Britain spends £10m to fight deforestation in Brazil

Britain is spending £10m to tackle deforestation in Brazil in an effort to protect wildlife and reduce carbon emissions.

The environment secretary, Caroline Spelman, said the money would help farmers in Cerrado, central Brazil, restore natural habitats, reduce forest fires and ease the pressure for more deforestation to provide land for agriculture.

Speaking at the International Forest Day conference in Durban, South Africa, where the latest round of UN climate talks are being held, Spelman said: "The Cerrado is rich in biodiversity and yet, alarmingly, it has almost halved in size, because of wildfires and the demand for agricultural products.

"If we're going to stop the loss of biodiversity, we need to protect our forests, which house the majority of the world's wildlife. We won't succeed in tackling climate change unless we deal with deforestation."

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Climate and Environmental issues to create migration issues in the future

Climate and other environmental changes will cause "major challenges" for world leaders over the next 50 years as mass migration threatens to create new humanitarian crises, a major new report says.
The report estimates there will be between 154 and 179 million people living in rural coastal floodplains by 2060 who will be unable to move away due to poverty

The government's chief scientist, Professor Sir John Beddington, who commissioned the study, said that environmental change would hit the world's poorest the hardest and that millions of them would inadvertently migrate toward, rather than away from, areas that are most vulnerable.

“We have assumed mass migration away from affected areas, but millions of people will also migrate into vulnerable areas and there will also be those who cannot migrate out,” John Beddington, chief scientific adviser to the British government, told reporters.
“They pose different challenges to the international community,” he added.
The United Nations estimates there were 210 million international migrants in 2010. A further 740 million were internal migrants in 2009.
An average 25 million people a year have been displaced due to weather-related events since 2008, which will likely rise as such events become more extreme and frequent, Beddington said

Click on the headline to be taken to an article from The Telegraph

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UN climate change talks in Cancun agree a deal

More than 190 countries have struck an agreement at the latest round of UN climate talks that puts efforts to secure a new international deal to tackle global warming back on track.

At the end of two weeks of talks in Mexico, government ministers and officials agreed a deal which Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne described as a "serious package" of measures.

He acknowledged the agreement did not give everybody everything they wanted and would still require work towards a final deal at a meeting next year in Durban, South Africa.

Environmental campaigners said it threw a lifeline to efforts to get a deal to tackle climate change but there was still much work to do, in particular to close the "gigatonne gap" between the greenhouse emissions cuts countries have pledged and the reductions needed to limit temperature rises to no more than 2C.

The agreement acknowledges the need to keep temperature rises to 2C and brings non-binding emissions cuts pledges made under the voluntary Copenhagen Accord, hammered out in the dying hours of last year's conference, into the UN process.

It also includes an agreement to set up a green climate fund as part of efforts to deliver 100 billion US dollars (£60 billion) a year by 2020 to poor countries to help them cope with the impacts of global warming and develop without polluting.

Click on the post heading to be taken to the BBC site for more information

Click on the photo to be taken to the Independent newspaper for more information

Click here for the Guardian Environment Blog with updates on the Cancun conference

Cancun Climate Change conference to begin Monday 29th Nov - Report warns of problems

A billion people will lose their homes due to climate change, says report.

British scientists will warn Cancún summit that entire nations could be flooded.

Devastating changes to sea levels, rainfall, water supplies, weather systems and crop yields are increasingly likely before the end of the century, scientists will warn tomorrow (Monday)

A special report, to be released at the start of climate negotiations in Cancún, Mexico, will reveal that up to a billion people face losing their homes in the next 90 years because of failures to agree curbs on carbon emissions.

Up to three billion people could lose access to clean water supplies because global temperatures cannot now be stopped from rising by 4C.

"The main message is that the closer we get to a four-degree rise, the harder it will be to deal with the consequences," said Dr Mark New, a climate expert at Oxford University, who organised a recent conference entitled "Four Degrees and Beyond" on behalf of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. Tomorrow the papers from the meeting will be published to coincide with the start of the Cancún climate talks.

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Click the photo to be taken to  detailed Guardian website coverage of the whole conference, with lots of useful articles about climate change.

Climate change threatens emerging superpowers

Some of the "big economies of the future" are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, according to a new study published today.

UK consultancy Maplecroft identified Bangladesh and India as the two countries facing the greatest risks to their populations, ecosystems and business environments after ranking 170 countries based on their exposure to climate-related natural disasters and their social, economic and political ability to adapt to a changing climate.
According to Maplecroft, the countries facing the greatest risks are characterised by high levels of poverty, dense populations, exposure to climate-related events and reliance on flood- and drought-prone agricultural land.
Bangladesh ticks most of these boxes and the report warns that rising climate risks could hit foreign investment into the country, undermining the driving force behind economic growth of 88 per cent between 2000 and 2008.
Similarly, the report warned that India's massive population and increasing demand for scarce resources made it particularly sensitive to climate change.

Fifty-five countries pledge to cut greenhouse emissions

Fifty-five countries have formally pledged to cut or limit their emissions in a move welcomed by the UN's climate change body as an important step towards achieving a legally binding global agreement.

They include the US, all EU countries and China, as well as major emerging economies such as Brazil, Indonesia and India. The 55 nations between them emit 78% of the world's greenhouse gases. But, significantly, the group includes only Brazil from South America, and just six out of 55 African countries. In all, 137 countries have not made pledges.

Copenhagen Conference on Climate change ends

The 2 week conference on Climate Change has finally finished. There have been some agreements reached, but also so disappointment that not enough has been done. At the moment, the agreements are NOT legally binding and need further discussion.

Here is a summary of what has happened:

President Obama said a "meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough" had been reached between the US and China, Brazil, India and South Africa.

Reports suggest the following points were agreed

• A commitment from wealthy and key developing nations to limit global warming to 2C

• Between $25bn and $30bn in climate funds for poorer nations over the period 2010-12, with an annual sum of $100bn envisaged by 2020

• A way to check each country's compliance with its commitment to curb greenhouse gas emissions

Five countries agreed the deal - what about the rest of the world?

The 193 nations gathered in Copenhagen are due to vote on the agreement shortly. It is not clear how many will back it. Tuvalu delegate Ian Fry, whose country is one of those most at risk from rising sea levels, said the deal sounded like "30 pieces of silver to sell our future" and rejected it. Venezuelan representative Claudia Salerno Caldera described the US-brokered deal as a "coup" against the UN

Click the headline to find out more answers to common questions about the conference

Copenhagen Conference: Discussions not going too well

The hour of truth loomed Thursday at the UN climate talks where countries had to draw a line under squabbles to nail down a deal ahead of one of the largest gatherings of world leaders in history.
With just hours to go before some 120 leaders are called to seal an agreement to roll back the rise in Earth's temperature, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was receiving "bad news" from Copenhagen.
"At the moment, the negotiations do not look promising but I of course hope that the presence of more than 100 heads of state and government can give the necessary impetus to the event," Merkel said in Berlin.
Wealthy nations pledged some 22 billion dollars late Wednesday to help bankroll the war on global warming, with Japan leading the way by promising to stump up a whopping 1.75 trillion yen (19.5 billion dollars) to developing nations on climate change if a comprehensive deal is reached at Copenhagen.
But the announcements could not mask the huge differences still dividing rich nations and the developing world over how to shoulder the burden.
Some of the bitterest exchanges at the 12-day conference have been between the United States and China, the world's two biggest polluters.
"It's proceeding at a snail's pace right now," Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said after talking into the small hours with Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi on funds to help developing nations.

Copenhagen Conference: Signs of progress after talks with African group lead to proposals for climate fund

Gordon Brown became the first world leader to fly into Copenhagen tonight, aiming to break through one of the greatest obstacles to a climate change treaty: who should pay to tackle global warming.
With the UN talks balanced on a knife edge, the prime minister said they had three days to "shape the future of humanity".
As the high-level political part of the summit began, its Danish president, Connie Hedegaard, said: "In these very hours we are balancing between success and failure. Success is within reach. But I must also warn you: we can fail."
Delegates at the summit are nervously awaiting fresh versions of the draft treaty (agreement) which more than 115 world leaders will want to finalise by Friday.
The first sign of progress could come tomorrow with the Ethiopia's prime minister, Meles Zenawi, expected to announce proposals for climate change funding that some rich and poor countries have agreed on. Developing countries say they need billions of dollars to cope with rising sea levels and extreme temperatures, and to move to clean energy technologies

Copenhagen Conference Day 5: EU agrees climate pledge, led by UK and France

EU nations are set to commit more than €2bn (£1.8bn) a year to help poorer countries cope with global warming, the leaders of Britain and France indicated today as they sought to bolster UN climate talks in Copenhagen.
The UK prime minister, Gordon Brown, and president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, said their two countries would contribute the bulk of that sum and were trying to persuade smaller members of the 27-state European Union to pledge more.
EU leaders failed on Thursday to come up with a firm figure for the fund, an embarrassing setback for a bloc that has seen itself as a trailblazer in the fight against global warming. Smaller eastern European states are reluctant to donate as they struggle with public sector debt and rising unemployment in the wake of the financial crisis.
The climate aid is intended to go towards a global $10bn (£6bn) annual fund for short-term help to poor countries, particularly in Africa. It would begin in January and run for three years, when any new climate treaty emerging from Copenhagen would come into force.

Click on the title for more information and to see a press conference by Brown and Sarkozy

Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change, Day 4: Vulnerable and poorer countries clash with the richer countries

More than half the world's countries say they are determined not to sign up to any deal that allows temperatures to rise by more than 1.5C, as opposed to 2C, which the major economies (richer and powerful countries) would prefer.

But any agreement to reach that target would require massive and rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions combined with removal of CO2 in the atmosphere. An extra 0.5C drop in temperatures would require vastly deeper cuts in carbon dioxide and up to £6.5 trillion extra in energy-related investment by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency.

Today the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis), a grouping of 43 of the smallest and most vulnerable countries, including Tuvalu, said any rise of more than 1.5C was not negotiable at Copenhagen. They are backed by 48 of the least developed nations.

But the UN conference chief, Yvo de Boer, implied this morning that the proposal had little chance of being adopted. "It is theoretically possible that the conference will agree to hold temperatures to 1.5C but most industrialised countries have pinned their hopes on 2C," he said.

Click here for photos of the conference and more information

Nepal Government hold cabinet meeting on Mount Everest

Nepal's cabinet met on Mount Everest today to highlight the threat of global warming to the glaciers and mountains of the Himalayas.

The government, represented by ministers wearing thick jackets, woolen hats and in some cases oxygen masks, endorsed a resolution on climate change in the bright sunshine of a Himalayan morning before flying back.

The 20-minute meeting, which took place under the shadow of the peak of Mount Everest, comes in advance of next week's key climate change summit in Copenhagen. The political stunt comes after a cabinet meeting held underwater in October by Maldivian ministers which drew attention to the risk the Indian Ocean island-state faces from rising seas.

On the Himalayan slopes, ministers posed for pictures, signed a commitment to tighten environmental regulations and pledged to expand the nation's conservation areas.

"Due to global climate change and its effects, the entire human civilisation is faced with additional challenges for their survival" said the prime minister, Madhav Kumar Nepal told reporters.

Nepal, which sits between China and India, is home to Everest, the world's tallest peak, and eight more of the world's 14 highest mountains. Global warming, say many experts, could see glaciers on the roof of the world melt away – threatening the water and food security for 1.5 billion people downstream in south Asia.

Satellites to monitor countries for climate change under Gordon Brown plan

Last night at a meeting in Trinidad Gordon Brown reached agreement with Commonwealth leaders and Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, to put forward a new £10 billion fund to tackle what Mr Brown said was “a climate emergency.”

He said the Launch Fund would allow the world to break the “deadlock” over a deal at Copenhagen (the conference starts next week) and “get moving on climate change as quickly as possible”.

Mr Brown said: “'Together the collective power of the Commonwealth must be brought together to tackle a new historic injustice, that of climate change.”

Ahead of the UN-sponsored climate change conference in the Danish capital, Mr Brown proposed a £10 billion rich-world fund - to which Britain would contribute £800 million - to give incentives to developing countries to halt deforestation, develop low-carbon energy sources and prepare for the effects of a warmer climate.

To police the new deal satellites would monitor countries, like Papua New Guinea, Guyana and Indonesia, responsible for deforestation. Any country found not to be abiding by the deal would have their funding halted.

But some countries, not least China, are likely to be very wary of allowing international satellites to spy on their country.

Copenhagen Conference on Climate change - 4 weeks to go!

There are just over four weeks to go before the Copenhagen conference intended to agree a new international framework for controlling greenhouse gas emissions. The final round of preparatory talks in Barcelona has revealed deep divisions between some of the key participants.

What is the Copenhagen Conference?
It will run between December the 7th and 18th
192 countries will be represented
There will be 15,000 officials from around the world


What are they hoping to achieve?
They want to agree targets for the richer and poorer countries to cut greenhouse gases (which cause Climate change)
They want to agree funding for poorer countries to help them cut their greenhouse gas emissions


Click on the title to see a table of the differing viewpoints from around the world.

More information can be found by clicking this link

Copenhagen (Denmark) Summit, December 2009

You may have heard of the Copenhagen summit (a meeting) that is due to take place in Decemember. What's this summit all about? Well, basically 192 countries will be getting together in order to discuss climate change and set targets for CO2 reductions. It is a very important meeting and chance for the world to take action on Climate change before it is too late. Keep an eye out for news of the summit. There are some useful links below that will keep you informed of the latest news.

This BBC page has lots of really useful information about the summit and will keep you up to date on what is going on

This is the Guardian newspapers special site dedicated to what is happening in Copenhagen

Click here for a 5 minute clip from the BBC about the lead up to the summit

Plan to freeze the world's coral

Scientists reckon the world's coral is disappearing so fast they should freeze samples of it for the future.
They say that climate change is causing coral reefs to die off really quickly, because of changes to the water temperature and acidity.
The plan would be to freeze the coral, store it and then put it back into the oceans later on.
Coral is really important because loads of fish and other animals live in and around the reefs.
Millions of people also need the coral reefs to make money.
In a meeting in Denmark, scientists said that most coral reefs will not survive, even if tough rules to try to stop climate change are put in place.

BBC report about the same story

Click here to take a BBC sea and oceans quiz

Click here for an older story about coral from May 2009

'Day after tomorrow' map produced

This map has been produced by the Met Office and basically says Britain faces rising sea levels, floods and drought unless more is done to stop climate change. It predicts temperature rises may reach the dangerous tipping point by 2060 unless more is done to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Click on the map to see a larger version

Why did the Maldives Government hold a meeting underwater?

The government of the Maldives has held a cabinet meeting underwater to highlight the threat of global warming to the low-lying Indian Ocean nation.
President Mohamed Nasheed and his cabinet signed a document calling for global cuts in carbon emissions.
Ministers spent half an hour on the sea bed, communicating with white boards and hand signals.
The president said the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen this December cannot be allowed to fail.
At a later press conference while still in the water, President Nasheed was asked what would happen if the summit fails. "We are going to die," he replied.
The Maldives stand an average of 2.1 metres (7ft) above sea level, and the government says they face being wiped out if oceans rise.
"We're now actually trying to send our message, let the world know what is happening, and what will happen to the Maldives if climate change is not checked," President Nasheed said.
"If the Maldives cannot be saved today we do not feel that there is much of a chance for the rest of the world," he added.

Click the title to watch a video

A video and artcle about how sea level rises have affected the Maldives

A video and article on how the Maldives have tried to become carbon neutral

Arctic heads for ice-free summer

The Arctic Ocean near the North Pole could be ice-free in the summer in around 10 years time, a top polar specialist has said.
Professor Peter Wadhams, who took part in a massive ice survey in the area, said for the first time it might be possible for ships to cross the area.
The team found floating ice that was around 1.8m thick, which means it's probably 'first year' ice.
That means it's more likely to melt again in the summer months.

The team brought their own equipment to dig into the ice but that quickly froze up so they had to do everything by hand. Where the ice had melted they had to swim.
Further investigation

Travelling to the North Pole and working in temperatures as cold as -70C is the only way scientists can really find out how the area has been affected by climate change.
If these ice sheets do melt it's not clear what the effects could be, so it looks like these results are the start of even more work in the Arctic.

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