Canada’s Idea of a Christmas Present: Backing Out of the Kyoto Protocol

~Graham Reeder Recent information from CTV (a Canadian news agency) is showing that Canada is planning to formally back out of the Kyoto Protocol. Canada, along with Japan and Russia have been saying for a year that they do not want to make any new commitments to the Kyoto Protocol (KP) after this year, but backing out altogether places Canada in the same position as the US. This is part of a...

“Money doesn’t talk, it swears”

On the promise of the Green Climate Fund by Nathan Thanki Under the UNFCCC, expectations that the international community has regarding climate finance are clear. Article 4, paragraph 3 states that developed countries “shall provide new and additional financial resources to meet the agreed full costs incurred by developing country Parties in complying with their obligations,” and that there...

Carbon Markets

by Joe Perullo Lately, the phrase Carbon Markets is what comes to me when I hear the word “controversial.”  Much of the literature I have read on them mentions how the markets are "a horrible distraction from real emission mitigation strategies" and how they "redefine the problem to fit the assumptions of neoliberal economics."  I wouldn’t say I disagree with these statements, but...

Terms of engagement: the trench war over bio-resources

~by Nathan Thanki Although not classically what many would immediately think of as being a priority for a Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which one might imagine is solely concerned with conservation of cuddly polar bear cubs and lush rainforests,  access and benefit sharing (ABS) for genetic resources and their derivatives have their own Nagoya Protocol (NP). So it is worth saying a...

Just an idea about youth and children’s engagement in the movement against climate change

-Angeline Annesteus: Since I’m here at Cancun, I’m working with the Haitian delegation in taking notes, assisting and helping coordinate some meetings.  Attending the conference is really important to me and I’m beginning to learn and better understand the complexity of global climate change negotiations. Indeed, I took part in this side event “Bearers of Future Responsibility: Engaging...