Posted by Julie-Anne Richards

As the UN climate change meeting (COPMOP) goes for 2 weeks, and is a very intense process, the environmental and development NGOs do a lot of preparation before the meeting starts.  Believe it is not, it is possible to find 8 hours of meetings exciting!  Today I met people from across Africa and across the world.  We identified that this COPMOP is very important to ensure momentum is continued on establishing an effective post 2012 international climate change framework.  In the light of the Stern report, and the urgent need to reduce our emissions, we can't afford not to make big progress at this meeting.  Adaptation will also be a big issue at this meeting (see the latest Eco for an outline of all the issues that will be discussed).

I was very excited to read about the Australian Walk Against Warming Rallies.  They were the biggest in the WORLD!  Go Australia.  We rock!  In total 90,000 people marched - 40,000 people in Melbourne and 40,000 in Sydney.  A clear message to our politicians that they have to take action on climate change.  You can see pics of the rallies here:  www.walkagainstwarming.org.au

Of course, some of our politicians are a little slow to get the message.  Prime Minister Howard, and Environment Minister Campbell are still claiming in the one breath that they intend to meet Australia's Kyoto Protocol targets, yet ratifying the Kyoto Protocol would seriously damage Australia's economy.  Why let the truth or logic get in the way?

It was good to read that Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Program, respond to questions about Australia by saying that "Responding to climate change can no longer be based on narrow national self-interest." And that "The Kyoto Protocol is the first legally binding emission reduction treaty and is to date the only mainstream game in town to address the ever-rising threat of climate change."

Of course, as we all know, Kyoto is "only a first step" towards slowing the pace of global warming, and we all need to move urgently to tougher targets.  Let's see how far we get in the next 2 weeks. 

Note:  the above is the opinion of Julie-Anne Richards, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Climate Action Network.

This weekend has seen CAN staff flying from the ends of the earth to converge on Nairobi for COP-12, the COP/MOP and the hundreds of side events being put on by CAN partners, governments, international organizations, and other NGOs. 

The next few weeks should be an excellent opportunity to discuss solutions to climate change and share ideas, science, and knowledge.

CAN International has set up this site to serve those both in Nairobi and back home (wherever that may be).  We hope that this blog, the events listing, the ECOs (CAN's daily NGO newsletter put out during each COP) and the rest of the information on this site can help you experience Nairobi better or at all.

Please check back everyday for updates from Nairobi!  We look forward to sharing this event with you.

  Posted by Julie-Anne Richards

Today the new President of the international negotiations on climate change (COPMOP) made a strong statement "Climate change is rapidly emerging as one of the most serious threats that humanity may ever face," said the President of the conference, Kenyan Environment Minister Kivutha.

Warning that global warming threatened the development goals for billions of the world's poorest people, conference President Kibwana said:   "We face a genuine danger that recent gains in poverty reduction will be thrown into reverse in coming decades, particularly for the poorest communities on the continent of Africa."

This first COPMOP to be held in Africa lends a sense of urgency to the negotiations, and places an emphasis on the adaptation work that is happening at COPMOP.  The meeting is already talking about adaptation and funding.  The funding pledged at the moment is less than 10% of what is needed - and we need to ramp this up significantly, if we're not to completely lose sight of the Millennium Development Goals (see www.cana.net.au/socialimpacts for how climate change will impact on MDGs).

Speaking of Africa, its very exciting to be here in Kenya.  The main problem with holding the meeting in Kenya, is that it is so much more tempting to do touristic things (safaris!) than work for 15 hours a day.  But, we still get to see a little of Kenya, even if it is out of the window of a taxi.  My taxi driver tonight was Tony Ngure. 

A local Kenyan, he said that Kenyans have noticed big changes in their weather patterns.  "We used to be able to tell when the rains were coming, and how long they would last for.  You might get it 2 or 3 days wrong, but you could tell when they were coming," he told me in the taxi on the way home.  "Now, we can't tell.  The rains come, the rains don't come, but we can't plan our crops around the rains anymore.  The rains are all messed up."

These negotiations must go well, so we can avoid much worst impacts for Kenyans, and others around the world.

Note:  the above is the opinion of Julie-Anne Richards, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Climate Action Network.

Posted by Julie-Anne Richards

The meeting's inaugural Fossil of the Day was awarded today. And, no surprises, Australia won first and third prizes! The Fossil of the Day is awarded for countries behaving badly (see www.fossiloftheday.org for more info), and Australia behaved very badly yesterday by comparing the Australian vulnerability to climate change to the vulnerability of Africa and the Pacific Nations. Has the Australian delegation realised that they are not from a developing country? Perhaps they're not across the fact that Africa faces massive drought and desertification as a result of climate change - which could result in mass famines. Or, perhaps they haven't heard that the Pacific Islands risk losing their entire countries to climate change! The Australian delegation need to visit CANA's website www.cana.net.au/socialimpacts to see the severe impacts that climate change will have on these regions.

Australia also won a joint third place fossil of the day, for insisting (with Saudi Arabia) that the negotiations should finish at 6pm on the dot (clockwatchers!), and then droning on and on with their intervention AFTER 6pm.

The funds for adaptation were talked about today. Unfortunately, less than 10% of the money that will be needed to help developing countries cope with climate change has been committed. And Australia has committed a big, fat doughnut. Yes $0.

The Kyoto countries had an all day session on what the new targets for developed countries should be, for the next commitment period. The EU talked about the need to keep climate climate below 2^oC - otherwise we will face dangerous climate change.

Note: the above is the opinion of Julie-Anne Richards, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Climate Action Network.

Posted by Julie-Anne Richards

I woke to the news that Australia is not in the worst drought in living memory - its in the worst drought in a millennium. Which is obviously bad news for the farmers, and bad news for Australians ... but will it force the Australian Government to take the action required on climate change to help avoid worse droughts?

The Europeans made a great presentation last night. They reinforced the need for a 2oC target if we want to avoid dangerous climate change AND they said that were absolutely, definitely going to make their targets in the Kyoto Protocol (to reduce their pollution by 8% of 1990 levels by 2012). Yay! Take that those who've said Europe won't reach their targets (you know who you are). You can download the European presentation here.

Australia won yet another Fossil of the Day today. This time for saying that adaptation funding shouldn't get in the way of funding for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) also called geosequestration. CCS, for those of you who are not familiar with it, is a process of burying carbon dioxide pollution in underground storage. It is still in testing phase, and is at least 10 to 15 years away from being commercial. You can see more about it at CANA's webpage.  The adaptation needs of developing countries (like African and Pacific Island nations) are far more urgent and important than UN and Government funding being spent on CCS. Especially important when we're in Africa, with side events galore on the impact of climate change on African nations.

But, on more frivolous matters. I've been really enjoying the bananas here. I'm eating bananas at breakfast, bananas at lunch and banana cake. Why the obsession about bananas? Well, as fellow Australians will know, bananas are about $2 each at home - thanks to the ferocity of Cyclone Larry. So, a little circularity. Climate change makes cyclones more intense, cyclones ruin the Australian banana crop, and whilst at a UN conference doing my best to stop dangerous climate change I get to enjoy cheap bananas. 

Lots of exciting things happening tomorrow - so expect a big blog from me. In the meantime, remember to check out ECO for the official story on what's coming up in the negotiations (see them here).

Note: the above is the opinion of Julie-Anne Richards, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Climate Action Network.

  Posted by Julie-Anne Richards

Members of the Australian delegation have told me that they're reading my blog. Hello out there! 

I've neglected to blog for 2 days. Saturday night was the NGO party at this meeting. Its a tradition that the NGO party is a big night, when everyone turns up (although I believe members of the Australian and US delegations have to disavow their government positions). It was a lot of fun, and unfortunately I didn't have my camera to take incriminating photos. Your imagination will have to be your guide :)

Sunday is the official day off the negotiations – but I had 7 hours of CAN meetings, so not exactly a relaxing day off! Still the second week's the important week, so its crucial to be ready!

And yet, still today started with a huge bang! The Australian Environment Minister Ian Campbell's grand statement about his mythical “new Kyoto” generated howls of laughter. The rest of the world finds this statement to be high comedy coming from a country that hasn't ratified the Kyoto Protocol and whose emissions are increasing by over 25% (excluding land clearing). The NGOs awarded Australia a Fossil of the Day for this effort. It was a joint award with Canada – as they are similarly behaving badly. Canadian Environment Minister Rona Ambrose actually said that Canada was meeting all of its Kyoto commitments ... just with the exception of the small matter of MEETING THEIR TARGET! Why worry about the small details?

Tomorrow's ECO will have a great piece on it – recommend checking it out at www.climatenetwork.org.

Here's a great quote from Malcolm Farr, of Sydney's Daily Telegraph: “PRIME Minister John Howard will use two meetings this week to push his contention that climate change can be managed by Australia's coal industry.” Hey – after all, the tobacco industry solved the problem of lung cancer effectively, didn't they?

The Australians have been pushing very hard to get Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) or geosequestration, into the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The CDM is the key mechanism within the Kyoto Protocol which provides for developing countries to input into reducing global emissions. At the moment its concentrated in fast developing countries (like India and China) and big projects – its not reaching the Least Developed Countries and small scale projects effectively. Including CCS in the CDM will only exacerbate this problem – with mega projects in a few countries taking all the project money available. Its very important that CCS not be allowed into the CDM for at least the first commitment period – as there are plenty of unresolved problems with CCS. Read CANA's CCS page here: www.cana.net.au

I understand that Prime Minister Howard announced an emissions trading taskforce tonight. So, whilst the EU emissions trading scheme is trading over $25 billion a year, Australia is going to talk about it. Hmmm.

Note: the above is the opinion of Julie-Anne Richards, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Climate Action Network.

Posted by Julie-Anne Richards

The negotiations are starting to heat up now. The main thing being negotiated at this conference is how we go about agreeing a next phase in the Kyoto Protocol. A post 2012 climate change agreement. It is essential that this be strong enough to avoid dangerous climate change, by keeping temperature increase below 2^oC. 2^oC is likely to lead to widespread bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, and other reefs around the world, and it won't be enough to save some of the Pacific Islands from becoming uninhabitable, but once we go over 2^oC we face full blown climate catastrophe with widespread food and water insecurity.

The thing that we need out of this meeting is a definite pathway forward to a second commitment period. The pathway needs to include a workplan at this meeting to work towards gaining a negotiating mandate (ie an agreement from Parties that we begin negotiating) at the next meeting, and then finalising of the whole kit and kaboodle in 2008. Believe it, or not, some people think that is too ambitious! But, its absolutely what we need if we are to move smoothly from the 1st commitment period in Kyoto Protocol to the 2nd commitment period.

The second commitment period needs to include targets to reduce climate change pollution for developed countries by at least 30% below 1990 levels by 2020, and 80% by 2050. The wealthier developing countries will also need to come up with ways to reduce their emissions, if we are to avoid dangerous climate change. But, of course, as developed countries have caused the climate change we've got so far, its essential that they act first and make the biggest cuts.

Have you been reading ECO regularly? If you read the November 6 issue, you might have noticed the "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow" article. Its a critical review of the previous COPMOP President (the Canadian Environment Minister) who rarely showed up to meetings in her time as President. The writers jokingly said it was because she spent too much time at the hairdressers. Well, it was supposed to be a joke, but some people didn't see the funny side. It caused an absolute furore in Canada, with commentators up in arms about sexist environmentalists. You can see Eco editions at www.climatenetwork.org

Note: the above is the opinion of Julie-Anne Richards, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Climate Action Network.