COP20: Final text not good enough for Paris 2015
After two weeks of negotiating in Lima, Peru, delegates from more than 190 U.N. member countries failed to reach a consensus on a global climate agreement strong enough to serve as a foundation for what would replace the Kyoto Protocol by next year’s climate change summit in Paris.
Devex spoke with several delegates right before the final gavel, and while all indicated the text was less than satisfactory, they agree that the watered-down result was better than a failed COP20.
One of the main goals of the Lima talks was to establish the structure and format of intended nationally determined contributions — or INDCs — countries’ national climate action plans that will folded into the larger Paris 2015 agreement.
Plea for South Asia to unite in fight against climate risks
The countries of South Asia need to stand together in their efforts to push for more finance from the developed world to help them adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change, a prominent regional expert says.
Saleemul Huq, from Bangladesh, a lead negotiator for the group of Least Developed Countries told a fringe meeting at the UN climate change conference in Lima, Peru, that South Asia countries face a range of climate-related events.
“Countries in the region must co-ordinate climate action to cope with adverse climate impacts, such as flash floods, forest fires, cyclones, migration and sea-level rise.” said Huq, senior fellow in the Climate Change Group at the International Institute for Environment and Development.
Sundarbans oil spill ‘threatens rare dolphins’
The Bangladesh navy has sent four ships to deal with an oil spill from a crashed tanker that is threatening a rare dolphin sanctuary. The tanker, believed to be carrying 350,000 litres (75,000 gallons) of oil, and another vessel collided early on Tuesday in the Sundarbans region.
Forestry officials said the spill happened in a sanctuary for dolphins including the rare Irrawaddy species.
The government has lodged a legal case against the owners of the two vessels.
Officials told the BBC the oil had spre...
Forestry officials said the spill happened in a sanctuary for dolphins including the rare Irrawaddy species.
The government has lodged a legal case against the owners of the two vessels.
Officials told the BBC the oil had spre...
The people who live with tigers
Goni has lived in a village next to the Sundarbans his entire life. As a boy, he spent countless hours cautiously playing on the edge of the forest knowing that a tiger might be watching him; wondering if he might become its next meal.
Now an adult, Goni is one of the most respected leaders of his community for trying to protect the tigers and the Sundarbans forest through conservation that contributes to sustainable development. He believes that the respect and fear of the tiger is what makes the tiger the key to conserving his home.
Small farmers more than climate victims: IFAD report
Small farmers in developing countries are more than victims of climate change though they are the vital part of solution to global warming, according to a report issued by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The Smallholder Advantage, a report on IFAD’s response to climate change, shows how investments in access to weather information, technology transfer and disaster preparedness are helping smallholder women and men feed themselves and their families on a warming planet – while restoring degraded ecosystems and reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint.
“We see smallholder farmers as an important part of solution to the climate change challenge,” said IFAD President Kanayo F. Nwanze. “With around 500 million smallholder farms responsible for around four-fif...
