Introduction

Between November 13th and 24th 2000 the United Nations will meet in Den Haag (the Hague, Netherlands) for the Sixth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Convention. (COP6). This website is designed to inform people of the corporate agenda that lies behind the talks, in the hope that it will catalyse action in the lead up to, and at the summit.

The information on this site is very much of an outline - various groups are currently working on more detailed research which will be ready nearer the time. The people behind this project are not aiming to represent all groups who are working on alternative or counter activities to the summit. Rather we are a loosely defined collective of people who hope to inspire people to organise autonomously their own resistance. To get in touch with us, email: carbonwars@squat.net

The United Nations and Climate Change.

Since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janiero, the United Nations has embarked on a program of negotiations aimed at preventing climate change. Meetings take place approximately yearly around the world, but some are more important than others.

In 1997, in Kyoto, Japan, an agreement was reached whereby Western countries (plus some in Eastern Europe) agreed to ensure a small reduction in their levels of greenhouse gases they are allowed to emit. However, many of the details of how this was to be achieved were not agreed upon at that meeting - they have been argued about for the past three years, with a deadline of COP6.

The main areas for discussion are the workings of various free-market based mechanisms which were included in the protocol signed in Kyoto. With heavy input from business, it is hardly suprising that not only will the agreement be fairly ineffective in combatting climate change, it will also promote the oppressive interests of multinational corporations around the world.

The meeting will be high profile - government ministers from around the world will fly in to finalise the details during the last few days of the meeting. There will also be actions and demonstrations from a wide range of perspectives, some of these are already being planned, as well as a range of alternative meetings and events. Look in the Taking Action section of this site for details as they are made available.