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Dickinson to Durban » Entries tagged with "COP15"

AOSIS Increases Urgency

Claire Tighe ‘13 Just tuned into a press briefing hosted by AOSIS to hear about their progress in the last two weeks. What is the state of their demands for the outcomes of COP17? Have these changed over the last two weeks? What about since the last few COPs? What is left to be done? According to the vicechair of AOSIS, their negotiating positions have not changed much since 2009, as they still use the “Protocol Approach,” which advocates for a second commitment of the Kyoto Protocol (KP). However, since the last two COPs, AOSIS has increased the level of urgency with which they approach the negotiations. They do this by highlighting scientific findings that predict catastrophic climate change, particularly for the most vulnerable (small island states). According to AOSIS, their negotiating … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Justice, Environmental Politics, Featured, Key COP17 Issues, Mosaic Action, Student Research

USA, China, EU not on the same page for Long Term Action

USA, China, EU not on the same page for Long Term Action

By Timothy Damon ’12 Earlier today I sat in on the open meeting of the Ad hoc Working Group for Long Term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA), a body tasked with looking ahead and considering the future trajectory of activities under the UNFCCC process. There I had the opportunity to witness a brief exchange between several major players, including the USA, EU, and China. I will recount this episode and provide some analysis. Shortly after I entered the room, … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change, Key COP17 Issues

Ready or not…

Ready or not…

As COP17 looms ever closer, one must ask what outcome is reasonable to expect. According to a document released early this month, the UN has officially identified several important items it is placing its hopes on for the Conference: 1. Building institutions to aid the response of developing countries to climate change; 2. Agreeing on a pathway for realizing emissions reductions down the road; 3. Figuring out what will become of the Kyoto Protocol.   Let’s take a quick look at … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Politics, Key COP17 Issues

What to expect, with low expectations…

What to expect, with low expectations…

By: Maggie Rees With COP17 quickly approaching, expectations are running high.  The main talk of the town is what might happen with the Kyoto Protocol.  A revision of the Protocol, drafted by Australia and Norway involves legally binding agreements, and includes less-developed countries.  Resources for the Future describes the changes to Kyoto as follows:  · Standardizing targets at Durban, including 2020 emissions reduction targets. · Formalizing and updating targets annually until 2015, ensuring transparency in emissions reductions. · In 2012, … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change