Author: MCrocker

Photo: King Tides lapping at the doorstep in Funafuti Island, Tuvalu By Sima Enele Here we go: it’s the final stretch on the road to Paris. Tensions are high, blood pressure readings are high (mainly due to the excess coffee), heads are spinning in the spinoff groups, and delegates are frantically trying to find common… Continue reading Climate change doesn’t get any realer than this

By Ismail Raushan Zahir Ahead of the highly-anticipated United Nations climate change conference in Paris next month commentators have been touting “unprecedented political momentum” they say is building for an agreement. For certain, the international community seems to have learned valuable lessons from the infamous Copenhagen talks in 2009. But, as a citizen of a… Continue reading This is no time for complacency

This first-of-its-kind UNDP negotiators’ guide offers pertinent information about the UNFCCC for old delegates and new alike, just  in time for COP 21 in Paris. It looks at the history of the process through the lens of AOSIS participation and island needs–providing key background for negotiators to understand the historical, political, and legal context of… Continue reading New: Negotiators’ Guide for COP 21

By Rennier Gadabu The Dalai Lama wasn’t talking about the United Nation’s climate change negotiations when he said, ”a lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.” But he could have been. For certain, here at the latest round of climate talks in Bonn, Germany, the last before the international community tries… Continue reading Putting the Trust Back in Transparency

By George Uzice This week delegates from around the world will meet in Bonn, Germany for the last five negotiating days before a once-in-a-generation United Nations climate change conference in Paris next month. There are many issues in these complex negotiations, but one that is particularly important for my group, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS),… Continue reading Technology Key to Emissions Cuts and Island Resilience

FROM CLIMATE HOME By Thoriq Ibrahim The international effort to address climate change relies on a variety of disciplines to do its work: most notably, the scientific research that shows greenhouse gas emissions are responsible for the crisis and the legal analysis that argues we are obligated to do something about it. But as world leaders gather here this week for… Continue reading UN General Assembly offers ‘last chance’ for climate leadership

UNITED NATIONS–AOSIS Ministers met here today on the sidelines of the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss key issues related to the highly anticipated climate change negotiations that begin in Paris at the end of the year. “The meeting here in New York is the last opportunity for leaders to look… Continue reading AOSIS Reaffirms Climate Platform at UNGA

AOSIS member, Dominica, is seeking aid from the international community in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Erika, which killed at least 31 people and devastated homes and businesses across the Caribbean island. Lloyd Pascal, Dominica’s representative at the U.N. climate talks in Bonn, said the disaster underscored the need for an ambitious climate deal, including… Continue reading Tropical Storm Erika Highlights Need for Assistance Now, And in the Future.