GERES to join COP 15 in Copenhagen

Friday, 13 November 2009 14:59

GERES news - Press releases

Climate Solidarity in action

GERES, a NGO whose primary focus is in both climate change and development, will take part in the next Conference of the Parties (COP15) in Copenhagen from 7 to 18 December 2009.

The major challenge of COP 15 will be for all parties to decide on the post-Kyoto framework and the share of responsibility for the climate change bill between industrialized and developing countries. More particularly, the assets and roles of developing countries will be discussed extensively and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) should be redefined to provide a better cooperation framework between developing and industrialized countries.

GERES intends to influence the negotiations towards a framework more in favor of developing countries by pushing forward the concept of “climate solidarity,” or how to reduce climate change as well as poverty. Indeed, the interests of developing countries have been misrepresented in previous COPs: initiatives, decisions and regulations often come from industrialized nations, without taking into account the realities of developing nations.

The concept of climate solidarity pushed forward by GERES is based on two main pillars, which the NGO advocates through its every action: reduce the vulnerability of the most impoverished populations and limit greenhouse gas emissions. Since 1976, GERES has created and developed programmes that bring sustainable, energy-efficient solutions to the most vulnerable populations (bioclimatic buildings in Afghanistan, improved cookstoves dissemination in Cambodia, multifunctional energy platforms in Africa, passive solar houses in Ladakh…) Meanwhile, GERES has offered its expertise and experience to polluters both in industrialized countries and developing countries so they can measure and reduce their carbon footprint.

GERES, with over 30 years of experience in both climate change and development, is one of the organizations best-placed to support and push forward the debate on climate solidarity. Along with its technical and financial partners, the GERES team will organize three side events to share the latest work in climate solidarity; successful case studies will be showcased as best practices for a possible climate solidarity framework.

• A first event will be about “Climate Vulnerabilities and Adaptation: Himalayas, urban & rural plains in India and Nepal”. The impacts of climate change for vulnerable communities across Himalayan-Ganga basin have fundamental implications for livelihoods. This session will bring together the results of research and pilot activities on impacts and adaptation from high altitude cold deserts to urban & rural plains.

• The second side event entitled “Nexus, Carbon for Development” will introduce Nexus, a new global alliance initiated by GERES, which carries on the values of social carbon, or how to make carbon markets accessible to project developers whose main objective is poverty alleviation.

• The third side event “Social and Economic Impacts of Improved Cookstoves, Lessons Learnt”, an AFD-GERES cooperative event. It will present the publication of an extended study on the social impacts of a successful ICS project in Cambodia, and how the ICS dissemination strategy can be reproduced in other countries.

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GERES would like to thank its COP 15 sponsors:

ADEME: Agence pour l’Environnement et la Maitrise de l’Energie
www.ademe.fr
The French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) is active in the
implementation of public policy in the areas of the environment, energy and
sustainable development in France.
As part of this work the agency helps finance projects, from research to implementation, and
collaborates on specific projects with GERES to support its activities in the field.

CDC: Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations
www.caissedesdepots.fr
Caisse des Dépôts is a long-term investor devoted to public interest in France. It innovates and acts
for a low carbon economy by relying on its engineering expertise, investment capacity and R&D
resources. Its CDC Climat department plays a pioneer role in the economics of climate change,
facilitating the deployment of a secure and transparent regulation of carbon emissions.

Crédit Coopératif
www.credit-cooperatif.coop
www.febea.org/
As a partner of social economy and solidarity actors in France, the Credit Cooperatif is pioneer in solidarity finance in Europe. As early as 2001, the bank got involved in the fight against global warming. Today, it offsets its GHG emissions of statutory meetings with GERES and supports the NGO at COP15.

Press contact
Caroline PIERRET
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