Climate Change

New US interagency study on carbon markets

On Tuesday, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission released an interagency study on carbon emissions markets. The 54-page study for the U.S. Congress was mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

A climate-friendly Farm Bill

We're in a rut when it comes to taking action on climate change. Congress has stalled on passing climate legislation. International negotiators failed to agree on binding emission cuts in Cancun late last year. And it's unclear whether the EPA will have the power to regulate greenhouse gases. Fortunately, we have a tool to help us make a real impact on slowing climate change: the Farm Bill.

Public Input for the Study Regarding the Oversight of Existing and Prospective Carbon Markets

Comment on issues to be considered by the interagency group in the CFTC carbon market study mandated by Section 750 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act).

Shefali Sharma on disappointing conclusion to Cancún talks

IATP's Shefali Sharma reports on why the "agreement" reached in Cancún is less than representative of the countries and civil society groups that attended the negotiations but were kept from the table.

The climate deal that failed us

“History will be the judge of what has happened in Cancún.” These are the last lines of the Bolivian Government’s press release yesterday about the outcome of the climate negotiations here in Cancún.

Empty global climate deal leaves agriculture behind

Cancun, Mexico – A watered-down United Nations climate deal reached early this morning missed another opportunity to support climate-resilient agriculture and global food security, according to the Minneapolis-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

Water warriors testify in Cancún

People working on water and climate change—water warriors—participated in a workshop organized at the alternate COP 16, known as Dialogo Climatico. At a session titled "Water, Dams and Disasters," we heard moving testimonies from those affected by toxic pollution in their air and water, and peasants displaced from their farms. 

Alejandro Villamar (RMALC), Marching in Cancún

Alejandro Villamar of the Mexican Action Network on Free Trade (RMALC) discusses the demands of protesters in Cancún and the challenges behind staging the march at the U.N. climate talks.

Saktiman Ghosh, National Hawkers Federation, Marches in Cancún

Saktiman Ghosh, secretary general of the National Hawkers Federation in India, marches in Cancún and explains why.

"Perfectly just is not going to happen here"

"The perfect cannot be the enemy of the good. What we needed is 'good enough.' And 'good enough' is not 'perfectly just.' 'Perfectly just' is not going to happen here." These are the words yesterday of Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi at an event here in Cancún presenting climate finance options to governments at the U.N. global climate talks.