ClimatePrep

By Eliot Levine, WWF-US An interesting new brief from WWF and Germanwatch gives us reasons to be optimistic as international climate negotiations continue. In discussing the status of adaptation negotiations under the UNFCCC  as the international community moves toward COP16 at Cancun, the authors argue that “the current negotiating text still bears the opportunity to create a strong, [...]

By John Matthews, CI The COP is finally over, and I’ve had about 36 hours to begin to absorb its truths and promises. Written so soon after the negotiations have ended, I have no doubt my reflections will achieve, at best, a facile and tenuous draft of history (or a poor excuse for journalism). But I [...]

By John Matthews, CI My interest in knitting probably marks me as one of the more visibly peculiar members of the WWF delegation to the COP, but knitting is a great asset in a high-stress setting. Some of the oldest knitting in the world was found in bogs in this part of northern Europe — perhaps [...]

By John Matthews, CI A week of prelude is over. The real work has begun in Copenhagen. Last week was intense, fast-paced, and frantic. Most people here are profoundly exhausted. But we’re at the hinge now. Negotiation teams are shifting from delaying and positioning to taking firm and often oppositional stands. More senior level staff are [...]

The world’s wealthy nations have a long way to go on the key negotiating element of climate change adaptation at Copenhagen, WWF warned today “climate change adaptation mechanisms and measures and especially finance must be a key part of any successful deal reached at Copenhagen, but it is an issue starved of attention, commitments and [...]

By John Matthews, CI Copenhagen is a very open city. For instance, it’s really rare to see a bike in a stand that’s been locked. This is amazing, given the actual number of bicycles here in Copenhagen. There are counters at some of the major intersections that show the number of bikes that have passed by [...]

By John Matthews, CI My first morning in Copenhagen, and I haven’t yet seen the light. Most of our (WWF) delegation is staying in a hostel that a reviewer suggested is what a prison might look like if it had been designed by Ikea. It’s actually not that bad — I’ve stayed in much worse. And [...]