COP

dont let us drown

COP 6, officially known as the 6th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Bonn, Germany, from 16th - 27th July 2001.

The UNFCCC was born at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 as a result of growing concerns about climate change. The objective of the UNFCCC is the 'stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system'.

wind turbines at sunset

Update: 19th July

The pace of activities continues to pick up rapidly here in Bonn.

Yesterday, the US Greenpeace students had a formal debate at 8 AM with the "Corporate" students brought over by a combination of climate skeptics, the oil industry and Republicans. Needless to say, our students carried the day, which started early because the "Corporate" students had to rush off for a sightseeing tour of nearby Cologne.

NGOs here have created a button (badge) with a picture of the Japanese flag and the words "Honour Kyoto" on them. German Environment Minister Jurgen Trittin was spotted wearing one, as well as delegates from many other countries.

Volunteers occupy tanker- Italy

Update: 18th July , 2001

Much buoyed by the ongoing occupation of the Exxon tanker near Genoa, our delegation spread out early this morning across the conference center, gathering information and position papers, and focussing on the details of the negotiations for their assigned groups.

Today is the last day that substantive progress can be made before the ministers start the political negotiations in earnest tomorrow.

international climate talks 2001

World governments met in Bonn for the international climate talks in July 2001. The talks took place against a backdrop of new scientific evidence that confirms what most have suspected all along, that the threat of climate change is even worse than was previously thought.

Public opinion polls around the world show overwhelming public support for positive action to combat climate change, and the European Union has pledged to go forward and ratify the Kyoto Protocol, the only international treaty to protect the climate. But on the other side stands the United States, George W. Bush and his corporate sponsors like Esso, Texaco, Chevron and the other oil companies, the coal industry, and the other US corporate polluters who put Bush into power and now expect some payback.

international climate talks 2001

Update: 16th July , 2001

The press speculation about Japan's position has become intense, overnight reports that Prime Minister Koizumi had said that Japan would not ratify Kyoto without the US were denied privately by Japanese delegates but in the absence of any public statement we hit hard at the Japanese government in our press briefing this morning, hard enough so that the Japanese delegation had to respond with a press statement of their own.

dont let us drown

Update: 15th July , 2001

As NGOs, press and delegates from around the world gathered in Bonn over the weekend, the tension started to build for what will be a very busy two weeks for everyone involved in the climate issue. The Greenpeace delegation, from over a dozen countries, and including over 20 US university students, arrived on Friday night and Saturday morning. We spent the time orienting ourselves, setting up our office here and finalising plans for the week. The first Climate Action Network meeting, with other NGOs from around the world, focussed on what we could expect from the US, how to go about putting pressure on Japan, and what the hell we're going to do about Australia and Canada, who seem to be lining up as the US mouthpieces in these talks since the US has rejected the Kyoto Protocol.