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This research paper explores the application of global equity and "burden-sharing" principles to community-scale climate action planning. Using the City of Seattle as a case study, the authors apply the Greenhouse Development Rights (GDR) framework to demonstrate that an equitable global mitigation obligation for a wealthy city would require it to go carbon "negative" by 2020, meaning it must reduce its own emissions while financing low-carbon transitions in developing regions.

This research paper analyzes the intersection of climate change and human rights, specifically focusing on the role of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR). It details how global warming threatens rights to food, water, health, and housing, and examines international jurisprudence where environmental harm has been linked to human rights violations. The paper evaluates the marginal role of human rights in the 2009 Copenhagen climate talks and suggests that the CESCR can better monitor State compliance by integrating climate-specific questions into its reporting guidelines and utilizing the Optional Protocol for climate-related complaints. It concludes with eleven recommendations for the Committee to systematically anchor climate considerations in its work.

A statement by Friends of the Earth urging President Obama to move beyond attendance at the Copenhagen climate negotiations and commit the United States to mandatory greenhouse gas emission reductions and global leadership on climate justice.

Opening remarks delivered at a South African Institute of International Affairs conference in October 2009, discussing the intersection of trade and climate change policy, specifically in the context of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

Friends of the Earth expresses strong opposition to a comprehensive climate change bill that passed a congressional committee on May 21, 2009, arguing that the legislation is insufficient to prevent catastrophic global warming and favors corporate polluters over the public interest.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides an overview of the UNFCCC climate change negotiations held in Bonn from March 29 to April 8, 2009. It details the progress and points of contention across the four pillars of the Bali Action Plan—mitigation, adaptation, technology, and financing—as countries worked toward a comprehensive post-2012 climate agreement intended for adoption at COP 15 in Copenhagen in December 2009.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) details the outcomes of the UNFCCC climate change negotiations held in Bonn from March 29 to April 8, 2009. It outlines the progress made across the four pillars of the Bali Action Plan—mitigation, adaptation, technology, and finance—as parties worked toward a global post-2012 climate agreement intended for conclusion at COP-15 in Copenhagen in December 2009.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides an overview of the outcomes of the fourteenth Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the UNFCCC held in Poznan, Poland, in December 2008. It details the progress of the two main negotiating tracks—the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) and the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP)—as they move toward a comprehensive post-2012 climate agreement expected at COP 15 in Copenhagen.

This 2009 report by CIEL and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung proposes institutional mechanisms to integrate human rights into global climate change policy. It argues that climate change severely threatens rights to life, health, food, and water, particularly for women, children, and indigenous peoples. The report suggests five approaches: utilizing existing UN special procedures, creating a new special procedure on climate change and human rights, maintaining direct Human Rights Council engagement, leveraging human rights treaty bodies, and establishing human rights-focused subsidiary bodies or expert groups within the UNFCCC. It emphasizes the need for increased participation of marginalized communities in climate negotiations and the recognition of a principle that all climate-related activities must respect human rights.

This fact sheet argues that transitioning from car-dependency to active transportation (walking, cycling) and public transit significantly improves public health. It highlights reductions in chronic disease, mental illness, and road fatalities, while decreasing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The document emphasizes that such infrastructure is critical for reducing social and economic inequalities, particularly for low-income populations in Canada.

This report traces 50 years of UN sustainable development and climate policy, detailing the transition from the 1992 UNFCCC and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the 2015 Paris Agreement. It examines the shift from rigid distinctions between industrialized and developing nations toward a more dynamic model of 'common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities' (CBDR-RC). While the Paris Agreement achieved universal participation through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the document notes that current collective promises remain insufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C, potentially leading to a temperature rise exceeding 3°C if not significantly increased.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) details the outcomes of the UNFCCC climate change negotiations held in Bonn in June and August 2009. It outlines the progress and persistent divisions between developed and developing nations across four key pillars—mitigation, adaptation, technology, and finance—as they worked toward a global post-2012 agreement intended for adoption at COP-15 in Copenhagen.

A speech delivered by Søren Asp Mikkelsen, Deputy Ambassador of Denmark to South Africa, on October 26, 2009, discussing the objectives of the upcoming COP15 climate conference in Copenhagen and Denmark's experience with green growth through wind energy.

This policy brief from the World Resources Institute evaluates the potential for 'green' components within U.S. economic stimulus efforts to create jobs and reduce energy costs, while cautioning that such measures cannot replace comprehensive climate and energy policy.

The Youth Climate Champions Training Materials is a guide produced by WWF South Africa to empower young people to become active citizens and agents of activism in response to the climate crisis. The toolkit consists of six interactive sessions designed to provide youth with tools for community engagement, communication, policy design, and professional integration into climate solutions.