Recommendations of Thai Civil Society[i]
on the Thai Government’s Positions
Towards the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (COP 15), Copenhagen, Denmark,
and Related National Policy Formulation

This document represents comments and recommendations of the Thai civil society (TCS) towards the forthcoming negotiations in the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 15).  It reflects our concerns on the dangerous climate change which is increasing in its frequency and severity especially to developing countries, especially among local communities, indigenous peoples and the poor.  The main cause of climate change is an ever increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration in the atmosphere from the historical emissions under the conventional development paradigm that has been focusing upon economic growth, while disregarding the security of humankinds and social justice in a number of areas.  Furthermore, attempts to deal with the dangerous climate change, as seen for more than a decade, have not yielded any progress or promise to slow down the climate catastrophes.  On a contrary, governments of developed countries have remained ignorant to take urgent and immediate actions to cope with the dangerous climate change.

 

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The Thai civil society, led by the Thai Working Group for Climate Justice (TCJ), an active network of nationwide non-governmental organizations and people’s network, namely the Assembly of the Poor, Northern Resources Network, Thailand Land Reform Network, Surin Community Forest Network, Dong Khum Kham and Phu Kham Community Forest of Ubon Ratchathanee, Alternative Agricultural Network, Thailand Indigenous Network, Southern Women Traditional Fisheries Network, Southern Traditional Fisheries Association, and Energy and Industry Network, together, therefore, prepares the comments and recommendations for Thailand’s positions towards the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 15), during December 7-18, 2009, Copenhagen.

The comments and recommendations have been collected and prepared based upon the key principles of people’s participation in contributing to the global solution of climate change, of social, environmental and economic justice and equity, and of the development pattern to achieve sustainability and security of human society.  They were officially presented for the first time to the Thai delegates in the Development Cooperation Seminar on “Thai Voices to Copenhagen”, co-organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Thai Working Group for Climate Justice (TCJ), on September 14, 2009, at the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre, Bangkok. 

Significance of Copenhagen Conference
The 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 15) is hosted by the Government of Denmark, to be held during December 7-18, 2009, in Copenhagen, Denmark.  The conference is considered one of the most important conferences in history to direct the global community to environmental and human security.  It is to be attended by the highest number of participants ever, since the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. 

Government delegates together will make political decisions on key issues under the negotiation framework that would significantly shape the new global deal to cope with dangerous climate change.  It would also possibly set additional ambitious emission reduction targets of developed countries or so called Annex I parties to the Kyoto Protocol, to be implemented and achieved after the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol is ended in the year of 2012. 

The set of comments and recommendations herewith emphasises upon the key issues that would impose direct and indirect impacts on Thailand and other developing countries, namely, mitigation, adaptation, technology development and transfer and capacity building, finance and shared vision.  Of particular importance, directions and possible outcome on the contribution and the role of forestry sector in mitigation efforts, based on the previous negotiations, to be decided in Copenhagen, so called “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation” or REDD have raised key concerns among the Thais.  Equally important, there have been attempts from developed countries and large business industries to continue and apply market mechanisms as a means to shift responsibility to reduce their emissions domestically.

The Thai Working Group for Climate Justice (TCJ) together with other networks nationwide, therefore, call upon the Thai Government to seriously consider and act upon the comments and recommendations herewith, for the formulation of the Thai Government’s positions towards the forthcoming 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 15) and maintain its clear positions in protecting the rights and enhancing benefits of the country, based upon social, environmental and developmental justice and equity.

1.Overall Comments and Recommendations on COP 15
The Thai civil society believes negotiations have to significantly based upon the following key principles. 

 

1.1“Historical Responsibility” and “Justice”
The main cause of climate change is due to increasing emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) since the industrial revolution, responding to economic growth driven by industrial investments and large infrastructure projects.  The traditional economic development pattern has required energy intensive investment, especially on fossil fuel, coal, petroleum and natural gas, significantly contributing to dramatically increase of GHGs emissions to the atmosphere, of particular, carbon dioxide.  Increasing emissions, from the past, have contributed to a wide range of impacts and have been particularly caused by developed or industrialized countries.  They therefore have to take responsibility for the high emissions in pursuing their economic development and growth, enabling them to become much more economic advance than developing countries, leaving behind the current climate change impacts that we are now facing today.  With regards to justice to development, all countries have equal rights to development; developing countries therefore have the rights to develop themselves for their survival and economic growth, especially to respond to chronic poverty as currently faced by many countries.  As a result, developing countries must receive support in order to help solve the indentified problems though equitable and sustainable development which with minimum effect on climate change. 

 

This is to say, emissions from developed countries, from the past, have caused serious and dangerous impacts of climate change and the world is now facing them now, and therefore are considered as ecological debts or “climate debts”.  In justice terms, it is high time now that developed countries were aware of their historical responsibilities and paid back their debts, in two ways.  First, developed countries must take ambitious emission reduction targets and reduce their emissions domestically.  Second, they must provide supports to developing countries affected by impacts of climate change in pursuing their resilience and adaptation to those impacts, including finance and technology transfer especially for adaptation.

 

1.2 Principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Climate change negotiations must be guided by the widely accepted and endorsed principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), without any attempts to divert the intention and principles already being stated and accepted.  Commitments and obligations under the Convention must be fulfilled.  Of particular, Article 2 stipulates the stabilization of greenhouse gases concentration in a safer level and food production being unthreatened.  Article 3, stipulating the key principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibility and respective capability, information dissemination and supports to the vulnerable countries, must be reflected.  Finally, Article 4, stipulating all the commitments by developed countries must be fulfilled, particularly Articles 4.3 and 4.4 where developed countries shall provide financial and technological supports for both mitigation and adaptation to developing countries, and Article 4.7, clearly indicating the capacity of developing countries in the mitigation and adaptation efforts would significantly depend on the capability of developed countries in providing supports to developing countries, in terms of finance and technology transfer.  All these articles in the Convention must be fulfilled by developed countries.

1.3 Recent Climate Science
Climate change negotiations must be based on recent climate science, especially that of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other widely accepted studies.  Science has now indicated and confirmed the dangerous climate change should the global temperature exceed 1.5-2 degree Celsius of that of the pre-industrial era.  Globally, urgent actions are therefore needed to ambitious emission cuts and at the same time to adapt to growing impacts of climate change.    

1.4  Enhancement of “Livable and Sustainable Society”
Thailand is not obliged to reduce its emissions under the Kyoto Protocol; however, a large number of civil society groups and communities have come to an agreement that Thailand should signify its development towards livable and sustainable society with low carbon emission.  It is defined as a society that pursues an economic, social, health and environmental balance.  Having no obligation to reduce its emissions must not be justified and taken as an excuse to continue the traditional economic development pattern with high emission.  A number of research and studies have clearly indicated that Thailand has implemented its economic development policies with significant emphasis on large industries and energy infrastructures, in a contradictory manner towards the achievement of livable and sustainable society.  Such policies have not only encouraged further carbon intensive production and consumption, including the use of coal and petroleum in key economic and industrial sectors, steel industry development plan, petrochemical development plan, etc., but also generated severe and negative impacts on communities and environmental conflicts both at the local and national levels.

We have to accept that solutions to climate change cannot be completely separated from development pattern a country pursues.  Ways towards livable and sustainable society in all dimensions would require a significant development paradigm shift.  Further development in Thailand from now on therefore has to put more emphasis upon local communities and environmental protection.  This must be reflected at the national policy level and seriously implemented under the framework of sustainable development –economic, social and environmental, for the short, medium and long term.  At the same time, people’s participation must be included and their rights to resources must also be recognized.

Currently, different sectors in society and communities have been fighting to bring about significant changes towards sustainable development and policy changes.  Examples are the development of renewable and alternative sources of energy at the community level, the formulation of Alternative Power Development Plan submitted to the government to foster the implementation of community renewable energy development, and the shifts from chemical dependent to organic farming system that is sustainable and environmental friendly.  All these practical alternatives prove the possibility and potential of the country to reduce its own emissions and move towards livable and low carbon society in the longer term.   

The enhancement of people’s participation as well as the respect and recognition of communities’ rights to access resources are key to empower communities.  These would significantly enable communities to respond, adjust and adapt to external pressures, including impacts of climate change.  All these practices, especially from the community level, must be recognized and supported by the national policy of the country so that they could be extended in a larger scale.

2.Comments and Recommendations :  Specific to Key Issues under Negotiations
The outcome of Copenhagen climate change negotiations is likely to affect Thailand and Thai citizen, especially communities currently fighting to gear changes to some of the government’s policies, e.g. the fight against rights and forest uses, rights and land use, agro industries, national energy plan that emphasizes on the use of fossil fuels and the promotion of energy intensive industries, e.g. downstream steel industry. 

 

Thai civil society sees the significance of the Copenhagen climate change negotiation and COP 15 and therefore would like to comment and propose the following to the Thai delegates to COP 15. 
2.1 Greenhouse Gas Mitigation
Negotiations on mitigation would possibly affect different sectors in Thailand, especially forest, agriculture and energy.  The Thai civil society therefore proposes the following into serious consideration. 
2.1.1  Recommendations on mitigation of developed and developing countries
1)  Mitigation by developed countries

• Reducing their greenhouse gases emissions domestically and immediately
• Pursuing ambitious mitigation targets to ensure the world is safe from climate catastrophic dangers; that is, to ensure the global temperature stays below 1.5 degree Celsius with the mid term emission reduction targets of at least 40% below the 1990 level by the year of 2020 and long term targets of at least 90% below the 1990 level by the year of 2050, according to IPCC. 
• Discouraging the use of carbon market and carbon offsets as a means to avoid direct domestic emission reduction.

2)Mitigation by developing countries

• Committing to formulate and genuinely implement emission reduction policies on a voluntary and transparency basis, based on the respective capacity which would significantly depend on the level of finance and technology transfer provided by developed countries.  These finance and technologies by developed countries must ensure equitable and livable society and sustainable development objectives in a long term.
• Pursuing clear position and policy directions not to allow emission reductions of or within developing countries to be included as the attempts of developed countries’ emission reduction.
• Reflecting the principle of climate justice in climate negotiations both at national and international levels in order to avoid the unfair burden being transfered to the poor and vulnerable population, and to enforce domestic emission reduction in developed countries.

2.1.2   Recommendations on mitigation in the forest, agriculture and energy sectors
1) Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation: REDD (or REDD+)

Climate change negotiations currently recognize forest as one of the solutions to climate change, under the so called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation or REDD (or REDD+) in developing countries.  This has raised considerable concerns among those living in the forests and communities in a number of areas who have been for more than two decades fighting to have their rights over sustainable forest management recognized by the government.  Even though the government has already finally enacted the Community Forest Act; its contents have been diverted from the original intention proposed by communities.  Community rights over forests have neither been granted nor recognized.  Additionally, the rights of those dwelling in forest protected areas have remained confined and limited. 

According to Thai laws, only government’s and private’s rights are recognized.  Common and community rights are not recognized at all in Thailand.  National laws and policies are currently contradictory to the principles of community rights.  Unless the community rights over sustainable forest management and restoration are recognized prior to the adoption and implementation of REDD (or REDD+), community rights will be severely violated, especially among those indigenous peoples living in the forest protected areas and earning their lives through revolving farming practice.  This is due to the fact that public officials always accuse villagers or indigenous peoples of being the cause of deforestation.  At the same time, they do not believe that communities are capable of maintaining and managing forest in a sustainable manner; even though there have been a number of studies clearly indicating the existence of forests due to communities’ protection and management. 

The civil society therefore would emphasis that solutions to climate change and REDD (or REDD+) be significantly based upon the following two principles.

1.1)Domestic and International Justice
Under capitalism and market system being controlled by the minority group of rich people, villagers or communities are unable to take control over anything.  Transforming forest into a commodity is considered injustice as it would enhance a transfer of rights, from community common to individual rights.  The civil society therefore does not agree with the idea of transforming forest resources, the fundamental need of the poor, into a commodity as a solution to climate change.  Forest management under whatever mechanisms has to take into consideration sentimental values, sharing and sufficiency so that forests are well reserved for the next generations.  Communities living with forests are able to enhance sustainable forest management and maintain forest as carbon sinks.

The civil society insists on the principle of “those who cause a problem must be responsible for it”.  Since developed countries and elites from all regions are the one causing the problem of climate change, they must be responsible for it and have to take immediate actions.

REDD (or REDD+) therefore is not tackling problems at the root cause.  Nor does it contribute to justice, equity and sustainability towards forest management. 

1.2)    Rights 
Forest resources are significant to local communities.  They are not only the source of food for communities, but also provide the fundamental needs for community survival.  Living with forests is considered the fundamental rights of communities and indigenous peoples.  The way of living and cultures of different groups of people must be well protected, particularly those of indigenous peoples, as stated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  “Community Rights” must be recognized and enhanced, indicating common rights over different resources -- soil, water, forests.  Attempts to deal with climate change must not be implemented or promoted in such a way that would lead to a monopoly of public and private sectors alone.

Recommendations on the contribution of forest sector and REDD (or REDD+) in the mitigation of greenhouse gases:

1. Not supporting the use of REDD (or REDD+) and opposing the introduction of forests, especially those being managed by communities, to carbon market. In particular, opposing inclusion of community-forestry areas into the market mechanism; 1.Recognizing the community right to dwell in and make use of the forests, prior to the adoption of any measures related to forests and their contribution to greenhouse gas emission;
2. Acknowledging that the poor are neither the cause of deforestation nor the cause of climate change; therefore, not the ones to be responsible for greenhouse gas mitigation;
3. Complying to the regulations of  public participation, consultation and  hearing before taking both national and local policy about REDD (or REDD+); 
4. Enhancing  public education and participation process, e.g.  open for and facilitate full participation of  local  communities in the  impact assessment study process on REDD (or REDD+); 
5. Fully providing related information and studying outcomes to local communities;
6. Setting up a community-support fund of forestry rehabilitation and management as a community  empowering mechanism  to protect forest, biodiversity and fragile ecology.

2)   Contribution of Agricultural sector in Greenhouse Gas Mitigation
Agricultural sector is the key economic foundation of developing countries and also a sector that emit greenhouses.  Developed countries have therefore attempted to involve developing countries to be responsible and reduce the emissions from agricultural sector through imposing additional burden and commitment of developing countries under the future outcome of negotiation, after the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol is end in the next 3 years. 

 

Agriculture is different from other sectors.  Its emission is part of a natural carbon cycle.  Additionally, it is the source of food security and closely relates to the ways of living, traditions and culture of communities.  Therefore, emission from agricultural sector is necessary and significantly links to survival and security of the whole society, especially food security.  This is considered emissions for survival which is completely different from emissions for luxuries, emitted by energy and industrial sectors.  We have witnessed a dramatic increase of emission from these two sectors, energy and industry, largely to respond to comforts and luxuries needs in society.  Through adjustment of agricultural or farming traditions or practices, e.g. avoidance of the use of chemical substances in particular, agricultural sector would become an efficient “carbon sink”, with nearly 90% of carbon dioxide being kept or sunk in soils in the form of organic matters, both on the soil surface and underground. 

 

Recommendations on the contribution of agricultural sector in the mitigation of greenhouse gases:

1. Recognizing rights of communities and farmers, as the key principle, prior to engaging agricultural sector in adaptation and mitigation activities.  Community rights over the access to key natural resources, e.g. land rights, must also be recognized.  At the same time, wide participation of small scale farmers has to be encouraged; 
2. Providing supports to the changes from the current traditional production system to sustainable agriculture or organic farming, promising more health and environmental friendliness, consuming less energy and enhancing carbon sinks in soils.  Mechanisms that encourage people’s participation have to be established, e.g. in the form of independent sustainable agricultural institution to move this forwards;
3. Should agricultural sector be involved in the mitigation of greenhouse gases, focusing upon agro-industries, a large production system with high consumption of chemical substances, particularly those with nitrogen oxide components, and high consumption of energy;
4. Protecting agricultural lands in order to ensure current and future food security;
5. Accepting and signifying local knowledge and intellectual in solving the problem of climate change, not only relying upon modern science alone.  Take for example, the use of charcoal for soil improvement and carbon sinks which is currently in the negotiating text, is the similar principle of revolving farming, a local intellectual practiced by communities living in the forests;
6. Rehabilitating and encouraging local traditional species that are more tolerant to changing climate as an alternative to enhance adaptation in agricultural sector, rather than promoting genetically modified organics which would lead to the future monopoly in agriculture by large industries and at the same time, would generate biodiversity degradation; 
7. Preventing the monopoly of species by large multi-national companies as it would become a major barrier for small scale farmers to attempts to mitigate emissions and adapt to impacts of climate change, both among those in developing and least developed countries;  
8. Taking a control over bio-fuel plantation, especially at the industrial and commercial scale, so as to enhance a balance with food crops.  Biodiversity, food security and sustainability must be taken in to serious account, with thorough and comprehensive supporting studies on environmental, social and economic sustainability;  
9. Conducting studies on different levels of impacts of the introduction of mitigation from agricultural sector to market system, especially with concerns on food security and land conflicts.

3)   Mitigation from Energy Sector and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
Energy and industries are the key sectors contributing to the highest greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for as much as 80% of the total global emission, as agreed by scientists.  Developed countries have been the ones contributing to the highest portion of the emission, from the past.  Therefore, they must take urgent actions to reduce their emissions, with significant focus on energy sector.  Attempts as seen by a number of developed countries to introduce and use market mechanisms and technologies, namely clean development mechanism (CDM), carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon offsets, nuclear, large hydro power, and even clean coal technology, are to avoid the fulfillment of their commitments to reduce their emissions at the origins.  Some proposed technologies, notably CCS, clean coal and nuclear, would require extremely high operating costs and are expensive.  

The civil society strongly believes that serious actions to deal with climate change have to significantly take into account the sustainability in all dimensions.  This therefore means emissions must not only be reduced at the point or original sources, but also be integrated into long term sustainability in all aspects.  Mitigation or greenhouse gas emission reduction must not be taken as the final outcome or the ultimate goal.  Rather, it must link and help promote livable and sustainable society as a whole.  Solutions therefore have to focus on the promotion of renewable and alternative sources of energy, replacing fossil fuels, as well as demand side management to enhance energy saving and energy efficiency.

Recommendations on mitigation from energy sector and CDM
1.Enhancing livable and sustainable society with low carbon emission, in line with the principle and directions of sustainable development.  Carbon offsets and other false solutions, particularly nuclear, clean coal, large hydro power, large bio-fuel plantation, must not be promoted and continued as they only respond to greenhouse gas emission reduction, but not contributing to other aspects of sustainable development; 

2.Stopping an approval or endorsement of new CDM projects and introducing a review of national benefits from engaging in CDM, with key focus upon climate 1.justice as well as benefits delivered at the national and local levels, especially to those surrounding the project sites.  Benefits must be made publicly available and CDM must ensure sustainable development of a host country, as clearly stated under CDM’s objectives;  

3.Encouraging an initiative to energy transition or energy revolutions, through

• Developing decentralized renewable and alternative sources of energy with good governance, significantly based on democratic principle;
• Separating economic growth from fossil fuel consumption;
• Minimizing the level of fossil fuel dependency and discontinuing the use of nuclear;
• Enhancing equity in the access and use of resources;
• Encouraging energy efficiency in all development activities e.g. the design of production system, transportation networks, infrastructure networks, and buildings to ensure energy savings;
• Promoting sustainable consumption through the changes on the ways of life, attitudes and behaviors towards less energy consumption.

1.1  Adaptation to Impacts of Climate Change
Impacts of climate change have been clear and felt in all part of the world, particularly extreme drought, floods, storm, etc.  They are additional to the difficulties and problems already faced by the majority.  Capacity to adapt to impacts is different by communities around the world.  It should be emphasized that impacts being felt now are not caused by developing countries.  They are caused by developed countries owing to their historical emissions.  Communities in developing countries have already adapted through time but with intensified and frequent impacts and risks, their normal adaptive capacity will be inadequate.  Supports are therefore needed to enhance increased adaptive capacity and adaptation, especially in terms of finance and technology development and transfer.

Adaptation activities and actions to well respond to disasters, risks and impacts of climate change must be consistent with local contexts and needs while leading to local sustainability.  Community participation is therefore the key.  It should also be noted that communities’ adaptive capacity would depend on their rights to access to and involvement in natural resources management as well as information, knowledge and new studies.  Adaptation should be integrated into the overall sustainable development objective of the country.  However, impacts of climate change might be abrupt, response and adaption under the context of sustainable development objectives might be insufficient.  Specific and stand alone adaptation actions are therefore needed.

 

Recommendations on adaptation to impacts of climate change

1. Preparing and formulating adaptation framework for international negotiations to ensure developing countries, vulnerable to impacts of climate change, receive significant supports and finance that is new, additional, adequate and predictable; 
2. Undertaking planning and implementation of adaptation activities under long term sustainable development contexts while encouraging an integration of adaptation into ecological rehabilitation and protection to enhance basic resilience and adaptive capacity, such as community farming, community fishery, etc.  Adaptation activities must be country driven with bottom-up planning approach and through communities’ participation process.  It should be noted that there is no tailor made adaptation; rather, it significantly depends upon needs as well as risks and vulnerability assessment of each community and each country;
3. Implementing adaptation activities in such a manner that respects, protects and enhances basic community rights as endorsed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural 1.Rights ( ICESCR)  and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights  (ICCPR), including related conventions and protocols; 
4. Recognizing and signifying women as being a highly vulnerable group to impacts of climate change and their important role in the adaptation attempts; 
5. Empowering community capacity in developing countries in learning, sharing knowledge and information, understanding and assessing risks and vulnerability through regional climate change adaptation centre;
6. Implementing adaptation activities that are neither introducing negative impacts or conflicts on, nor affecting the traditional way of communities.  Rather, they must ensure positive outcome that would help reduce poverty, empower communities and enhance better quality of lives of communities;  
7. Actively participating in the negotiations and studies as related to the definition of the most vulnerable countries to ensure transparency and good governance of the adaptation funds for developing countries;  
8. Taking into consideration the development of local or national entity for adaptation to ensure effective and continuous adaptation activities and to enhance knowledge and information sharing domestically. 

1.1 Finance and Technology Development and Transfer
Developed countries must take the lead in emission reduction and responsibility for delivering supports both in terms of finance and technology to developing countries for their mitigation and adaptation efforts.  The responsibility must be taken by the public sector, not to be shifted to markets, especially in expanding the scale of finance for adaptation.  Technologies to be delivered to developing countries must significantly contribute to sustainable development objectives under each developing country’s context and ensure communities can access, control and manage them. 

Recommendations on finance and technology development and transfer

1. Enhancing negotiations towards a balance of finance and technology between mitigation and adaptation as they both are equally important;
2. Developed countries facilitating and accelerating the development and transfer of technologies through their public sector, not shifting the responsibility to and significantly relying upon markets; 
3. Developed countries removing patents and intellectual property rights of technologies, particularly related to mitigation and adaptation, and at the same time, encouraging technology transfer among the developing countries;  
4. Insisting on the new and additional finance to ODA as well as adequate and predictable for developing countries.  Also ensuring that finance to adaptation must not be counted as the fulfillment of developed countries’ ODA targets;   Developed countries should commit and allocate the amount of funds for adaptation (based on the latest estimation of science on finance needed by developing countries for their adaptation and periodically revising the scale in lights of new science) without any preconditions and reliance on markets;
5. Ensuring developing countries’ direct access to finance for mitigation and adaptation;  
6. Finance being under the guidance and governance of COP.  The civil society does not support climate change related finance outside the framework of the convention (e.g. World Bank, ADB, JBIC, etc.).

1.2  Other issues
The civil society has further comments and recommendations to the following key issues, shared vision and legal outcome of Copenhagen agreement.

2.4.1   Shared vision
Measures and their implementations under climate change must significantly reflect climate justice, payment of historical debts to the current and future impacts of climate change, historical emissions, urgency and immediate actions needed both for mitigation and adaptation.  Additionally, the shared vision must reflect commitments of developed countries to deliver finance and technology to enhance both mitigation and adaptation in developing countries.  Emissions reduction target of developed countries and the time frame must be clearly stated, with significant focus on domestic actions.  Supports to developing countries must be consistent with the overall sustainable development objectives, with means to enhance sustainable consumption.  Community’s rights to access resources must be recognized, respected and protected.  The issue of climate change is not only about mitigation; adaptation must be equally recognized and acted upon in an urgent manner, especially among most vulnerable countries.

 

As far as global efforts to participatorily deal with climate change, under the Thai contexts, is concerned, it is important that Thailand considers having its own voluntary emission reduction targets including a legal framework to enhance and direct its development towards a more equitable, livable and sustainable society.

2.4.2    Legal outcome of the Copenhagen Agreement
The civil society supports the extension and enhancement of the Kyoto Protocol to its second commitment period with two important considerations:

• (1)stronger emission reduction targets of developed countries.
• (2)Review the Flexible Mechanisms to achieve a genuine emission reduction at the sources.

The recommendations are prepared by the Thai Working Group for Climate Justice (TCJ). TCJ  is a coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and interested individuals in Thailand, established in early 2008. The key goals of  TCJ are to raise public awareness on climate change related problems and at the same time promoting economic, political, and social justice aspects in the climate debate and climate policy, on both mitigation and adaptation parts. TCJ is also working to influent Thailand's official position regarding the negotiation under the UNFCCC by facilitating dialogues and establish communication channels between concerned government agencies and community groups / grassroots movements. Moreover, TCJ is operating as the 'climate change task force' for the NGO Coordinating Committee on Development (NGO-COD), an umbrella body for most Thai developmental NGOs. Core members of TCJ include: Ecological Alert and Recovery –Thailand (EARTH), BioThai, TERRA, Focus on the Global South, Alternative Agriculture Network (AAN), RRFA. Currently TCJ is hosted by EARTH. Contact address  is 211/2 Ngamwongwan Rd., Soi 31, Muang, Nonthaburi, 11000, Thailand; Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it