Yvo de Boer Optimistic on Success of Copenhagen Conference
Recent reports that say that Copenhagen has failed before it even starts are simply wrong according to Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. "There is no doubt in my mind that it will yield success." “I’ve never seen climate change so high on the agenda of so many leaders,” he said. New commitments and pledges from both industrialized and developing nations were cited, including announcements from Brazil and South Korea to reduce emissions, as well as a generous offer from Japan to offer upfront financing. Read More...
Ban urges countries to press ahead on political deal at climate summit
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged countries to seize the opportunity presented by next month’s climate change conference in Copenhagen to clinch a political agreement that will help chart the way forward on a new legally binding pact to combat global warming. “Opportunity is knocking. It is up to you to open the door,” Mr. Ban said.
UN disaster expert knows first-hand what Copenhagen failure could entail
Among those keeping a close eye on the outcome of next month’s climate summit in Copenhagen is the head of the United Nations body dealing with disaster risk reduction, who has seen first-hand the devastation wrought by increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters aggravated by climate change. Read more...
New UN energy report says 1.5 billion people worldwide live in darkness
With the United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen just days away, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) has highlighted the need to ensure that the energy needs of developing countries are central to any new climate agreement, after a new report found that almost a quarter of the world’s 6 billion people live without electricity.
