Updates from COP 18, the Climate Conference in Doha

Brighter Green is attending COP 18 in Doha, Qatar. Here is some of the latest news from the conference:

Xie Zheng—Chinese musician, activist, and environmentalist—featured in Brighter Green’s documentary What’s for Dinner? traveled from Beijing to Doha to speak at our side event at COP18 co-sponsored with Humane Society International and World Society for the Protection of Animals. He has a punishing schedule: only spending two nights in Qatar before heading back to Beijing for several events he has planned for this weekend, including a vegan party on Sunday afternoon. We were really pleased he could come to the climate conference and share his views on farmed animals and climate change in China, as well as the work of his NGO, Don’t Eat Friends.

Another big question at COP 18 that is not fully answered: What is equity? Brighter Green uses this concept in its research and policy recommendations on climate change and animal agriculture . But one of the U.S. lead negotiators said he couldn’t “sell” equity back in the U.S. and that in his view, the U.S. was contributing to climate change equity by supporting some of the developing country negotiators to attend the COP. Even some, he added, that don’t agree with U.S. positions. Does that sound like equity to you? What does in the context of climate change, food security, and animal welfare?

Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) chair and Tanzanian government environmental advisor Richard Muyungi came to our side event at COP18 last night, giving us some time amid a very busy schedule of meetings and drafting sessions (the agriculture text(s) was being hashed out last night). He urged us to make our views known to more delegates, because they are important, which was great. So, from his lips to the delegates’ ears. The event went well — with very good presentations by Geoff Evans of HSI, Sofia Parente of WSPA, Xie Zheng of Don’t Eat Friends in Beijing; Mia MacDonald moderated. Here’s the invite we shared:

Climate Change & Ensuring Sustainable, Humane, Equitable Food Systems
Views from the North & South

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012
20:15-21:45
Side Event Room 6

Agriculture can contribute to global warming by releasing GHGs (including methane & nitrous oxide) as well as help slow it by reducing/avoiding emissions. Speakers from North & South address ways to produce food using agricultural practices that are sustainable, humane, equitable & climate-resilient.

Speakers:
Richard Muyungi, Chair, SBSTA (invited; to be confirmed)
Sofia Parente, World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA-International)
Geoffrey Orme-Evans, Humane Society International (HSI)
Xie Zheng, Chinese environmentalist and musician
Moderated by: Mia MacDonald, Brighter Green