Radio Mundo Real

Argentinean activist Gonzalo Berron said it is outrageous that the world governments cannot reach minimum commitments to tackle climate change.

Just before the end of the UN official climate negotiations held in Durban, South Africa in December, Berron said that the international talks were “doomed” at least at the COP 17, which he said is outrageous for the world’s peoples.

The member of the Hemispheric Social Alliance - a movement that comprises social organizations and thematic networks of the Americas- was right. The UN negotiations did not lead to any legally binding commitments on polluting emissions reductions that would help developing countries to face the crisis.

However, in interview with Real World Radio, Berron was also self-critical: “I believe our mobilizations have been rather weak. There is no awareness of the urgency of mobilizing to make this change”, he said. “Our survival is at stake”.

We interviewed Berron at the University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban, where the civil society events were held in parallel to the UN negotiations at the International Convention Center of Durban. The side event was organized by groups including the Transnational Institute from The Netherlands, the Hemispheric Social Alliance, Ecologistas en Accion from Spain and FASE from Brazil.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/foei/