Durban Watch

Our campaigners Kirsty Wright and Murray Worthy are at the UN climate talks in Durban South Africa. Here they report back on what is happening.

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Climate justice

Energy access and the complicated path to climate justice

Alongside the UN climate talks that took place earlier this month, Durban’s KZN university hosted a ‘people’s space’: an alternative space where people could come together to talk about the struggle for climate justice.

Durban climate talks a ‘spectacular failure’

The World Development Movement has slammed the outcome of the UN climate talks in Durban as a ‘spectacular failure’ that will condemn the world’s poorest people to hunger, poverty and ultimately, death.

Murray Worthy, World Development Movement policy officer, said: “Developed countries have behaved shamefully, blocking meaningful progress on tackling climate change. They have refused to acknowledge their historical responsibility for the crisis, either by agreeing to reduce their emissions or by providing finance to help developing countries deal with climate change.

Occupying COP17 - a video report

At 3pm today, on the final day of the UN climate talks, I joined hundreds of people to occupy the conference centre where the final plenary talks were taking place.

Here are some videos telling the story of what happened.

Durban talks fail on urgent issues

Durban, 16:45, 9 December 2011

As negotiations on the final outcome of the UN climate talks look set to continue late into the night, negotiators remain focused on the EU’s proposed roadmap to replace the Kyoto Protocol with a package that makes the same demands of poor developing countries as it does of rich industrialised countries. The talks have paid almost no attention to the two most urgent issues for developing countries: emissions reductions by developed countries, and finance to help people in poor countries cope with climate change.

UN climate talks occupied!

Today at 3pm, on the final day of the UN climate talks and as the main plenary was taking place, people including activists from 'Occupy COP17' occupied the conference centre where the talks are being held.

COP17: In whose interests?

On, the penultimate day of the Durban climate talks, I joined other climate justice allies at what became one of COP17’s most theatrical press conferences yet. Organised by the Climate Justice Now coalition, allies from across the world took this opportunity to give their analysis of the conference so far, making it clear they felt ignored by the governments who are supposed to represent them.

Talk of a ‘new climate deal' is a distraction from inaction

Talk of a long-term climate deal to cut carbon emissions is allowing industrialised countries to delay taking action, says World Development Movement policy officer Murray Worthy, writing from Durban.

Climate talks ‘risk disaster for the climate and developing countries’

Guest post by Murray Worthy, used to be the policy officer.

With three days to go at the UN Climate Talks new negotiating texts have emerged for the establishment of the Green Climate Fund, and for decisions on issues including emissions reductions for developed countries outside of the Kyoto Protocol, emissions reductions for developing countries and for long term finance to help developing countries deal with climate change.

New climate fund looking more like 'Greedy Corporate Fund'

A year on from the World Bank out of climate finance campaign launch at the Cancun talks, last week members of the global coalition reunited outside COP17. Last year’s talks concluded with an agreement to design a new Green Climate Fund within the UNFCCC. While many welcomed this, others remained cautious because of the World Bank’s role as ‘trustee’. As the fund had not been designed, over the last year there has been much still to play for in terms of how the fund would be shaped, and to whose benefit.

New UK climate finance package ‘will push up developing countries’ debt’

A new climate change finance package, announced today by Chris Huhne, will push up developing countries’ debt, say campaigners from the World Development Movement.

At least £235 million of the money announced today by UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne will be in the form of loans rather than grants, going through World Bank climate lending programmes that have already pushed some of the world’s poorest countries deeper into debt.