  the  workshop  Most  of  the  participants  seemed  very  content  with  the  workshop  and  suggested  giving  continuity  to  similar  activities  in  the  future.  This  workshop  helped  build  synergy  among  networks  in  the  Global  South.  Some  of  the  major  feedbacks  received  from  the  participants  are  given  below.  

What  went  well?  • The  workshop  was  educational,  informative  and  helped  build  the  

understanding  of  climate  negotiations.    • It  helped  build  South-­‐South  dialogue  and  cooperation  while  helping  prepare  

for  COP  17  in  Durban.  • The  sessions  chosen  were  relevant  and  the  mix  of  activities  were  motivating.  • Most  of  the  participants  feel  the  objectives  of  the  workshop  were  met  to  large  

extent.  However,  some  did  mention  that  we  might  want  to  consider  the  choice  of  person  from  the  government  or  African  Union.  

• Many  participants  who  would  not  speak  in  regular  CAN  meetings  were  more  vocal.  This  should  be  encouraged  and  continued  in  the  regular  meetings  too.    

• The  organizing  of  the  workshop  was  timey  and  the  logistics  were  well  organized.  

• Participants  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  social  evenings  with  cultural  music,  dance  and  food.    

 What  could  be  improved  next  time?  • Presentations  could  be  backed  by  

more  facts  and  figures  and  examples.  We  also  need  to  work  towards  solutions  rather  than  just  discussions.  

• There  should  be  a  session  on  basics  for  the  new  comers  and  possibly  doing  event  like  this  regionally  first  would  be  helpful.  Some  sessions  were  too  technical  and  needed  more  clarification.    

• Would  be  useful  to  invite  some  developed  country  colleagues  and  perhaps  some  government  representatives  so  that  there  is  also  a  dialogue  with  them  and  allows  for  greater  understanding  of  respective  perspectives.    

• Need  to  consider  the  mix  of  participants  and  arrange  a  translator  when  needed.    

• Having  one  extra  day  could  be  beneficial.  Sometimes  there  was  a  rush  or  did  not  have  time  to  finish  the  discussion  for  better  outcomes  in  the  group  discussions.  

• Could  be  good  to  have  some  concrete  outcome  at  the  end  of  the  workshop  that  would  feed  into  decision-­‐making  bodies  of  CAN  International.  

Information  sharing  is  crucial    

This  workshop  was  an  agent  of  change  to  me.  It  really   inspired  me   to   get   engaged   in   the   policy  discussion.   Debates   and   experience   sharing  from  different  Southern  countries  enhanced  my  competency   in   climate   change   issues.   It   makes  me   feel   that   I   have   a   lot   to   do   in   my   home  country.   Tanzania   needs   information  dissemination   and   awareness   raising.    Documents   such   as   CAN’s   Durban   expectations  and   presentations   made   in   the   workshops  should   go   to  my   government   negotiators.     This  helps   them   to   understand   the   community  priorities  and  work  accordingly.  As  an  activist,  I  will   put  my   effort   in   sharing   the   outcomes   and  learning  from  this  workshop.    

-­‐  Dominic  Mtui  ,  Tanzania      

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• Need  more  social  activities  –  add  fields  visit  too.  • Follow  up  process  should  be  considered  not  to  loose  the  gains  and  

momentum  established  at  the  workshop.    Many  participants  have  individually  committed  to  go  back  and  share  the  learning  with  wider  stakeholders  while  some  have  vowed  to  continue  getting  engaged  in  climate  policy  work.      12.  Conclusions  The  pre-­‐COP  workshop  ended  with  good  regional  plans  for  the  members  in  the  Global  South.  To  a  large  extent  we  fulfilled  the  objectives  put  forward  initially.  Fruitful  and  constructive  discussions,  lots  of  experience  sharing  and  motivation  to  engage  in  the  climate  policy  advocacy  were  well  appreciated  by  the  participants.  Similar  reflections  were  also  received  from  the  final  evaluation  of  the  workshop.  The  organizing  of  the  workshop  also  went  smooth  due  to  an  excellent  collaboration  with  the  local  host,  the  Heinrich  Böll  Foundation.      CAN  will  continue  to  seek  similar  opportunities  to  build  the  capacity  of  Southern  members  and  institutionalize  the  learning.  There  is  continuing  needs  for  information  dissemination,  local  level  policy  dialogue,  motivation  to  engage  in  policy  advocacy  and  continuity  to  the  actions  already  taking  place.  Only  by  continuous  collective  persistence  we  can  achieve  this.    The  pre-­‐COP  workshop  has  been  a  milestone  in  achieving  some  of  the  vision  and  similar  events  need  to  take  place  in  the  future.  With  support  from  its  members  and  partners  CAN  International  will  continue  to  engage  in  capacity  building  activities  in  different  forms.      Annexes    Annex-­‐I:  List  of  Participants  Annex-­‐II:  Regional  plans            

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Annex-­‐I  

   CAN  Pre  COP  Participants  list  (October  2011)  

 Title   Name   Organization   Position   Country  Ms   Lama  El  Hatow   IndyACT   Climate  Policy  Officer   Egypt  Mr   Gurmit  Singh   CANSEA   Reg.  Coordinator   Malaysia  

Mr   Patrick  Adams  San  Juan  Philippine  Rural  Reconstruction  Movement    

Development  Cooperation  and  Media  Relations  Associate   Philippines  

Mr   CHANDRA  BHUSHAN  CENTRE  FOR  SCIENCE  AND  ENVIRONMENT   Deputy  Director   India  

Mr   Manjeet  Dhakal   Clean  Energy  Nepal   Program  Director   Nepal  Ms   Nazria  Islam   BCAS   Sr  Researcher   Bangladesh  Ms   Kashmala  Kakakhel   Lead  Pakistan   TA  &KM  Coordinator   Pakistan  

Mr  DOMINIC  ALEXANDER  MTUI   AGENDA   Programme  Officer   Tanzania  

Mr   Philip  Odhiambo  Otieno   Kenya  Young  Greens   National  Coordinator     Kenya  Mr   Geoffrey  Kamese   CAN-­‐Uganda   Coordinator   Uganda  Mr   Isaac  Kabongo   ECO   ED   Uganda  Mr   Mamady  Kobele  Keita   Guinée  Ecologie     ED   Guinea    Mr   BRIDA  ANGE-­‐BENJAMIN   Envisciences   ED   Ivory  Coast  

Mr   Surveyor  Efik  Climate  Change  Network  Nigeria   National  Coordinator   Nigeria  

Mr     Samuel  Dotse   HATOF  Foundation   CHIEF  EXECUTIVE  OFFICER   Ghana  Ms   Gifty  AMPOMAH   ENDA   Action  Researcher   Senegal  Mr   RajendranathAwotar   Maudesco/SARCAN   Regional  Coordiantor   Mauritius  

Ms  Maike  Pilitati  (Pelenise  Alofa)  

Kiribati  Climate  Action  Network   President   Kiribati  

Mr   Ewan  Cameron   350.org  Pacific  Moving  Planet  Coordinator   Samoa  

Ms   Mona  Matepi   CAN-­‐Cook  Islands   Member   Cook  Island  

Mr  Morrow  Gaines  Campbell  III   Vitae  Civlis   Climate  Advisor   Brazil  

Ms   Sandra  Guzmán  Mexican  Center  of  Environmental  Law  

Head  of  Public  Policy  Development     Mexico  

Mr   Juan  Carlos  Soriano  Yabar   350.org  Latin  American  Regional  Organizer   Peru  

Ms   Jiayi  Xu  Institute  for  Environment  and  Development     Program  Officer   China  

Mr   YARISSEM    Jean-­‐Bernard   WWF-­‐CARPO   Country  Director  

Central  African  Republic  

Mr   Raymond  Lumbuenamo   WWF-­‐CARPO   Country  Director   DR  Congo  

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Mr   Thomas  Otim   WWF  -­‐  Uganda   Conservation  Manager   Uganda  Ms   Gloria  Akaba   The  Development  Institute   Programme  Manager   Ghana  

Mr.   Lawali  Malam  Karami    

ONG  s  et  Product  Aménagement  des  Terroirs  et  Productions  Forestières  (ATPF)   National  Coordinator   Niger  

Mr  Ataide  Francisco  David  Sacramento   CARE  International  

Advocacy  Manager  in  Adaptation  Learning  Programme  for  Africa  (ALP)  

Mozambique  

Mr   Mithika  Mwenda   PACJA   PACJA  Coordinator   Kenya  

Mr   Ahmed  Sékou  Diallo  

AFAD  /Association  de  Formation  et  d’Appui  au  Développement   Executive  Director   Mali  

Mr   Mohamed  Adow   Christian  Aid       Kenya  Mr   Sanjay  Vashist   CANSA   Director   India  Ms   Shirley  Atatagi   Greenpeace   Policy  Adviser   NZ  Mr   Harjeet  Singh   Action  Aid   Programme  Coordinator   India  Mr   David  Turnbull   CANI   Director   USA  

Ms   Julie  Anne  Richards   CANI  International  Policy  Coordinator   Australia  

Mr   Raju  Pandit  Chhetri   CANI   Program  Coordinator  -­‐SCB   Nepal  

Mr  Affana  Affana  Jean  Paul  Brice  

Vital  Actions  for  Sustainable  Development  (AVD)   Coordinator   Cameroon  

Ms   Winnie  Khaemba  African  Youth  Initiative  on  Climate  Change  (AYICC)  

Advisor,  Policy  &  Partnerships   Kenya  

Mr   Negash  Teklu,    Population  Health  and  Environment-­‐Ethiopia  (PHEE)   Executive  Director   Ethiopia  

Mr   Dereje  G/Michael    Institute  for  Sustainable  Development  (ISD)   Deputy  Director   Ethiopia  

Mr   Habtemariam  Abate  Sustainable  Land  Use  Forum  (SLUF)   Executive  Director   Ethiopia  

Mr   Feyera  Abdi   SOS  Sahel   Executive  Director   Ethiopia  Ms   Mahlet  Eyassu-­‐     Forum  for  Environment  (FfE)   Program  Manager     Ethiopia  Ms   Mahlet  Tadesse   Forum  for  Environment  (FfE)   Project  Officer   Ethiopia  

Mr   Ayele  Kebede  Heinrich  Boell  Foundation  (HBF)   Program  Coordinator   Ethiopia  

Mr   Patrick  Berg  Heinrich  Boell  Foundation  (HBF)     Country  Director   Germany