Climate Tracker COP 21 Fellow. COP21 NO to companies advocating fossil fuels

These medias published the original version in French:

- Médiaterre, 30 November 2015: http://www.mediaterre.org/international/actu,20151124151334.html

- Afrique Presse, 25 novembre 2015: http://afriquepresse.net/index.php/2015/11/25/cop-21-non-aux-entreprises-pronant-les-combustibles-fossiles/

- Madagascar Matin, 25 novembre 2015: http://www.matin.mg/?p=18442

- Madagascar Tribune, 25 novembre 2015: http://www.madagascar-tribune.com/Non-aux-entreprises-pronant-les,21654.html

- La Voix des Jeunes, 24 novembre 2015: http://www.voicesofyouth.org/fr/posts/cop-21--non-aux-entreprises-pr-nant-les-combustibles-fossiles

COP 21, Conference of Parties of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, will begin in a few days. At a time when more than 170 countries submitted their national commitments and contributions to act on global warming, and where world leaders will sign a concrete global agreement, 20 years after the UNFCCC, the UN Convention on climate change, a large group of companies are working hardly to push false solutions and to maintain the disastrous status quo.

The petition of Corporate Accountability International

"Let us sign an agreement that benefits the people and not polluting enterprises." This is the summary of the petition organized by Corporate Accountability International, which has already been signed by more than 400,000 people to date. The purpose is to prohibit "big polluters" to take part in the negotiation talks.

Internationally, ExxonMobil is the multinational whose deception is the most flagrant. Recent surveys following the call for an official investigation from the two US presidential candidates of the Democratic Party revealed that Exxon knew of the existence of climate change "potentially catastrophic" since the 1970s, but chose to deliberately mislead the public on the influence of human activity and the use of fossil fuels on the global climate.

Climate Pinocchio Price

The petition of Corporate Accountability International is not the only action against champions companies fossil fuels. Since 3 November 2015, Les Amis de la Terre France launched the new "Climate Pinocchio Award", which targets the most responsible groups to prevent or delay action on climate in the industry.

Candidates are corporate sponsors of the climate negotiations in COP21, including BNP Paribas, EDF and Engie. The Pinocchio Awards are divided in three categories: the nuisance caused to communities for profit reasons, lobbying activities, and promotion of false climate solutions. Prizes will be awarded during a public ceremony in Paris during the COP 21.

A “reactive” commitment

In response to criticism from civil society, 16 global energy leaders and technology, members of the program WBCSD (World Council of Sustainable Development) launched an action plan on 19 November 2015 to double their clean energy capacity by 2025. EDF is one of those companies.

The first French bank BNP Paribas also said consider to not financing mining projects or specialized in coal mining companies that do not have diversification strategy and to doubling its lending for renewable energy from 6.9 billion euros in 2014 to 15 billion euros in 2020.

These are especially reactive commitments. To insure that multinationals take real and long term "green" commitments, it is important that governments support various campaigns against "polluting" companies and integrate decisions forcing companies to convert clean energy into the Paris agreement.

Call to virulence of African leaders

Since multinationals mainly use fossil fuels in developing countries, particularly in Africa, negotiators and leaders of African countries should be the most virulent and stricter towards issuers of greenhouse gases.

For example, BNP Paribas said in its announcement on 19 November 2015 that the funding of coal operations will immediately cease in countries with "high income" but in “other countries”, the decision will depend on the commitments in the framework of COP 21 and consultation of local people.

The report "Making a Killing: paying the real costs of the heavy oil, coal and gas" published on October 22, 2015 in Bonn, Germany, by the Levy carbon project also describes several cases where developing countries suffered a real loss and damage from climate change impacts.

According to the report, the total cost of loss and damage to the least developed 48 countries is currently estimated at $ 50 billion USD per year, while the 13 largest fossil fuel companies have made more than 100 billion $ in profits last year. The first two companies of fossil fuels - Chevron and ExxonMobil have more than $ 50 billion between them.

In late 2013, a scientific study on "carbon Majors" showed that more than two thirds of anthropogenic emissions into the atmosphere were produced by 90 fossil fuels companies (fossil fuels or entities owned by the state). These 90 entities include Chevron, ExxonMobil, Saudi Aramco, BP, Gazprom and Shell. From 2002 to 2012, the five largest oil and gas companies alone made more than US $ 1 billion in profits. A recent IMF study showed the industry is supported by as much as $ 5.3 trillion subsidies.

The study adds that even if strong mitigation and adaptation are made, the residual cost of climate change could be in the order of $ 275000000000000, between the years 2000 to 2200 for all countries. For Africa alone, the loss and damage are estimated at 100 billion dollars per year by 2050 for a temperature below 2 ° C and 200 billion dollars per year by 2040 if temperature exceeds 4 ° C.

Domoina Ratovozanany

COP 21 Climate Tracker Fellow of Adopt A Negotiator