June 2011: The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) has published the eighth and ninth issues of its News Update, which feature international and regional news on climate change-related issues.

The eighth issue highlights unpublished estimates from the International Energy Agency (IEA), which show that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions increased by a record amount in 2010, making the goal of limiting temperature increase to below 2°C, said to be the threshold for “dangerous climate change,” almost impossible to achieve. It also highlights remarks by UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres calling for a 1.5°C global temperature target, instead of the current 2°C target. The eighth issue also features regional news, such as the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) and CCCCC to promote synergy and cooperation in various areas, including climate change. As part of the memorandum, the Caribbean will have a joint side event sponsored by SPREP at the upcoming 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the UNFCCC in Durban, South Africa.

The ninth issue contains highlights from the recently-concluded UN Climate Change Conference, held from 6-17 June 2011, in Bonn, Germany, including the protracted discussions over agenda and over the future of the Kyoto Protocol. It also describes the Finance Portal for Climate Change, which was launched by the UNFCCC Secretariat in response to a mandate by the COP, for the collection of information on funded activities in developing countries to implement the Convention. Other news include: a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) concluding that climate change will reduce water availability for food crop production; highlights from the CARIBSAVE Community Participatory Workshop; and Guyana’s co-chairing of the Interim REDD+ Partnership with Germany. [Publication: CCCCC News Update Eighth Issue] [Publication: CCCCC News Update Ninth Issue]