COP21 UN Climate Change Conference 2015
Paris, 30 November - 11 December 2015
A new hope?
The Paris Agreement sets us on a new path - hopefully one that is not only more sustainable, but one that is fair, just and equitable. This agreement must send a clear message to investors, businesses and citizens that the fossil fuel age is over. We must ensure the transition to renewable energy is made as quickly as possible and ensure this is done in a way that doesn’t limit the development aspirations of those less fortunate than ourselves.
Find out moreThe challenge of a 2°C world
We are already experiencing a 0.8°C rise and the poorest bear the brunt. This is going to get a lot worse as we get closer to 2°C.
Practical Action recognises that tackling climate change is indivisible from tackling poverty. The people that we work with tell us how climate change is blighting their lives. Its impact on ecosystems and livelihoods will affect our work across all our programme areas.
Through our work we are addressing these impacts with communities through developing climate smart agriculture, installing renewable energy systems and building disaster resilience.
- The crucial role of Technology Justice
- Power for All coalition
- Why gender approaches matter for climate compatible development
Contact details for our staff at COP21
- Aaron Leopold, Global Energy Advocate
- Colin McQuistan, Senior Policy Advisor, disaster risk reduction and climate change
- Chris Henderson, Senior Policy Advisor, agriculture and food security
Blogs on other sites
- Two billion underserved customers are waiting for energy services
- The revolution will not be centralized
- To deliver on climate and development we need a new energy approach

UNFCCC
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC) is an international environmental treaty produced at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The Convention sets an ultimate objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations "at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human induced) interference with the climate system."
The supreme body of the convention is the Conference of Parties (COP). The COP held its first session in 1995 and since then every year the members of the UNFCCC from around the world meet to discuss science, progress and actions at the COP. This year the COP will be held in Paris from 30 November to 11 December 2015.
The Kyoto agreement expires this year, so new terms must be agreed in Paris if we are to have any chance of preventing devastating global warming. We already have a 0.8°C rise and the poorest bear the brunt. As we get closer to 2°C it will get much worse.
Date |
Event |
Venue |
Time |
Monday 30 November 2015 |
9th Focal Point Forum of the Nairobi work programme, in conjunction with SBSTA 43 meeting to focus on identifying good practices to linking national and local adaptation planning processes Practical Action representatives: Colin McQuistan & Chris Henderson |
tba |
18:00 - 20:30 |
Tuesday 1 December 2015 |
CTCN introductory meeting, for Consortium Partners and Network Members, to define CTCN common messages during the COP Practical Action representative: Colin McQuistan |
UNEP Room 9, Hall 3 |
10:30 - 11:30 |
Tuesday 1 December 2015 |
Climate resilience activities at sub-national level in South Asian countries Mr. Ranga Pallawala, Janathakshan |
Observer Room 08 |
15:00 - 16:30 |
Wednesday 2 December 2015 |
Latin American Ecosystem Based Adaptation community of practice, Wednesday 2nd December, A session outlining a peer-learning network of climate change officials for enhanced implementation, organised by UNEP Practical Action Representative: Chris Henderson |
OECD Pavilion |
13:15 - 14:45 |
Sunday 6 December 2015 |
Lighting Talks at Development & Climate Days - presentation of a practical tool for measuring resilience to flood risk Practical Action representative: Colin McQuistan |
L'Usine |
09:30 - 11:00 |
Monday 7 December 2015 |
The Effective Deployment of Mitigation Finance: Lessons from the CTF Practical Action representative: Aaron Leopold |
Africa Pavilion, Blue Zone, Hall 3, Room 2 |
10:00 - 11:30 |
Monday 7 December 2015 |
Climate Change and Development in Africa - An Entrepreneurial Approach to Innovative Solutions Practical Action representative: Aaron Leopold |
Africa Pavilion, Salle 1 |
18:00 - 19:30 |
Wednesday 9 December 2015 |
The Electricity Model Base for Africa, UNECA/KTH Institute of Technology Practical Action representative: Aaron Leopold |
|
18:00 - 19:30 |
Friday 11 December 2015 |
Climate Generations - efficiency and sustainability of climate and environmental policies in Africa: What are the scientific, political and financial barriers? Practical Action representative: Colin McQuistan |
Africa Pavilion |
11:45 - 14:15 |
Climate Change affects every area of our work including: agriculture, disaster risk reduction, energy, and urban services. In the following publications we draw on nearly 50 years of experience of working directly with poor communities around the world and we advocate strategies for tackling the manifold issues associated with climate change.
Blog listing

Ever heard of a Floating Farm?
Meet Shujit Sarkar, a 36 year old farmer from Bangladesh. Shujit is married to Shikha and they ha...
Read more

Reflections on a week at COP23 – the 23rd annual meeting of the UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change
Within a short time of arriving in Bonn early last week, one thing became very clear, it was not ...
Read more

Is the snail accelerating?
With the first week of the conference done and dusted, where are we in negotiations?
...
Read more

Pumpkins against poverty and climate change in Bangladesh
Pumpkin farming in Bangladesh helps some of the most vulnerable people to cope with floods &a...
Read more

Learning to fail
Often we celebrate success and seldom talk about failures. In a modern work-space it is difficult...
Read more