Tag: COP17

The biggest spike in global greenhouse gas emission in recorded history occurred last year. After a brief easing of emissions in 2009, generally accredited to the global financial crisis, a lift in economic activity produced a staggering 564 million more tons of CO2 in 2010, beating the previous year’s output by 6%. That’s according to […] Read more »

“A camel is a horse made by committee and the Green Climate Fund needs to come out of the blocks like a race horse and start helping poor people”. This was the comment from Singapore in the opening negotiation session on the Green Climate Fund late Thursday at the UN Climate Summit in Durban, South […] Read more »

The climate negotiations currently underway in South Africa are particularly interesting for Australia, as we are attending with a carbon emissions tax in place. I met with Louise Hand, Australia’s Ambassador at the UN Climate talks in Durban to discuss the position Australia is taking at COP 17. This gave her the opportunity to outline […] Read more »

Today, thousands of people took the streets of Durban, South Africa demanding climate action. Trade unionists, churches, young people, farmers, women’s groups and NGOs such as Oxfam all marched from downtown Durban to the entrance of the UN Climate Summit singing, dancing and nosily calling for our leaders to make progress in the final week […] Read more »

With key discussions around the Green Climate Fund, set-up to provide life saving assistance to poor countries, and the future of Kyoto Protocol starting to sizzle. What’s more, I just addressed the talks on behalf of the Climate Action Network in a session on what the legal form of a future global climate change agreement […] Read more »

It’s now two years since the frantic campaigning and manic diplomacy that led to the Copenhagen climate change conference, and the blame games that followed its inadequate result. As the next UN climate talks get under way this week in Durban, South Africa, we need a new script to explain what has been achieved since […] Read more »

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa (COP 17, 28 November to 9 December 2011), the global shipping industry, Oxfam and WWF have joined forces to suggest to governments how the further reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping might best be regulated. Oxfam, WWF and the International Chamber of […] Read more »

In his opening address to the UN Climate Summit in Durban, President Zuma of South Africa highlighted how the pacific island nation of Kiribati is set to become the first nation forced to relocate due to climate change. He also talked about the vulnerability of many Africa nations to climate change such as Ethiopia which […] Read more »

Putting good food on the table can be a challenge for all of us. But for many people around the world, it is a constant worry just having enough food to feed the family. For the women of the Western Cape in South Africa, the lack of secure employment and access to land, as well […] Read more »

The United Nations have unpacked the bunting and draped the decorations around Durban, South Africa, for the next round of climate negotiations, COP17. Leaders, policy experts, delegates, caravanites, photo exhibitions, puppets, the world’s media and all manner of colorful characters have arrived to get their teeth into securing progress in the fight against climate change. […] Read more »