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UN Climate Change Conference – COP24

Special Coverage of COP24, the UN Climate Change Conference
2 December-14 December 2018

As world leaders and change-makers gather this December in Katowice, Poland, for the 24th Conference of the Parties of the Climate Change Convention, or COP24, UN News will provide you with a front row seat to all the action.

Follow the negotiations on how nations can collectively limit global warming, find out about the latest technologies available to reduce the harmful impact of human activity on the planet, stay connected to those who are making a difference, every day, across the globe.

To receive daily updates directly in your inbox, make sure to subscribe here to the “Climate Change” topic.  

UN News/Yasmina Guerda

‘The longer we wait to reduce emissions, the more challenging will be’, warns climate expert

“The longer we wait for the substantial reduction of emissions, the more carbon dioxide we need to remove from the atmosphere, said Jonas Pasztor, Executive Director for the Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative (C2G2), adding that if the world doesn’t act fast, the process will be not only “more challenging, but also more expensive”.

Mr. Pasztor highlighted the fact that the world reached a point where the reduction of emissions is no longer sufficient.

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COP24 closing plenary meeting in Katowice, Poland, 16 December 2018.
UNFCCC/James Dowson

At COP24, countries agree concrete way forward to bring the Paris climate deal to life

After two weeks of crunch negotiations – with overtime – the almost 200 parties gathered in Katowice, Poland, for the United Nations COP24 two-week climate change conference, adopted on Saturday a “robust” set of implementing guidelines for the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, aimed at keeping global warming well below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels.

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In the reforestation site of Merea, Chad, children are planting acacia seedlings for the future In the past 50 years, Lake Chad basin shrank from 25,000 square kilometers to 2,000square kilometers.
UNDP Chad/Jean Damascene Hakuzim

Preparing Africa for ravages of climate change ‘cannot be an afterthought’ – COP24

Africa is at a “tipping point” as global warming increases, and urgent action needs to be taken across the continent now, to mitigate risks and safeguard a decade of social and economic gains, according to a new report launched on Thursday by the United Nations Development Agency (UNDP) at the COP24 climate conference, in Katowice, Poland.

Photo courtesy of 'Come On, Let’s Bike'

Beating climate change, boosting women: bike advocate takes to Damascus streets

When “conflict was underway, and checkpoints were increasing everywhere” in the Syrian capital, Damascus, Sarah Zein started biking to avoid the traffic, but verbal sexual harassment on the streets, soon became a big problem.

Since then, she’s become an eco-friendly advocate for both a greener environment and the rights of women, attracting more than 4,000 girls to her cycling events, and helping increase bike ownership among women.

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UN Environment

Cutting down plastic and pesticides, to halt climate change in India

It’s easy to get lost in the argument over who needs to do the most to stop global warming, but the fact is, everyone needs to do their bit and “we’re all responsible.”

That’s one of the guiding principles for Satya Tripathi of India, who in this latest Lid Is On podcast from UN News, from the crucial COP24 climate change conference in Poland, says we need to focus on bettering our immediate environment and taking collective responsibility for the planet.

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UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the COP24 climate change conference in Katowice, Poland. 12 December 2018.
UNFCCC Secretariat/James Dowson

Failing to agree on climate action would ‘not only be immoral’ but ‘suicidal’, UN chief tells COP24

With roadblocks continuing at the COP24 climate change conference over how to implement the  historic 2015 Paris Agreement, United Nations chief António Guterres returned to Poland on Wednesday, to challenge the more than 100 Government leaders gathered in Katowice to find consensus and “finish the job.”

Prince Albert II of Monaco, chair of the IOC Sustainability and Legacy Commission, speaking at the launch of the Sports Climate Action Framework at the COP24 climate action conference in Katowice, Poland.  11 December 2018.
UNFCCC Secretariat

COP24: World sports join team UN in race against climate change

Major organizations from the world of sport are joining an increasing number of private sector businesses in the race to beat global warming. At the United Nations’ COP24 conference in Poland on Wednesday, 17 major players representing sporting bodies, athletes and fans, added their names to the collective scoreboard, with the launch of the Sports Climate Action Framework.

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UNFCCC/James Dowson

‘Time for all of us to wake up’ and save the planet: goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc at COP24

When Hurricane Maria devastated Domenica last year, it was a wake-up call for Canada’s former international goalkeeper, Karina LeBlanc to step in to the climate change fight.

With many family ties to the Caribbean island, she changed the way she eats and began biking to work, and says that “it’s time for all of us to wake up” and be part of the solution.  

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An Earth Council Flash Mob at COP24 in Poland to remind all negotiators and leaders that everything is moving too slow and that we have to take action now.
UNFCCC Secretariat

COP24 negotiations: Why reaching agreement on climate action is so complex

From Tuesday on, close to 100 Government ministers are due be involved in negotiating a final deal on moving forward with climate action here at the United Nations COP24 conference in Poland. So, what is the goal? To agree a concrete plan to implement the historic 2015 Paris climate deal by mid-century. The stakes are high with numerous different pressure points.