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Success! Polish coal mine construction halted

Greenpeace climbers make their point at Jozwin II B open cast mine site last December

Greenpeace climbers making their point at the Jozwin II B site last December

Great news just in from Poland, where work on the giant Jóźwin IIB open-cast pit and coal mine near Konin has been suspended. Following a legal challenge submitted last December by Greenpeace, a Polish court has ruled that there were problems with the environmental assessment process undertaken before work began on the site. Construction has now been halted while the process is reviewed.

This is a big victory - Jóźwin IIB was the site for our most recent Climate Rescue Station, set up last winter to remind delegates at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in nearby Poznań that tackling climate change and building new coal-fired power stations are fundamentally incompatible aspirations. It will be particularly well-received by many of the peaceful activists who were attacked by mine workers at the end of last year during the protests.

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EU climate deal: 'We're still way, way off the mark'

This blog by Greenpeace UK exective director John Sauven first appeared on the Guardian's Comment Is Free.

As the science of climate change gets increasingly urgent, the will of Europe's political leaders to act on the climate crisis seems to be weakening by the day.

The EU climate package was meant to herald a new and unprecedented level of ambition in tackling climate change. Compared to what the science dictates, we're still way, way off the mark. The deal suffered from destructive forces within the EU representing their own country's self interests at the expense of an EU-wide deal.

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EU puts coal ahead of the climate - Greenpeace

12 Dec 2008

European Leaders lack both the vision and the political will to get a deal for the climate in Copenhagen, Greenpeace warned today.

Commenting on the climate deal agreed in Brussels, Robin Oakley, Greenpeace UK climate campaigner, said:

"If Europe's leaders can't even bring themselves to rule out new coal plants and accept the emissions targets the science is demanding, you have to say they shouldn't have bothered going to Brussels. Frankly our climate and our children's future would have been safer if they'd never got on their planes and gone to this meeting. We can't beat climate change with weak targets and new coal, whatever Brown and Merkel and the rest of them may choose to believe."

Joris den Blanken, Greenpeace EU campaigner, said: 

"At the same time as Al Gore cheered protests against coal-fired power stations, EU leaders went ahead and agreed a deal which could see big coal giants like RWE and E.ON build new ones on state aid in countries like the UK and Germany."

He added: "European leaders have today shown insufficient political will to get a deal in Copenhagen."

The last two days have seen concrete proposals on emissions targets and cuts from developing countries, who continued to show leadership, especially from South Africa, Mexico, Brazil and South Korea. [1]

"We are seeing more leadership from developing countries here in Poznan than from any developed nation. Greenpeace urges international leaders to engage globally - or we will simply not get a deal by the end of next year," said den Blanken.

EU Governments had put political acceptability ahead of environmental acceptability, bowing to pressure from big business.

"Instead of acting to stop climate change, EU leaders are subsidising it," he continued.

The EU package would means about two thirds of EU emissions would be covered by credits obtained from projects outside the EU.

The EU member states and the European Parliament have 99 days to get their act together. Before Copenhagen the EU must commit to strong support for developing countries and deeper domestic reduction cuts, whether it is inside - or outside -  the package.

Greenpeace contacts in Poznan:

Cindy Baxter +48 798 626771

Beth Herzfeld +48 798 626809

Michael Crocker +48 798 626817

Greg McNevin, (photo/video) +48 696 719 392

Notes

[1]  for example, Brazil announce a 70 per cent reduction in deforestation by 2017; Mexico announced a 50 per cent cut in emissions by 2050.

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Brazil sets targets to stop deforestation, but is it enough?

Flying over forest fires in the Amazon © Greenpeace/Beltra

Flying over forest fires in the Amazon © Greenpeace/Beltra

With the current climate talks now underway in Poznan, the Brazilian government has finally fulfilled a promise it made at the previous round of talks in Bali last year and set targets for reducing deforestation in the Amazon. It's great to see they finally have some targets to work towards (and it's been a long time coming) but as is often the way with these political initiatives, it all falls short of what's really needed.

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As Poznan continues, it's chimney climbing time

Greenpeace climbers make their way to the top of the Pątnów power coal fired power station chimney near Konin, western Poland.

Two climbers plan their ascent © Greenpeace/Rose

As the climate negotiations rumble on at Poznan in Poland, down the road at the coal power plant a group of Greenpeace climbers have scaled 150 metres up the chimney stack to hang 'Quit coal' banners, while another group has blocked the main entrance gate.

One of the climbers is Will, one of the Kingsnorth Six who were recently acquitted on charges arising from a similar action at (where else?) Kingsnorth power station in Kent - in fact, Will is providing the photos from the top of the chimney.

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Help Stop Climate Chaos to recharge the media

Stop Climate Chaos logo Do you feel the media sometimes misses the point? Wish it was getting the urgency of climate change?

As you may know, Greenpeace is a member of Stop Climate Chaos (SCC), the umbrella group of organisations working together to limit the worst effects of climate change. If, like us, you think the media could use some 'recharging' on the climate debate, join in to create a big debate in the media this December. Get the letters pages, opinion columns and airwaves buzzing with your views on climate change and the UK's energy choices.

Get your voice heard. Inspire others. Help shape the public agenda.

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Actions not words needed at Poznan


EU leaders - 20 years of broken promises...

On 11 December at Poznan in Poland, our governments will decide Europe's response to climate change for the next 12 years. Unless they agree to at least 30 per cent cuts in European greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, we'll have no chance of keeping global warming below 2°C and avoiding climate catastrophe.

So far there is still an utter lack of any kind of visionary leadership in these talks. There are still governments that repeatedly fail to grasp the urgency of the crisis. That's why we need to make ourselves heard, because the impacts of climate change are racing ahead of the scientific projections.

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Peaceful protesters attacked by miners in Poland

Greenpeace volunteers in Polish open pit coal mine

 

Peaceful protesters from the our Climate Rescue Station were attacked by mine workers today as they entered the vast Jóźwin IIB open pit mine near Konin in Poland. As they prepared to paint a huge "Stop" sign next to a giant excavator, the activists were assaulted and prevented from carrying out their peaceful protest. A journalist accompanying them was also beaten.

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All stations go for climate rescue

Greenpeace volunteers worked constantly over several days to build the domed Rescue Station.

As governments prepare for the next round of crucial climate talks this December in Poznan, Poland, we're making a few preparations of our own. Obviously, we'll be at the talks, pressuring governments to quit coal and work towards a meaningful deal to save the climate - but we also have plenty planned for the run up to the talks.

On the edge of a vast open pit coal mine in Konin, Poland, we've set up a Climate Rescue Station - a four storey high earth dome powered by renewable energy - to highlight the true cost of coal in the lead up to the negotiations. People from 15 countries will be staying at the station, telling the story of how coal (the single greatest threat to our climate) is affecting our planet.

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