The Parties, recognise “that climate change is a problem for all of humanity”.
This was the _____ pretext, under which the language of the Paris Agreement was officially decided on the 12th of December 2015; a groundbreaking, but non-binding agreement that has lain the much needed basis for decarbonisation and has served as a rallying point for countries, businesses, NGOs and individuals to push for greater climate change action in their respective disciplines and regions. The huge publicity and public reaction to this Agreement, so far ratified by 180 Parties of 195 signatories, proves the global support for its three main elements, which are as follows:
- Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels.
- Increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production;
- Making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.
Latin America occupies a special position as a site for massive investment and research, and will play an interesting role in the next 30 years, as the world’s governments attempts to fulfill the obligations set out in Paris. Argentina in particular harbours huge potential for shaping the model of sustainable development – as it claws its way back from years of corruption and the grip of the economic crisis of 2001/02, it is vitally important that consideration for environmental issues form the backbone of decisions at all levels; governmental; municipal; and most importantly, communal.
Enter Fundacion Biosfera NGO. Since 1991, we have been working tirelessly in the region of Buenos Aires from our base in the city of La Plata to secure a green, sustainable future for Argentina. Our work encompasses a wide range of activities centred on educating, informing and changing common attitudes towards climate change. Our long-term partners and followers will know that we operate at in the highest international circles, as an observing organisation in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. We consider lessons and questions from these international exchanges of ideas, and bring them to the local stage, offering courses including lombriculture, herbology, homemade beer and soap, which help fund our work to organise events such as our Encuentro conferences.
Finally, the purpose of this blog is to inform its followers of events and news in the build-up to COP 24, which will take place Katowice, Poland in December 2018, including our 5to Encuentro event between the 26-29th of this month. I hope to provide a clearer view of Fundación activities, and the international influences and ideas that form our ethos.
I hope you will join me in my research during my 4-month internship with this remarkable NGO in La Plata.
Regards,
Will Feakes