Live from Cancun
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| Oxfam New Zealand's Executive Director Barry Coates gives his impressions of the UN climate conference on his Cancun climate blog. |
In December 2010, world leaders gathered at the UN climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico to continue negotiations for a global climate change treaty. Oxfam was there campaigning for a global climate fund to ensure the world's poorest people can adapt to climate change. Take a look at our blogs, photos and videos from the event below. Note: the dates given are those for Cancun which is a day behind NZ.
Cancun wrap up
The UN Climate Summit in Cancun saw good progress towards Oxfam's ultimate goal of a fair, ambitious and legally binding deal. While there's still work to be done, the progress in Cancun was a major step forwards. Over half a million people have joined with Oxfam this year, calling for urgent action on climate change. Campaigning together means our voice was heard in Cancun and has helped us Sow the Seed for a fair climate deal. Read Barry Coates' blog for an in-depth commentary of the progress made in Cancun.
Dec 10: Barry's blog: Agreement in the final hours at Cancun
Oxfam New Zealand's Barry Coates was blogging from the summit and in today's entry he discusses the Cancun deal made in final hours of the talks. Although it's not everything we need, the agreement on the table puts the UN negotiations back on track after the shambles of Copenhagen last year.
Dec 10: Giant sand sculpture
On the last day of the UN Climate Change Summit in Cancun, Oxfam unveiled a giant sand sculpture of Mexican farmers calling for concrete action for the sake of the millions of poor people around the world who are already feeling the effects of climate change.
Oxfam's photos on Flickr: Giant sand sculpture. Click on the photos for the stories behind the photos.
Dec 9: Barry's blog: Talks in the balance
Oxfam New Zealand's Barry Coates was blogging from the summit and today's entry explains why the outcome of the talks is in the balance due to blocking tactics and brinkmanship by some of the major industrialised countries.
- Barry Coates talks with Radio New Zealand International about optimism that a good climate change fund will be set up.
Dec 8: Your Tweets delivered
Tweets send by people around the world using the hashtag #tweetbottle were delivered to delegates at the summit today. The best tweets were printed out and displayed on placards.
Oxfam's photos on Flickr: Tweet in a bottle action . Click on the photos for the stories behind the photos.
Dec 7: Barry's blog: Will Ministers unlock the Cancun talks?
Oxfam New Zealand's Barry Coates was blogging from the summit and today's entry wonders whether the arrival of the government ministers will lead to progress in the negotiations. Barry also continues to be interviewed by journalists covering the summit. Today he was quoted extensively in USA Today.
Dec 7: Ursula's message to Cancun: my homeland is disappearing
Ursula Rakova from the Carteret Islands is in Cancun for the climate change talks. She's hoping to bring home to world leaders the painful reality of climate change for those living on the frontline. The reality for her people – their atoll homeland is becoming unlivable.
Dec 7: Demonstration in Cancun
About 3000 people from labour, development organizations, farmers from all over Mexico, waste pickers from Mexico and India, and organizations participated in a rally and march today in central Cancún to ask UN negotiators to achieve a fair deal against climate change. The event was a spectacle of colour and noise.
TckTckTck, Greenpeace, 350.org and Oxfam participated as well. Oxfam built four 'Mojigangas', traditional Mexican puppets used at festivals and demonstrations. The four puppets represent small food producers.
The march's last stop - La Plaza de la Reforma - just in front of the Municipal Palace of Cancun greeted participants on arrival with two photo exhibits and music provided by Jareneros Estanzuela from Veracruz.
Oxfam's photos on Flickr: Demonstration in Cancun. Click on the photos for the stories behind the photos.
Dec 6: Photo round up
A selection of photos from the negotiations showing Oxfam's presence.
Oxfam's photos on Flickr: At the Climate Conference in Cancún (COP16). Click on the photos for the stories behind the photos.
Dec 6: Tweet in a bottle
Have your say! You can send a message to delgates at the summit by sending a message on Twitter containing the "hashtag" #tweetbottle. Oxfam will collate the tweets and the best ones will be printed and presented to delegates at the conference in our massive inflatable bottle. Read full instructions.
Check out the live feed of tweets that include #tweetbottle:
Dec 3: Barry's blog: We have no more time
In today's blog entry Barry discusses different countries' negotiating techniques at major international summits, how they have changed over the years and why they lead to glacial progress.
Dec 2: Love Kyoto
Kyoto's 13-year old relationship with Japan is on the rocks so on Day 4 of the conference tck tck tck and Oxfam campaigners set up a 'Love Kyoto' stand and gave out free hugs. Delegates entering the conference were asked to pose together with 'Kyoto' to show their support for the protocol. One of the people who posed for a photo was Oxfam's Barry Coates, as he recounts in his latest blog entry.
Oxfam's photos on Flickr: Hug Kyoto Protocol. Click on the photos for the stories behind the photos.
Dec 1: More media
- Mary Robinson, Honorary President of Oxfam had an op ed published in the Dom Post today about why she is in Cancun.
- Oxfam's Barry Coates interviewed from Cancun on 'The Climate Show'. His interview starts 24:20.
- Barry was also interviewed in the Herald today from climate talks in Cancun.
Dec 1: Will you back a climate fund?
On Day 3 of the conference Oxfam campaigners set up two roads in a main thoroughfare for delegates entering the conference, asking them the question "Will you back a fair climate fund?" Delegates had the option to walk down either of two "roads" to mark their support for a fund. Or not.
Oxfam's photos on Flickr: Will you back a climate fund?. Click on the photos for the stories behind the photos.
Nov 30: Day 2 - In the media
More media attention on day two of the conference including an interview on Radio New Zealand's Morning Report with Barry Coates, Oxfam New Zealand's Executive Director who is attending the conference as part of the Oxfam policy team. The whole of Morning Report is on one page. Scroll down to 7.40 am for links to three different sound file formats.
Nov 29: Indigenous Peoples' caucus in Cancun
In Cancun, indigenous delegates gather in the “International Forum of Indigenous Peoples on Climate Change".
Indigenous Peoples are on the front line of climate change around the world, whether from islands and coastal areas, the Arctic, the deserts, urban areas forests, or mountain regions.
Oxfam's photos on Flickr: Indigenous Peoples' caucus in Cancunl. Click on the photos for the stories behind the photos.
Nov 29: Barry's blog: Cancun starts
In today's blog entry Barry talks about visiting Timor-Leste on the way to Cancun and how that has informed his views of the summit negotiations.
Nov 29: In the media
There was lots of media attention for Oxfam coinciding with the opening of the conference, including not one but two stories on the 3 News website:
Our message in a bottle photo opportunity made the pages of many news papers worldwide including the Washinton Post and this excellent photo slideshow on The Guardian.
Nov 28: Lets put the 'can' in Cancun
Another action from the day before the conference was organised by Oxfam partner tck tck tck. We all presented UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres with a six by three metre Mayan style "Pyramid of Hope". The monument is made of crucial building blocks for a safe climate on which negotiators gathering in Cancun should agree so we can move towards a strong global climate regime.
Oxfam's photos on Flickr: Lets put the 'can' in Cancun. Click on the photos for the stories behind the photos.
Nov 28: Message in a Bottle
On the day before the conference started a giant message in a bottle from the worlds poorest people washed up on a beach in Cancun.
Oxfam's photos on Flickr: Message in a Bottle: Save Lives at Cancun. Click on the photos for the stories behind the photos.
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