UNFCCC PRESS RELEASE (Warsaw, 23 November 2013) The UN Climate Change Conference in Warsaw ended on Saturday, keeping governments on a track towards a universal climate agreement in 2015 and including significant new decisions that will cut emissions from deforestation and on loss and damage. […]
NGO’s Walk Out — Many NGOs, including Greenpeace, Oxfam, WWF, Action Aid, Friends of the Earth and others, walked out of the Conference today, frustrated by the slow pace of progress in the negotiations and complaining about the corrosive effect of “dirty energy” corporations on countries’ positions. Wearing t-shirts stating “#COP 19 — polluters talk, we walk.” But the NGOs warned that they would intensify their lobbying efforts in capitals and in the UNFCCC process. The backs of the t-shirts read “#volveramos — we’ll be back.” Dramatic actions and protests have long been part of COPs as the negotiations enter their final stretch — the talks are likely to continue well into the night on Friday. […]
For first time, chief executives will join top Government officials to share solutions, commitments and plans towards climate action at COP, on the road to a 2015 global climate agreement
(Warsaw, 19 November 2013) – The United Nations Global Compact, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat and UN Environment Programme today launched the inaugural Caring for Climate Business Forum where, for the first time, the private sector will join with the public sector in the co-creation of climate change solutions as an official part of the Conference of Parties. CEOs will showcase to diplomats, policymakers and world leaders the contributions that business and investors are making towards climate action. […]
Dinosaurs and climate change — Yesterday there were “No Nukes” folks greeting conference-goers as they alighted from the trams that stop by the National Stadium. Today, activists from the “NGO Friends of the Earth International” wanted to get the message out about the dangers of fossil fuels by inflating a huge dinosaur. But the generator malfunctioned and the poor dinosaur lay lifeless. Which reminded one of a defunct oil company, Sinclair Oil, that used to promote the use of oil through its dinosaur, Dino, a brontosaurus. Although the promotion of a fossil helped sell gallons of gasoline, it will remain to be seen whether the FOE dinosaur can rise to the challenge of reducing fossil fuel use. […]
Warsaw, 19 November 2013—Efforts to address climate change need to be vastly scaled up, UN leaders told participants at the Warsaw Climate Conference today, and promised that UN agencies would ratchet up their work to help reduce emissions and guide adaptation efforts. […]
PRESS RELEASE (Warsaw, Poland, 19 November 2013) – The Green Climate Fund announced today that is on track towards completing the final steps that will enable it to mobilize funding and start its operations.
Speaking at COP 19, the Board’s Co-Chair Mr. Manfred Konukiewitz told government, business and civil society leaders thatthe Green Climate Fund is on target and will soon be ready to help developing countries foster climate-friendly development. […]
An air of impatience — Why can’t the climate negotiations move just a bit faster? Quite a number of participants in the negotiations are asking the question. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Typhoon Hiyan was not a wake-up call. “It was an alarm bell — it may be our last.” And UNFCCC’s Christiana Figueres told participants to ask themselves, “Am I doing enough? We’re running out of time. The time for action is now. […]
Coal and Climate Summit—Well outside of the Climate Conference here, at the Polish Ministry of Economy, the International Coal and Climate Summit was taking place, oddly juxtaposing a conference that was seeking to address climate change with one aiming to ensure the vitality of an industry that is a major contributor to the problem. NGOs were livid that such a conference would take place while the COP was taking place, and they were not happy that Christiana Figueres agreed to speak to the coal industry. […]
6 September 2013 — The leaders of the Group of 20 meeting in St. Peterburg, Russian Federation, strongly endorsed the efforts of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to mobilize political will in the coming year in support of the adoption of an agreement to address climate change. […]
Vulnerable communities experiencing adaptation limits and constraints
PRESS RELEASE (Bonn, 7 November 2013) – The United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security today released a new research report focusing on the loss and damage that climate change is already causing. The report finds that despite adaptation efforts, vulnerable communities are experiencing loss and damage that are threatening their most fundamental needs, livelihood and food security. […]
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