climate change

The United Nations (UN) says the failure of the December 2009 summit in Copenhagen to agree on ambitious and immediate global action to combat climate change means that the task has become more, not less urgent.

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) executive secretary, Yvo de Boer, points out that, "The window of opportunity to tackle the climate problem closes more rapidly the longer nations delay to act together."

Few people would disagree that the outcomes of the recently held United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen were very disappointing.

However, in terms of moving the process forward, well-known South African activist and recently appointed Executive Director of Greenpeace International, Kumi Naidoo, argues that advocacy for policy change at global level is the priority now. Foundations should step up their funding, and should be willing to support civil disobedience along with other approaches.

Over the past few months, and in fact since the beginning of the year 2009, there has been a flurry of activities, workshops and international conference halls filled with bewildered delegates trying to craft solutions on perhaps one of the greatest challenges of our times: climatic change, and what it portends for livelihoods across the globe.

The largest and most important United Nations climate change conference in history is underway in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Conference president, Connie Hedegaard, says the key to an agreement is finding a way to raise and channel public and private financing to poor countries for years to come to help them fight the effects of climate change.

In the same vein, diplomats from 192 nations have warned that this could be the best, last chance for a deal to protect the world from calamitous global warming.

The head of the United Nation's Nobel-winning panel of climate scientists has attacked the so-called Climategate affair as a suspected bid to undermine the credibility of his organisation.

Rajendra Pachauri, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), used the opening ceremonies of the UN climate talks in Copenhagen to lash those who had hacked into e-mails among top scientists in Britain assessing global warming.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) will be held from 7-18 December 2009 at the Bella Centre in Copenhagen. 

COP15 - the official title of the conference - refers to the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

South Africa has offered to slow the growth of its greenhouse gas emissions by 34 percent by 2020, conditional on a broader international agreement and financial aid.

In a press statement, the Presidency says that, "This level of effort enables South Africa's emissions to peak between 2020 and 2025, plateau for approximately a decade and decline in absolute terms thereafter."

The country will lower its carbon emissions, largely from burning coal, to 34 percent below expected levels by 2020 and about 42 percent below current trends by 2025.

The United Nations (UN) says the biggest climate talks in history must deliver an ambitious, sweeping agreement to capitalise on pledges by countries to fight global warming.

A day before the two-week talks in the Danish capital formally begin, the UN climate chief, Yvo de Boer, points out that is up to agree on the outlines of a tougher climate deal after troubled negotiations have deepened splits between rich and poor nations.

Climate Justice Now! South Africa (Gauteng Chapter), Earthlife Africa Johannesburg and Well Worn Theatre invite you to join in a Week of Activism on Climate Change from 7-12 December 2009 in Johannesburg.

On the 12 December 2009, South Africa will join with thousands upon thousands of voices to call for Climate Justice Now!

There is a "clear and present danger" that the Copenhagen climate change negotiations are being set up to fail by the leaders of the rich countries backed by powerful vested interests. This is according to Tasneem Essop of the World Wide Fund for Nature’s international climate policy advocate.