UN Climate Change Conference, Doha
News from the UK delegation at the UN COP18 Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar.
- The UN Climate Change Conference in Doha took place on 26 November - 7 December 2012.
Outcomes of the UN Climate Change Conference, Doha
- The UN Climate Change Conference in Doha launched a new commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and agreed a workplan for 2013 and beyond to draw up a new global climate agreement with all countries, to be adopted in 2015.
Speaking on his return from Doha on 9 December, UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey said:
"This round of international climate change talks was a modest step forward. We always knew they would be very tough after the breakthrough at the same conference in Durban last year.
"We can be pleased that we have maintained the momentum towards a new legally binding agreement for 2020 after the Kyoto Protocol has expired."However, we still need countries to do more and be more ambitious about reducing their emissions if we are going to avoid irreversible climate change and prevent devastating global warming.
"The UK, as part of the EU, will be working very hard over the next year to ensure next year’s talks yield even more progress and that we play our part in lowering global emissions".
Read the statement from Edward Davey, Energy and Climate Change Secretary 
Gone midnight & we might be fighting global warming but some TeamGB think it's freezing in the conference hall! #COP18 http://pic.twitter.com/UMkkg1nn
TeamGB in good spirits as we head into a long night of talks at # COP18 #HighAmbition http://pic.twitter.com/Uw8NpLXH
Just met Korean Env Minister & shared thoughts on how our GIB experience can help them with GCF. #CountMeIn #COP18 http://pic.twitter.com/czKyd54D
V good bilat with Bangladesh, hearing their ideas to pull AOSIS LDC & EU closer together to raise #COP18 ambition http://pic.twitter.com/45UHToSXUK and Germany launch NAMA Facility to support climate mitigation projects worldwide
- German Federal Environment Minister Peter Altmaier and Edward Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in the UK, have launched the NAMA Facility to support partner countries to implement ambitious action against climate change.
The NAMA Facility is designed to support developing countries that show strong leadership in tackling climate change and want to implement transformational Nationally Appropriate Mitigating Actions (NAMA). Transformational NAMAs are projects, policies, or programmes that shift a whole technology or sector in a country onto a low-carbon development trajectory.
At the launch event, Dr Francisco Barnes, President of the Mexican National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC), presented the first project the Facility intends to fund, a programme for sustainable new housing. The project will pave the way towards a broad implementation of sustainable housing, which focuses on the total energy performance of a building.
Minister Davey said: “Climate change is a global threat and with every passing year, the nature and the extent of that threat grows clearer. Climate finance is fundamental to building resilience and capacity for countries to mitigate and adapt to climate change. I’m delighted to announce today a joint partnership with the German Government to help support those developing countries that are taking ambitious action to close the gap to 2°C. This will enable us to work in partnership with developing countries to deliver more results in more places.”
Read more about the NAMA Facility 
Huge work still be done at #COP18 to reach agreement, TeamGB preparing to go round the clock to get the best deal possible #TheLongestDay- Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change Greg Barker with UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres and Lord Stern at the Innovative Financing event.
Climate change takes centre stage
- In a blog, Lord Ashdown argues that politicians ignore climate change at their peril:
"Whilst it is the worlds poor who are feeling the greatest impact of climate change – over 95% of deaths from natural disasters between 1970 and 2008 occurring in developing countries – climate change is no respecter of national borders and ultimately affects us all. A government commissioned study earlier this year found that heavier rainfall will be the major threat to Britain from climate change in the coming decades and could affect five million Britons."
Read Lord Ashdown's blog UK announces new climate programmes in vulnerable countries
Secretary of State Edward Davey has announced a package of support using the UK’s International Climate Fund to help developing countries to tackle climate change and to reduce poverty.
Renewables power in Africa and sustainable farming in Colombia are two of the innovative programmes to be funded by the UK.
Secretary of State Edward Davey said:
“Climate change is a global threat and with every passing year, the nature and the extent of that threat grows clearer. We also recognise that the world’s poorest will be hit the hardest by the impacts of climate change and we need to help communities adapt to these challenges.
“Climate finance is fundamental to building resilience and capacity for countries to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Our focus will be on results that make a difference on the ground and we are working with a variety of partners, including developing countries, other donors organisations and the private sector to deliver this."
Read more about the new climate programmes
James HobosI wonder what was the conference like2013-02-07T09:36:40.899Z
