Download Policy Brief
16 November 2011
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Part 1:
Context

24 November 2011

Erwin Jackson of The Climate Institute provides context on the UN climate negotiations ahead of the meeting in Durban.

Part 2:
Preparing for the Ministers

1 December 2011

On Day 4 of the Durban Climate Summit, Erwin summarises the state of the negotiations. Detailed text drafting, revision and negotiation continue in as delegates attempt to meet the Saturday deadline for proposals for Ministers.

Part 3:
Perspectives, USA

4 December 2011

Jake Schmidt, International Climate Policy Director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, discusses what action the United States is taking despite the Obama administration's failure to pass nationwide carbon pricing legislation. He touches on mandatory emission and efficiency standards for vehicles, appliances and stationary power as well as some ambitious state-based initiatives.

Part 4:
The Home Stretch

5 December 2011

Erwin provides an update at the start of Week 2. Steps have been taken to enhance global cooperation and practical progress made on some issues. Facilitators presented a 132 page snapshot document noting these developments. The big question remains: how will we capture commitments in a legally binding form and how flexible will China, Brazil, India & the US be.  For the first time, China has indicated its willingness to consider putting its domestic actions under an international agreement.

Part 5:
The Final Hours

9 December 2011

Erwin summarises the mood in the final hours of negotiations at the Durban climate summit.

Part 6:
The Outcome

ABC News Radio - The World Today with Lisa Millar, 7 December 2010
Negotiators insist Cancun on course to deliver
Guests: Erwin Jackson, Xie Zhenhua

Part 1: Introduction (Predeparture)
25 November 2010

What can we expect from the Cancun climate negotiations? Erwin Jackson and Will McGoldrick of The Climate Institute discuss the 'balanced package' approach to the of the COP16 summit in Cancun.

Part 2: Australian Targets
29 November 2010

Erwin Jackson of The Climate Institute joins us from Cancun, where he discusses the Australian targets in light of documents released today under Freedom of Information (FOI) from the Department of Climate Change & Energy Efficiency. The analysis shows that conditions for Australia's pollution reduction policy to set a new minimum target of 10 to 15 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020 have been met, and that policy flexibility must be maintained to reach at least a 25 per cent reduction.

Part 3: Initial Reaction
30 November 2010

Will McGoldrick of The Climate Institute discusses his initial reactions following Day 1 of the summit. Parties emphasised the need for flexibility, which is a promising start.

Apologies for the excessive background noise.

Part 4: Perspectives, Samoa
2 December 2010

Ms Anne Rasmussen discusses climate change impacts on Samoa, the country's efforts to mitigate and adapt, and her hopes for the Cancun climate summit.

Please note that the views expressed in this video are those of Ms Rasmussen personally. She is not speaking on behalf of the Government of Samoa.

Part 5: Finding Agreement
3 December 2010

Erwin Jackson of The Climate Institute discusses how the negotiators are threshing out areas of agreement and identifying contentious issues before the ministers arrive.

Part 6: Global Climate Fund
6 December 2010

Phil Ireland of Adopt-A-Negotiator (http://adoptanegotiator.org/) & UN Climate Trackers discusses the Global Climate Fund as a key priority in Cancun.  He talks about the importance of consolidating the many channels for distribution into a “one stop shop” and ensuring a balanced and equitable package.

Part 7: The Final Week
7 December 2010

Will McGoldrick of The Climate Institute discusses what's in store for the ministers during the final week of the summit. He emphasizes the importance of anchoring the targets within the UN, creating formal commitments from the political pledges made last year

Part 8: Climate Policy & Workers
9 December 2010

Ged Kearney of the Australian Council of Trade Unions discusses the importance of workers in the debate around climate policy. Negotiators need to be thinking about how to create jobs, train and reskill workers, and position industry for the move to a sustainable economy.

Part 9: The Final Hours
10 December 2010

Erwin Jackson of The Climate Institute discusses how the negotiators are working through the last 24/48 hours to capture targets by the world's largest emitters and form the groundwork of a new global treaty. Without resolution of this core element it will be difficult to address the other issues on the table.

Erwin Jackson of The Climate Institute discusses the landmark agreement in Cancun to anchor countries’ targets under the UN, but reiterates that it will ultimately be domestic action that reduces pollution. The agreement covers 192 countries or 80% of global emissions.