Climate talks

Canadian climate change activists are disappointed, although hardly surprised, by the negative position taken by the Canadian government at the Durban meetings in December 2011, reports Lynn McDonald.

In 1992, countries joined an international treaty, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to cooperatively consider what they could do to limit global climate change and to cope with its impacts.

In 1995, negotiations to strengthen the provisions in the Convention were launched, resulting in the Kyoto Protocol two years later. The Kyoto Protocol legally binds developed countries to emission reduction targets: its first commitment period started in 2008 and ends in 2012.

Reactions to the UN climate talks at Durban have been varied. Some have focused on the political victory - achieving an agreement that included the US, China and India. Others describe it as a failure because any deal made will not come into force until 20120,  and will not be enough to prevent a 2C temperature rise.

South Africa is host of the next round of talks under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which will be held in Durban from 28 November - 9 December 2011. The timing is critical, as the only legally binding international agreement to limit emissions that we currently have – the Kyoto Protocol – is due to end in 2012.

15th February 2010

The South Centre (an intergovernmental policy think tank of developing countries) have released this useful analysis of the outcomes at Copenhagen.

Attachments: 

South bulletin final 43 on copen.pdf

At Copenhagen, countries pledged to submit their carbon-cutting plans by the end of this month. Few have done so.

By Michael Northcott, 22nd January 2010
 

My daughter, Helen, and I went to Copenhagen for the weekend, By Ruth Jarman, 16th December 2009

We arrived back a little tired of the 36 hours in trains and stations, but invigorated by spending so much time, and in such close quarters, with other people who know how bad things are

Links to some of Operation Noah's favourite articles, blogs and comments on the Copenhagen summit talks.

Why people of faith MUST stand behind the Kyoto Protocol

By Michael Northcott, 15th December 2009

What we think about ClimateGate

by Ann Pettifor, December 5th 2009

I have lived with a physicist, and know first-hand that the world of academic science is as competitive, ruthless and mean as the worlds of fashion, or banking, or football.