Having breezed through accreditation, Maude Barlow and I arrived at the official negotiation site today housed at a massive, fancy resort outside of Cancun. It is quite a sight. People buzzing around in suits from building to building, ngo and social movement representatives handing out leaflets and journalists on cell phones.

The official negotiations are taking place in the Moon Palace, booths for governments, UN institutions and NGOs and ‘side events’ are a bus ride away at the Messe and the media centre is another bus ride away – the separation certainly makes it more difficult to track the multitude of events, actions and negotiations happening.

Anil Naidoo is right, the mood is low. Japan seems to want to kill Kyoto – while it certainly has flaws; it is the only legally binding mechanism we have. While Canada hasn’t directly come out and said it, you can expect we’ll follow a similar path, placing more emphasis on the weak Copenhagen Accord. I hope to attend a meeting tomorrow with our negotiator Guy St-Jacques. I have heard that he claims Canada’s emission reduction target is ambitious.

Let’s set the record straight. While our government refers to a 17 percent cut by 2020, this actually amounts to a 2.5 percent increase if you use the standard baseline year of 1990. Bill C311 (the Climate Change Accountability Act our Senate killed recently) would have set a 25 percent target, many in the Global South call for twice this and recent climate science (particularly considering the threat of negative feedback loops accelerating the climate crisis) supports the more far reaching targets.

There are already suspicions that closed door meetings are happening amongst a handful of countries – no access for observers or press, no video coverage (many buildings here have live footage of negotiations).

But we aren’t giving up. There are many here in Cancun demanding better, both inside the official process and on the streets. There are currently caravans making their way to Cancun to have their voices heard. An alternative forum, Diálogo Climático/Espacio Mexicano will open soon, providing space for people to strategize next steps for our climate justice movement.

After arriving, Maude and I rushed to the Moon Palace to meet with allies with the Indigenous Environmental Network to participate in an action targeting the tar sands. While negotiators filed in and out of the door near us, Maude and I joined a group picture wearing t shirts that spelled ‘shut down the tar sands.’ The message of the action was ‘tar sands kill, pipelines spill’ highlighting the need for free and prior informed consent and a just transition for affected workers and communities away from the tar sands towards sustainable energy production and consumption.

The tar sands are a central reason why Canada has failed to meet our Kyoto targets. They are predicted to triple in production by 2020, expecting to comprise a whopping 12 percent of our national (yes – I said national) emissions.

The action created a great visual and attracted media attention; we’ll be monitoring the news for coverage. A number of people from communities near the tar sands and related infrastructure spoke. Maude also gave a passionate speech, highlighting the need for change on the part of our government and the serious risks the tar sands poses to the sustainability of the Athabasca river watershed.

Up next? Meetings, meetings and actions and more meetings! Tracking and responding to the Canadian government, Maude speaking on a panel with Bill McKibbon (350.org) and labour leaders on building a climate justice and labour alliance, screening Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change and strategizing how to challenge Big Oil in the Arctic, and much more.

Andrea Harden-Donahue, Energy and Climate Justice Campaigner, Council of Canadians
www.canadians.org