Tag: UNFCCC

USA scores own goal by moving the goal posts

Nathan Thanki August 8, 2012 1 Comment
by nathan thanki There was quite a stink created this week when US Special Envoy for Climate Change (the big-shot who shows up late to the UN climate talks and gets interrupted by his constituents for not truly speaking for them) made a "remark" to his old College, Dartmouth. There was widespread condemnation of the apparent u-turn on US climate policy, which had previously agreed...

Sustainable Development And The Political Treadmill Of No Will

jvelez July 2, 2012 0 Comments
By Julian Velez Rio+20 was supposed to renew political commitment to Sustainable Development (SD) and poverty eradication by integrating the social, economic and environmental “pillars,” or dimensions. It was a conference that was supposed to build on previous agreements to bring the Sustainable Development agenda to the next step. But the spotlight of the conference was taken by the...

The Point of It All

mcalderon June 25, 2012 0 Comments
Point of No Return By Mariana Calderon Sitting back in a bed in a hostel in Rio de Janeiro, trying to regain some sense of normalcy through regular sleep and regular meals, I hardly dare to think back on the last two weeks - or the last 20 years - just yet. Some time to recover, please. Unfortunately, time is something we don’t have much of anymore. In the halls of the Rio Centro convention...

[earth] in Durban

COA Admin June 16, 2012 0 Comments
June 16, 2:00 pm - As we head into a new phase of negotiations, with Brazil introducing a new text in one hour, and the degree of continued major group involvement at Rio Centro unclear, here's a look back at the power youth can have - regardless of restricted areas and closed meetings.   Durban from Devin Altobello Documentarian on Vimeo. Engaged youth today are galvanized by...

If I were a delegate….

Maria Escalante June 15, 2012 0 Comments
by Maria Alejandra Escalante If I were a delegate at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, I would not be the kind of delegate I saw at the negotiations on Sustainable Consumption and Production, Water and Climate Change during Prepcom III. I would not be like them because they induce morbidity, disengagement, lethargy and utter silence. A silence that betrays the people these delegates...