Information about the COP15 and Copenhagen, Denmark

They Negotiate.  We Participate.

Through the COP15 website, the Danish government invites the world to participate in the global debate leading up to the UN Climate Change Conference 2009 (COP15), which will take place in Copenhagen in December 2009. On the website, you can participate by commenting on news articles and blog posts. Visitors to the site can also participate through the following initiatives:

  • The Climate Quiz allows visitors to cop15.dk to test their climate knowledge. Visitors can also compare climate knowledge with friends. The quiz can be accessed at www.quiz.cop15.dk
  • Climate Thoughts is a unique visual representation of climate opinions from visitors to cop15.dk as well as well-known climate thinkers. Climate Thoughts can be accessed at www.thoughts.cop15.dk
  • The Climate Game allows visitors to cop15.dk to experiment with CO2 reductions in an entertaining environment. The Climate Game can be accessed at www.game.cop15.dk
  • On Facebook, it is possible to show support of the UN Climate Change Conference 2009. The COP15 page on Facebook can be accessed through www.facebook.cop15.dk
  • On Twitter, the Danish government posts regular news updates on climate change. The COP15 Twitter account can be reached through www.twitter.cop15.dk  

ps: Climate Thoughts (ww.thoughts.cop15.dk) is absolutely one of the coolest participative features on the website.  Check it out, and see how many comments internationally are focused on Obama.

Where Will We Sleep in Copenhagen?

Hotel Loeven is a basic and cosy hotel situated close to The Central Station, Tivoli, Strøget and The Town Hall Square, one of Copenhagen's most exiting and charming areas.



COP15: Interesting Facts

Google Maps to Release GHG Mapping Tool
The secretariat has cooperated with Google to present greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data in a visual way using Google maps. On the maps, GHG emissions can be displayed in three "layers": emissions; changes in emissions between the base year and the latest available year (2006 at present); and changes between 1990 and the latest available year.

Information is provided for all sectors (such as energy, agriculture, etc) and for the major sub-sectors (such as transport within the energy sector). By gas, the data cover aggregate GHGs, CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6, HFCs and PFCs. Only data relating to Annex I Parties are provided.

The maps will be available in June on the UNFCCC website: http://unfccc.int as part of the UNFCCC GHG data interface.



Is Dickinson College negotiating for Climate Change?
Well, no.
The UNFCC has a process for observer organizations to participate in the proceedings without being actual negotiations. “Any body or agency, whether national or international, governmental or non-governmental, which is qualified in matters covered by the Convention, and which has informed the secretariat of its wish to be represented at a session of the Conference of the Parties as an observer, may be so admitted unless at least one third of the Parties present object.” 

Dickinson College has submitted its application to be considered as a non-profit observer organization.  Here is what NGOs are asked to do at the proceedings.

Observer organizations fall under several categories.  There are six acknowledged constituencies in the climate change process.  Business and industry non-governmental organizations (BINGO), Environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGO), Indigenous peoples organizations (IPO), Local government and municipal authorities (LGMA), Research- oriented and independent organizations (RINGO) and Trade union organizations (TUNGO). 

What is Dickinson College? BINGO ENGO IPO LGMA RINGO TUNGO

Once an organization is admitted, its representatives may attend sessions of the Convention bodies as observers.   Those observer organizations that have been admitted to a COP in the past or provisionally admitted to the SBs do not need to reapply for admission. For more information visit the UNFCC website on the topic here: http://unfccc.int/parties_and_observers/ngo/items/3667.php


Copenhagen.  Interesting News.

If you’re looking to get a green job, there’s good news. Organizers of a world business summit on climate change said today that 2 million new jobs would be created in the U.S. alone if it increased its reliance on cleaner sources of energy. At the global business summit, which took place in Copenhagen, corporate leaders discussed how to help politicians negotiate a new global climate treaty for 2012. They announced that if the U.S. alone cut its electricity use by just half of 1 percent a year by utilizing wind energy and other renewable sources, over two million jobs could be created.

Jose Manuel Barroso, the EU Commission President, told the CEOs of major international corporations that a million new green jobs could also be produced in European Union countries.

“Change also brings big economic opportunities,” he said.