“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...

This is part of what is happening in Cancun

By Lurette Paulime At the negotiation, many speakers are talking about legal binding and equity for developing countries. They say that governments should implement new policies that guarantee social benefits for the women of the world. They also mentioned that mostly indigenous people and women are suffering from inequality and human right issues. Civil society and politicians must be aware that...

Day 2: Low expectations: How did we get here?

by Juan Soriano The sixteenth session of the climate change negotiations opened yesterday at the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico. A year has passed from the meeting in Copenhagen which failed to deliver a fair, ambitious, and binding deal. As opposed to last year’s high expectations in Copenhagen, this year expectations are rather low. Both countries and observer organizations are seeing...

International Youth Climate Movement (IYCM) Slogans

by J. Taj Schottland The youth have been broadcasting a couple core messages here in Copenhagen. I’d like to catch you up on what those messages have been and what they mean. My favorite youth message comes in the form of a question. “How old will you be in 2050?” The youth have posed this question repeatedly to anyone who will listen, especially the media and high-level negotiating...

An introduction to climate finance…

by Richard Van Kampen Sitting in the back of the first plenary meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) at the COP15 in Copenhagen, I wonder what kind of agreement, if any, will actually come out of this round of negotiations. I’m not pessimistic on the issue, however considering the progress of past negotiations under the UNFCCC, there is a significant amount of progress that...