This December the United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP15 will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark. Those organising the conference claim it aims to be a step towards the building of a ‘new global climate treaty’ in an attempt to tackle climate change.
But many feel that this meeting is a sham, created to prop up existing systems that promote, not hinder climate change. Propaganda to back this up is already pouring out of the COP15 website which in a recently published article dubbed Britain, France, Germany, Greece and Sweden as ‘climate heroes’.
Many groups and individuals have spent the last year and a half organising against COP15. This will culminate in several days of protest during the conference. The protests, organised by a wide network under a loose banner of ‘Climate Justice Action’ focus on many climate related issues including production, anti-corporate action and industrial agriculture.
Copenhagen has seen several mass protests in recent years, notably in 2008 after authorities evicted the Ungdomshuset squatted social centre. Read more at http://www.lasthours.org.uk/news/riots-in-copenhagen/
Who’s who?
What is COP15?
COP15 is the name given to the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place between the 7th and 18th of December in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark. Officials from almost 200 countries are expected to attend as well as representatives from other organisations and NGOs. The aim is to establish a ‘global climate agreement for the period from 2012′. The conference is sponsored by corporations such as BMW, Honda and Volvo.
Who are Climate Justice Action?
Climate Justice Action (CJA) is a broad network people and groups mobilizing to take action against Climate Change. The group includes NGOs and charitable organisations as well as more grassroots groups. All are operating under a united set of network goals and principles. For more information on CJA or to read the network principles visit http://www.climate-justice-action.org/about/about-cja/
Never Trust A COP
More explicitly anti-capitalist organising is also taking place. A network titled Never Trust A COP was formed in April 2009. The network includes people from the radical left, anarchists and ‘groups based on consensus decision making’. The network have called for an anti-capitalist block on December 12th’s mass demonstration as well as participation in the action on December 13th (see below). A longer text from NTAC which outlines the need for anti-capitalist action can be read here.
What’s happening?
[ edited – see Last Hours link below for more details of events happening throughout, BUT please note that the fullest and most correct dates/links during the climate negotiations are at http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/22201 ]
Both Climate Justice Action and Never Trust A COP offer logistical information from their websites. The UK based group Camp for Climate Action have organised coaches to Copenhagen for the protests. You can find more information on this at http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/actions/copenhagen-2009/coaches
Read at http://www.lasthours.org.uk/articles/preparing-for-a-warm-winter-in-copenhagen-a-guide-to-the-cop15-protests/ for links and pictures.