Climate politics
Merkel: equity means all states making equal efforts to fight climate change
German Chancellor tells world’s environment ministers at Berlin summit responsibility to fight climate change lies with all states – not just the global north
Petersberg Climate Dialogue III: Environment ministers meet in Berlin to thrash out common position ahead of Doha talks
The lack of ambition and goals for the Doha round of UNFCCC climate talks will be on the agenda today and tomorrow as ministers from 35 countries representing various international negotiating groups meet in Berlin.
Will the billions needed for climate change finance be found in Doha?
After three days of talks on climate change cash in Bonn, the challenges have become clearer while questions have been raised over solutions like ending fossil fuel subsidies and the Robin Hood tax.
Ed Davey: Vital EU gets Poland to accept new emissions target with Doha climate talks looming
UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary says he is planning to embark on a new diplomatic push to encourage Poland to adopt the EU’s proposed 30% carbon emissions target.
Paying for climate change: Visible urgency on final day of UNFCCC finance talks
Candid comments and calls to slash red tape suggest increased urgency at the UN climate finance workshop’s final session.
Where will the money come from to pay for climate change? Lessons from Day two of UNFCCC finance workshop
Discussions in Bonn turned to identifying specific sources of funding and how they might be able to turned into action on the ground, but old disputes meant there was no clear winner.
Who pays for climate change: What we learnt after day one of the UNFCCC finance workshop
Updates from the first day of the UN workshop on climate finance as diplomats and NGOs gather to discuss how to raise and distribute the billions of dollars required to prepare for, and limit the impacts of climate change.
Greg Barker: China’s domestic ambition must be reflected in international climate negotiations
UK minster for energy and climate change calls on China to stop blocking progress at UNFCCC negotiations and build greater unity with their domestic renewables programme and international ambition.
Dr Rajendra Pachauri: Time to forget governments and use people power to fight climate change
World’s leading climate scientist says governments’ reluctance to tackle the causes of climate change means they should be bypassed in favour of global ‘people power’.
Ban Ki Moon: Rio+20 was a success and leaves a concrete and lasting legacy
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has hit back at critics of the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development by claiming it was an important victory for multilateralism
Rio+20: Five climate change ideas that didn’t make the Earth Summit outcome
While proposals in the final text were weak, some important ones didn’t even make it into the document. RTCC looks at five ideas for climate change action that didn’t make the grade.
Jose Maria Figueres on Rio+20: We need negotiators who are connected to reality
Former President of Costa Rica says governments will only respond when they see action at home.
Rio+20: International reaction to the sustainable development outcome
Politicians, diplomats and activists from around the globe review the Future We Want document and the process that produced.
Rio+20: How UK’s DFID will continue on sustainable development pathway
RTCC talks to Melinda Bohannon, Head of the Climate and Environment Strategy Unit at Department for International Development about how sustainability and climate change issues help shape the UK development agenda.
Rio+20: Global Environment Facility calls for more ‘synergy’ between UN departments
Now the three Rio Conventions have developed their own identities, GEF says it is time for them to examine the ways they can work together.
Rio+20: What does the Earth Summit’s outcome mean for climate change?
The Rio+20 document is jam packed with caveats, ifs, buts and maybes. So what concrete action does it contain, and what implications are there for action on climate change?
Rio+20: 2012 summit just one step on long walk to a greener future
Writing for RTCC, Sweden’s former chief climate negotiator says that despite weak outcome the Rio summit provides some foundations future developments
Rio+20 Comment: Summit whimpers to an inevitable conclusion
The acceptance of failure at the UN summit of sustainable development is almost worse than the failure itself.
Rio+20: Greenpeace boss slams “scandalous” politicians at Earth Summit
Kumi Naidoo criticizes leaders for failing to press for a better deal, short-term thinking and using the talks as a publicity opportunity.
Rio+20: Long way to go on road to sustainable development, say NGOs
As the Rio+20 negotiations come to a close, NGOs including Christian Aid, Oxfam and Third World Network offer their reaction to the proceedings and say they are willing to mobilise with those at the conference – both inside and outside the negotiations – to ensure a pathway forwards.