Tag Archives: UNFCCC

by markchamberlain | December 9, 2011 · 1:44 pm

Durban climate talks: Is an agreement in reach?

The message on Durban's streets is loud and clear (Credit Christian Aid)

Well the dark skies are persisting over Durban for the climate change talks, but it’s nothing in comparison to the storm over the UK’s vetoing of the new European agreement over fiscal policy.

Interestingly, this may work well for the EU mandate here at the UNFCCC. Member countries are dealing with so many difficulties back at home, the word is ministers have been told to reach a decent-enough deal in Durban so the issues don’t spill over into the domestic arena on their return.

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Tagged as CAFOD, Catholic, climate change, durban, EU, home, kyoto, UNFCCC

by markchamberlain | December 8, 2011 · 11:06 am

Durban climate talks: 1 billion Africans relying on Kyoto

Outside of all the complex documents circulating, one message remains clear in Durban (Credit Pascale Palmer)

Pascale Palmer writes

There’s a gloomy sky over Durban today on the penultimate day of talks. Richard Black of the BBC is saying that the talks “lack urgency” and from where I’m sitting he seems to have a point. An NGO Tweeted this morning that they had heard delegates in the corridors saying that this is the most relaxed COP they had ever attended. “Relaxed” isn’t really the word I want to hear to describe talks that can decide whether our futures are safe or not.

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Durban climate talks: Pakistan delegation speaks with CAFOD

Pakistan floods 2010

Pascale Palmer writes

In 2010 Pakistan suffered what its ministers call a super-flood. 20m people were and continue to be affected and this year, to add insult to injury, more flooding came. I just sat down with members of the Pakistan delegation here in Durban. This is what they said:

Climate finance for long-term work to help us cope with climate change is vital; we are a poor country and the structures in our country are not sufficient to help everyone affected by climate change. It is not only the super-flood that came and affected 20m people and covered 5% of our land, we also recorded our hottest ever temperature at 54 degrees Celsius last year and we are having outbreaks of fatal Dengue fever which never used to affect our cities.

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Durban climate talks: Heads of state roll into town

One of the many protest posters seen in Durban

Pascale Palmer, CAFOD’s Senior Advocacy Media Officer, sends the latest from Durban

Durban is a bustling town with an over-built seafront and surfing-sized waves. It doesn’t feel like Africa, it feels more like Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. I’m trying to work out if that’s a good or a bad thing. But while I do there’s everything and nothing going on here at the United Nations climate talks.

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Durban climate talks: Where Maasai, Greenpeace and faith groups come together

The Maasai star attraction at the Durban climate change conference, Olonana Ole Pulei

Joseph Kabiru writes

It is simply called ‘the DEC’. The DEC’s proper title being the ‘Durban Exhibition Centre’. Among the bloggers in the ‘bloggers’ loft’ and the big energy companies touting their ‘green’ credentials is this space for civil society. If you ever wanted to write a paper looking at the evolution of civil society, then just drop in to to the DEC.

A visit can be overwhelming due to the volumes of reading material available. Every conceivable subject related to climate change is on display at the DEC. I also had the chance to compare the campaign strategies of the different non-governmental organisations.

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