GBM Blog

In the recently convened COP 16 in Cancun, the challenges women face, given they are on the front-lines of the climate crisis, was a major highlight as well as how gender factors in handling the challenges brought about by climate change. When natural disasters strike, they hit poor communities first and worst. Since women make up an estimated 70% of those living below the poverty line, they are most likely to bear the heaviest burdens. They, who regularly do the household work, cultivate the crops, collect the water and gather the fuel, are the most affected by climate change. But it should also be understood that women are vital to building resilience in poor communities.

This week, Democracy Now highlighted a young German student, Felix Finkbeiner, founder of the youth-led organization Plant for the Planet. When he was just 9 years old, Felix was giving a presentation to his 4th grade class about climate change. Inspired by his research on Wangari Maathai, he had the idea to lead a movement to plant 1 million trees in every country around the world.

Climate negotiations can seem quite abstract sometimes. I'm here in Cancun, Mexico, where UN delegates from around the world spend hours debating details of complex regulations. Sometimes it seems that everyone has forgotten a crucial fact: the climate is changing much faster than these negotiations are moving.

The climate change negotiations COP16 in Cancun have entered their second week with the high level segment opening this evening. Last week country negotiators put forward their positions to draft text ahead of the ministers arrival this week.