Climate Change Conference, Cancun, Mexico

COP16 is the official name of the Cancún summit, which is the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The COP is the highest body of the UNFCCC and comprises environment ministers from 192 countries who have met once a year since the 1992 Earth summit in Rio de Janeiro. You'll find the latest news and content from the UK Government negotiators  here.

The UK's position

The UK is looking for Cancun to provide progress on a range of issues important to developing and developed countries, acting as a stepping stone to a legally binding global treaty. This includes:

• anchoring existing developed and developing country mitigation commitments from the Copenhagen Accord into the formal multilateral UNFCCC proces.
• setting out how to enhance a measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) system.
  
• starting to get the delivery of long-term climate finance working by establishing the Green Fund, building on the conclusions of the Advisory Group on Climate Finance.
• agreeing on high collective ambition to reduce the destruction of the world's forests.
• helping developing countries have access to the technology they need to tackle and adapt to climate change.

Prime Minister David Cameron argues that there are huge gains to be made from a green economy: "Use the profit motive to fight climate change" - The Observer / The Guardian.

Latest news

Cancun climate negotiations - Day 11




Secretary Chris Huhne is helping to drive the discussions on issues related to the Kyoto Protocol and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Cancun climate negotiations - Day 10




Secretary Chris Huhne and Minister Greg Barker had various meetings with other Ministers both bilaterally and in groups

Speech by Secretary Chris Huhne delivered at COP16




Chris Huhne, UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary, delivered a speech at the COP16 Plenary Statement in Cancun

Cancun climate negotiations - Day 9




Minister Greg Barker has supported the Secretary of State’s engagement by meeting with a range of other Parties Ministers

Minister Greg Barker visits the Green Solutions exhibition in Cancun
The UK Minister of Energy and Climate Change met Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa and UK companies in the Green Solutions exhibition

Cancun climate negotiations - Day 8
Greg Barker, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, represented the UK at the Cancun global business day

Cancun climate negotiations - end of week 1
UK officials presented details of a number of UK funded projects to a mixed audience including members of various negotiating teams

Cancun climate negotiations - Day 4
In the negotiating chambers, the AWG-LCA discussions considered the negotiating texts on finance, technology and capacity building

Cancun climate negotiations - Day 3
Discussions have been taking place on technology and adaptation and on the central issues of anchoring countries’ emissions reductions pledges in the UNFCCC

Cancun climate negotiations - Day 2
Negotiators began discussion of the key issues of countries mitigation commitments and actions

Cancun climate negotiations - Day 1
The opening ceremony saw a number of high level speakers including Dr Pachauri, Chairman of the IPCC and Mexican Presidente Felipe Calderon

'Use the profit motive to fight climate change'
The Prime Minister argues that there are huge gains to be made from a green economy

Chris Huhne speaks on the first day of the UN Climate Change talks in Cancun
UK Climate Change and Energy Secretary Chris Huhne, speaking on the first day of the UN Climate Change talks in Cancun