Tag: climate change

As the Durban climate talks entered into overtime early on Sunday morning, many delegates were sleeping under tables or on desks or chairs, waking occasionally to the sound of people clapping a good speech from a negotiator. Negotiations seemed at a stand-off, with many countries unhappy with the proposal for the future of the Kyoto […] Read more »

Negotiators at the UN climate talks have narrowly avoided a collapse, agreeing to the bare minimum deal possible as the UN climate talks in Durban went well beyond the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth hours. There were two key issues that they debated, drafted, discussed and dissected over two long weeks of talks. Firstly, how to […] Read more »

“We’re back!” These famous words by the US negotiator a few years ago, shortly after the election of Obama, had a less than positive tone for me this morning walking into the International Conference Centre, venue of this year’s UN Climate Summit. After four intercessionals (negotiating sessions between the UN climate summits) and eleven long […] Read more »

This year’s UN climate negotiations in Durban are now entering the final stages. Heads of State and Ministers are giving short sharp speeches. Ambassadors and senior diplomats are discussing bottom lines and compromises. Environment groups are following the twists and turns, planning their next moves. Against the backdrop of the current food crisis in East […] Read more »

Our Climate Tracker Clancy Moore chats to Rev Tafue Lusama, who is in Durban for the COP17 Climate Negotiations to ensure the voice of the people of Tuvalu is heard. Read more »

Reverend Tafue Lusama knows a thing or two about the urgency to tackle climate change. Living in Tuvalu, he has seen the climate changing over the last twenty years. Rising sea levels, storm surges and ocean acidification have had devastating impacts of people’s culture, livelihoods and ability to grow food. A few months ago, Tafue […] Read more »

The climate negotiations in Durban are stuttering. There is little progress on agreement on the emission reductions needed to keep warming below 2 degrees. There is also a rumbling debate about how to fill the Green Climate Fund. We need you to urge our leaders along the path to a sustainable planet. Together with Oxfam’s […] Read more »

Dark, humid, noisy and little ventilation. This is the location of the Australian Government offices here at the UN climate talks. It is also where on Wednesday morning, some colleagues and I had the chance to meet with Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet. Although this was a very short meeting, […] Read more »

Addressing the UN Climate Summit in Durban, South Africa on behalf of Climate Action Network (a global coalition of climate organistions), I was excited, a little nervous and keen to play my part. This is what I said: Thank you Madame Chair. I am speaking on behalf of the Climate Action Network. We’d like to […] Read more »

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 »