The Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, the key outcome of the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December 2011, has been dubbed by many as the platform for inaction, with the decision to find agreement by 2015 being seen as the agreement to disagree at a later date.

The Climate Change Leadership Awards (CCLA), the first awards in Africa that recognise, reward, motivate and celebrate businesses, communities, youth, schools and individuals, have attracted significant sponsorships and partnerships in 2011 from some of South Africa's leading businesses, non-governmental and not-for-profit organisations.

Why has green building not become standard practice for new buildings and refurbishments in South Africa?

And ACTION! The second annual Eco Kids Film Initiative film festival is calling for entries.

“There is another reality that we can personally discover....we are not alone," says Michael Harner.

An amazing journey? Yes. In four weeks I saw 17 cities and witnessed some of the most interesting people tell stories of their struggles with climate change.

They came to Durban in their hundreds, they saw, they talked, and talked, and talked, and talked but the question is did they really conquer? Notwithstanding the extra day and half and the much heralded agreement.

An open letter to the governments of the world meeting in Durban.

On Monday the 5th of December MediaClimate held a seminar titled “Media meets climate: A problem or a solution for social movements” at the Centre for Civil Society, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard campus.

Friday, the 2nd of December Earth Life Africa held an anti-coal seminar at the Centre for Civil Society, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard campus).

The largest ever financial vehicle for the distribution of climate justice is soon to be on the negotiating table at COP 17. International delegates at COP 17 are gearing up to discuss the Green Climate Fund, which requests of developed countries to provide developing countries with “scaled up, predictable, new and additional, and adequate funding” to deal with climate change. Its future might, however, be on shaky grounds.

As countries such as the US, Canada, Russia and Japan push to delay agreement to a legally binding framework for climate change to 2020 - a delay which will likely push our ability to reduce climate change to 2 degrees Celsius out of our hands – it is either sadly ironic or apt (I can’t decide) that COP17 commemorated Youth and Future Generations Day today. The focus of many of the commemorations was on the role that youth had to play in the future of climate change negotiations, and how climate change would affect both today’s youth and future generations.

COP17: The Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership (CPSL) is running a series of high-level briefings at their Oasis of Fresh Thinking with people who will be commenting on the negotiations as they unfold and giving a business perspective on the leadership challenges for businesses in the sustainability arena.

We recently participated in our country’s first Green Expo at the CTICC in Cape Town.

The United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17) kicked off in Durban today with one resounding message, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

Johannesburg / Nairobi – 23rd November 2011: Concerned youth from across the African continent gathered this week in Johannesburg ahead of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) that takes place in Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal from the 28th November.

Against a background of record greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, more frequent and intense extreme weather events, but also growing momentum for action to fight climate change, the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban (28 November to 9 December) kicked
off today.

The COP17 Climate Train was today welcomed in Durban with a fanfare and a range of dignitaries Including National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) executive secretary Christiana Figueres and chief of the COP17 negotiations and EThekwini Speaker Rogie Naidoo.

Ahead of the opening of the COP17/CMP7 Conference on climate change in Durban on Monday 28 November, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Christiana Figueres, performed her first ‘official’ function at the launch of the Durban CEBA (Community Ecosystem-Based Adaptation) Initiative at Durban’s Paradise Valley at the weekend.

After a beguiling journey through some of South Africa’s remote communities, the Climate Train has reached its final destination in time for the biggest conference SA has ever hosted.

Climate change is fast becoming one of the biggest threats that mankind faces, yet if you walk through the village of Vatsonhga it’s hard to believe any of the scientific predictions.

“COP17 comes and it goes and then we are still left with this climate change”.

Transport authorities are confident that there will be no unnecessary traffic delays or problems during the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP 17) in Durban from 28 November to 12 December 2011.

Changing people's perceptions on waste management is the mandate of 16 new waste facilitators presented with their inaugural certificates by the City of Cape Town's WasteWise Community Training Programme.

There is an urgent need to address the problems plaguing Africa’s power sector, but a large gap exists between infrastructure needs and the availability of resources.