Climate Change COP16 soon to be held in Mexico

As you might have already know, from November 29th to December 10th the Cop16 will be held here in Quintana Roo, Mexico. But what does COP16 or CMP6 mean? It means that it is the 16th edition of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) and the 6th Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP). “Parties” refers to all the national states that signed and ratified both of the international treaties, committing to observe and comply with its terms regarding international cooperation against climate change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has been signed by 194 State Parties.

The parties to the convention have met annually from 1995 in Conferences of the Parties (COP) to assess progress in dealing with climate change. In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was concluded and established legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Since then a strong pressure has been done to countries that still are due to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Last years' Copenhaguen COP15 was a bit dissapointing as there were no successful agreements environmentally and economically sustainable on the amount of emissions from some big countries . Cancun COP16 is expecting to have better results so we will see.

The event will take place at the Moon Palace Hotel and the Cancunmesse, a new international conference and exhibition center located between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, about 100 kilometers far from Pez Maya and 240 kilometers away from Punta Gruesa expedition.

Mexican government is intending to make it a neutral green house gases event, as such the emissions generated by all conference activities are been been quantified, verified and mitigated by buying Carbon certificates. Also, a huge wind turbine has been put to provide energy for the whole event!

As the Conference is closed only for United Nations and Governmental representatives there are going to be conferences and talks from different NGO's related to Climate change around. There will also be a Climate Change Villa in Cancun which will be a space for every body to get together and discuss similar topics, know environmentally friendly products and attend cultural and artistic expositions.

Here in GVI, Mexico we continue doing our part and beside the normal activities we have on base a series of activities have been organized with current volunteers related to Climate Change reduction. Watch this space to know more about it!

We would also love to hear what are you doing to reduce climate change in wherever in the world you are!

Climate Change COP16 soon to be held in Mexico