Climate Change Meetings - Cancún COP16

To discuss future commitments for industrialized countries under the Kyoto Protocol, the Conference of the Parties, serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP), established a working group in December 2005 called the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP). In Copenhagen, at its fifth session, the CMP requested the AWG-KP to deliver the results of its work for adoption by CMP 6 in Cancun.

Canada: Climate Change Laggard

It's the sixth year in a row Canada has been judged an international laggard, and placed near the bottom of the CCPI. For the 2010 report, Canada ranked 56th out of 57 countries evaluated.

"Although Canada scored poorly across the board, its national policies were its greatest source of weakness. Sadly, that's not a surprise, as the federal government has failed to put in place the key policies needed to cut Canada's greenhouse gas pollution. It's worth noting that Norway — like Canada, a cold country that exports oil and gas — finished third overall, earning a high score on climate policy," stated Matthew Bramley, Director of the Pembina Institute's climate change program.

Cancún Creates Hope for Durban

"We are much further than we thought we would be before coming to Cancún," said Wendy Trio, climate policy director for Greenpeace.

Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa was widely credited for her deft and transparent management of the intricate and often-heated negotiations. She avoided the mistake of last year's Copenhagen meeting -- where major countries crafted a deal behind closed doors that was later rejected by the convention as a whole -- while still managing to keep negotiations on track.

Chief U.S. negotiator Todd Stern said the deal "while not perfect, is certainly a good basis for moving forward, putting the world on a more hopeful path toward a low-emissions and sustainable future."

"Today's result chases away many of the ghosts of Copenhagen. Although the result is very far from perfect, the Cancun climate talks took real steps forward, including establishing a new global climate fund. Unfortunately Canada was singled out as a laggard among its peer countries, particularly on the question of the second phase of Kyoto," said Pembina Institute Policy Analyst Clare Demerse.

After tallying up 6 Fossil of the Day awards over the course of the Cancún climate talks, Canada was dishonored with the Colossal Fossil of the Year award for the fourth year in a row. The Fossil awards are voted on by over 500 leading international organizations to the country who has done the most to disrupt or undermine the UN climate talks. Canada is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, but the Canadian government backed out of Kyoto in 2006, and refused to commit to a second reporting period under Kyoto at Cancún.

The next Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC is scheduled for Durban South Africa from 28 November to 9 December 2011.

Manitoba Wildlands will be providing selected and recommended links for news, reports, and analysis regarding the UN Cancún Climate Summit December 2010. Media releases and clips will be listed by: Pre-Conference, During-Conference, and Post-Conference. Sub pages will appear below.

Cancun 2010 Highlights: Week Two

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Quebec Premier Receives Australian Award

Quebec's Premier Jean Charest was given the South Australian International Climate Change Leadership Award in Cancun. Australia hands out the award every year to recognize a political leader for their contribution to stopping climate change.

International Meetings

2010 UN Climate Meetings:COP 16 & CMP6 - Cancun, Mexico

Canada: Climate Change Laggard

Cancún Creates Hope for Durban

Cancun 2010 Highlights: Week Two

Cancun 2010 Highlights: Week One

We Must Stop Climate Change We Can Do it in Cancun

Dion Maps Road to COP16

2010 UN Climate Meetings:
COP 16 & CMP6 - Cancun, Mexico

We Must Stop Climate Change
We Can Do it in Cancun