Stay tuned!

Negotiation tracking is in full swing, and there are certainly more posts to come!  In the mean time please excuse the lack of posts, we are a bit busy learning this new language.

Day 1- A (very) brief summary

The opening day of COP18/CMP8 in Doha showed signs of determination through the remarks of delegates. In the COP opening plenary, themes quickly emerged, perhaps providing a frame that will guide the efforts here. COP17/CMP7 President, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane, stressed the need for steps forward that would close the ambition gap and scale up financial support. The current COP18/CMP8 President, Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, echoed these priorities, dedicating his role to “cooperation and communication” with the aim of achieving a second commitment of the Kyoto Protocol.

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres noted the unique aspects of this year’s conference, the first in the Gulf region. She acknowledged that Qatar faces threats to its water resources, while also having the opportunity to innovate a more sustainable future for energy growth. She encouraged progress on the Durban Platform “that both ensures equity and responds to the science.”

Overall, both delegates and chairs for the ad-hoc working groups signaled the need for greater ambition. The delegate from Nauru, speaking on behalf of AOSIS noted the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy and expressed sympathy for the islands in the Caribbean, as well as for the U.S. She also encouraged the development of scaled-up financing. Other delegates focused on implementation of low-carbon technologies, a call that was echoed by Nicaragua’s urging for a regional center for technology transfer.

There seemed to be subtle acknowledgment that this year’s COP would be one of transition, rather than landmark agreements. However, many delegates and chairs stressed the need for cooperation and collaboration that would allow for the effective closeout of the LCA and the solidification of the path ahead.

Sea Level Rise

More climate news: three articles on sea level rise from the New York Times (24 Nov) including interactive graphics on what could disappear in the upcoming decades and centuries.

                                 Copeland et. al/New York Times

Infographic: The politics of climate change

Great infographic about the Kyoto protocol and how countries with the highest emissions are positioned going into Doha published November 18th by Al Jazeera News.

Here's a preview:

                                                    Ben Willers and Sophie Sportiche/Al Jazeera

To see the full graphic:
Infographic: The politics of climate change - Interactive - Al Jazeera English

An Introduction

Georgetown University will be sending a number of students from the School of Foreign Service campuses in Washington, DC and in Doha, Qatar, to the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) eighteenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP 18).  The Conference will take place in Doha, Qatar from November 26, 2012 through December 7, 2012.  (The students from Washington, DC will be in attendance from Nov 26 to Nov 30).  This blog is intended to serve as a clearinghouse of information and preliminary research before the delegation meets in Doha.  Once there and following the conferences, it will serve as a means to keep our peers, family, and friends updated on the happenings at the conferences and the takeaways thereafter.