I was intrigued by the size of the Japanese delegation, but they did have a Pavilion to staff. Fukushima triggered reactions around the world, but Japan needs her nuclear, as does France

They need to reduce their dependency on "various actors", but Leonardo di Caprio is not a stunt double for Arnold Schwarzenegger

http://copjapan.env.go.jp/cop23/

"Transformative Action for Our Future"

"To achieve a sustainable society, we need to aim for decarbonization with zero emissions, and build resilience to deal with climate change that can be seen in the form of extreme weather events across the world. We need to work towards transition by generating new ideas raised by various actors and implementing these ideas into actions."

"COP23 Japan Pavilion showcases Japan’s actions to the rest of the world, and contributes to accelerating momentum for transition, by organizing exhibitions and side-events introducing initiatives taken by various actors."

Germany needs nuclear too.

http://notrickszone.com/2017/11/25/spiegel-interviews-hansen-exit-from-nuclear-power-huge-mistake-for-the-world/#sthash.wAMt90qH.dpbs
"In the wake of the Fukushima disaster in Japan earlier this decade, Germany, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, moved at lightning speed to shut down 8 of its 17 nuclear power plants nationwide. The remaining will be taken offline within a few years. Nuclear power has had a long tradition of being villified by Germany’s vociferous environmental movement and media.

But there’s one environmental activist who thinks the move was totally wrong: James Hansen."

tomo, ok, start here!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra_Kelly

She was keen on "Swords to ploughshares", but Germany has become the dirty man of Europe, because others have cleaned up, and Germany hasn't.

Nobody has been charged with killing her.

Indonesia includes Bali.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42126284

Airlines have been issued a "red warning" about the danger of volcanic ash in the skies close to Bali after Mount Agung emitted a thick plume of smoke reaching 4,000m (13,100 feet).

It is the second major emission from the Indonesian island volcano this week, and flights have been disrupted.

Bali is a major tourist destination, although the main resorts of Kuta and Seminyak are about 70km (43 miles) from the volcano.

The island's main airport is for now operating normally, but some airlines have cancelled flights. Volcanic ash can damage plane engines.

Travellers to and from the region are being urged to contact their airline or travel agent to find out the status of their flight.

Indonesia is very prone to natural disasters, before man made ones are dictated

"Fossil fuel energy consumption (% of total) in Indonesia was reported at  % in 2014, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Fossil fuel comprises coal, oil, petroleum, and natural gas products."
Fossil fuel energy consumption (% of total) in Indonesia
https://tradingeconomics.com › indonesia

Kyrgyzstan - 5
Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) - 13
Latvia - 5
Lebanon - 3
Lesotho - 16
Liberia - 20
Libya - 3
Liechtenstein - 5
Lithuania - 12
Luxembourg - 26

It is difficult to know what Luxembourg could hope to achieve by sending so many partygoers to Bonn, as Juncker had not bothered to do anything, as he had more important things to interfere with.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_Luxembourg
"Electricity sector in Luxembourg describes electricity issues in Luxembourg. Luxembourg is a member of OECD and European Union. Luxembourg imports most of its energy. Luxembourg is the EU country with the second smallest forecast of renewables in 2020. Luxembourg has one of the highest emissions of carbon dioxide per person in Europe."

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/01/jean-claude-juncker-blocked-eu-curbs-on-tax-avoidance-cables-show

"The president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, spent years in his previous role as Luxembourg’s prime minister secretly blocking EU efforts to tackle tax avoidance by multinational corporations, leaked documents reveal.

Years’ worth of confidential German diplomatic cables provide a candid account of Luxembourg’s obstructive manoeuvres inside one of Brussels’ most secretive committees.

The code of conduct group on business taxation was set up almost 19 years ago to prevent member states from being played off against one another by increasingly powerful multinational businesses, eager to shift profits across borders and avoid tax.

Little has been known until now about the workings of the committee, which has been meeting since 1998, after member states agreed a code of conduct on tax policies and pledged not to engage in “harmful competition” with one another.

However, the leaked cables reveal how a small handful of countries have used their seats on the committee to frustrate concerted EU action and protect their own tax regimes.

Efforts by a majority of member states to curb aggressive tax planning and to rein in predatory tax policies were regularly delayed, diluted or derailed by the actions of a few of the EU’s smallest members, frequently led by Luxembourg.

Analysis Luxembourg tax files: how tiny state rubber-stamped tax avoidance on an industrial scale

Leaked documents show that one of the EU’s smallest states helped multinationals save millions in tax, to the detriment of its neighbours and allies

The leaked papers, shared with the Guardian and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists by the German radio group NDR, are highly embarrassing for Juncker, who served as Luxembourg’s prime minister from 1995 until the end of 2013. During that period he also acted as finance and treasury minister, taking a close interest in tax policy."

Madagascar - 55 (including that all-important chauffeuer).
Malawi - 21
Malaysia - 29
Maldives - 26
Mali - 94 (yes, really).
Malta - 10
Marshall Islands - 38 (many of whom seem to be from 350.org, behind whom Bill McKibben is a leading light).
Mauritania - 56
Mauritius - 3 (well done, Mauritius!).
Mexico - 62
Micronesia (Federated States of) - 25
Monaco - 8
Mongolia - 12
Montenegro - 12
Morocco - 199 (yes, really - but sadly, probably inevitable given the location of COP22).
Mozambique - 20
Myanmar - 13

Namibia - 23
Nauru - 13
Nepal - 24 (including a representative of WWF-Nepal).
Netherlands - 30
New Zealand - 24
Nicaragua - 4 (well done, Nicaragua).
Niger - 68
Nigeria - 46
Niue - 5 (doesn't seem a lot, but with an estimated population of 1,600 in 2016, according to Wikipedia, something around 0.3% of their population was in attendance!).
Norway - 33
Oman - 10

Pakistan - 31
Palau - 27 (not SO many, perhaps, but with a population of maybe 21,000 - 22,000, it does represent more than 0.1% of the population).
Panama - 11
Papua New Guinea - 23 (including the "Spouse of the Honorable Environment and Climate Change Minister ").
Paraguay - 21
Peru - 51
Philippines - 78
Poland - 81 (an awful lot of whom, for some reason, were from the "Office of City of Katowice").
Portugal - 32 (including the almost-obligatory driver).
Qatar - 37
Republic of Korea (South Korea) - 81 (which seems like rather a lot, but with the Green Climate Fund based there, perhaps it's not so surprising).
Republic of Moldova - 3
Romania - 16
Russian Federation - 65 (more than I expected, but with a few there from the likes of Gazprom and Siberian Coal Energy Company, perhaps they have a different agenda).
Rwanda - 13

Saint Kitts and Nevis - 4
Saint Lucia - 25
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - 8
Samoa - 13
Sao Tome and Principe - 13
Saudi Arabia - 41
Senegal - 136 (yes, really).
Serbia - 14
Seychelles - 56 (yes, really).
Sierra Leone - 24
Singapore - 31
Slovakia - 24
Solomon Islands - 32
Somalia - 3
South Africa - 66
South Sudan - 18
Spain - 29
Sri Lanka - 7
State of Palestine - 6
Sudan - 67
Suriname - 15
Swaziland - 16
Sweden - 50
Switzerland - 21
Syrian Arab Republic - 2 (well, they do have other things to worry about).

Thailand - 64
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - 2
Timor-Leste - 16
Togo - 57
Tonga - 18
Tunisia - 44 (many described simply as "expert").
Turkey - 80
Turkmenistan - 1
Tuvalu - 36 (with a population of just over 11,000, this represents more than 0.3% of their population).
Uganda - 92 (yes, really).
Ukraine - 14
United Arab Emirates - 73 (including, rather strangely, the Commander in Chief of Dubai Police and several of his colleagues).
UK - 50 (including quite a few from the Scottish & Welsh Governments, including Nicola Sturgeon).
United Republic of Tanzania - 24
USA - 46 (so much for the USA disengaging).
Uruguay - 10
Uzbekistan - 2

USA - 46 (so much for the USA disengaging).

Were they representing the Government of the USA to discuss coal or carbon dioxide?

Vanuatu - 32
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) - 5
Vietnam - 41 (some of whom were from the Ministry of Construction, and one of whom was from Viet Nam Oil and Gas Group PetroVietnam).
Yemen - 25 (one might have thought they had other things to worry about).
Zambia - 23
Zimbabwe - 56 (yes, really - one might have thought they had better things to do, too).
Observer State - Holy See - 6.

What's the difference between a participant from an ordinary and an Observer State? Surely not all participants will be speaking? Perhaps the former get better or more canapes.

Supertroll, I didn't know, but I've had a quick look at Wikipedia, which says this:

"The Holy See is not a member of the United Nations (not having applied for membership) but was granted permanent observer state (i.e., non-member state) status on 6 April 1964. In that capacity, it has the right to attend all sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Security Council, and the United Nations Economic and Social Council to observe their work. Accordingly, the Holy See has established permanent observer missions in New York and in Geneva and has been able to influence the decisions and recommendations of the United Nations."

The next section of the list of COP23 attendees is under the heading "United Nations Secretariat units and bodies" and this is where we can see just how far the tentacles of the UN reach, and how many people are employed on this gravy train:

United Nations Secretariat - 24
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals - 26
Department of Economic and Social Affairs - 9
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific - 4
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia - 3
Economic Commission for Africa - 5
Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services - 9
Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - 3
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - 9
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees - 3
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity - 3
Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification - 76 (yes, really, including that all important driver).
UN Global Compact - 9
UNEP/AEWA Secretariat - 7
UNEP/EUROBATS - 1
United Nations Capital Development Fund - 3
United Nations Children's Fund - 15
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development - 9
United Nations Department of Public Information - 9
United Nations Development Programme - 35
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe - 4
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean - 2
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women - 4
United Nations Environment Programme - 40
United Nations Human Settlements Programme - 26
United Nations Institute for Training and Research - 8
United Nations Joint Inspection Unit - 1
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - 8
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs - 3
United Nations Office for Project Services - 16
United Nations Regional Information Centre - 3
United Nations System Staff College - 17
United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security - 21
United Nations Volunteers - 39
World Food Programme - 12

Looking at the job titles, I realise I have a limited understanding of what jobs can involve - I can't conceive of what it is most of these people do at work all day. I can't help feeling that there also seems to be a huge amount of overlap, if not outright duplication.

Next on the list of attendees are "Specialized agencies and related organizations", who are as follows:

Comprehensive NuclearTest-Ban Treaty Organization - 1
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - 21
Global Environment Facility - 15
Green Climate Fund - 23
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission - 12
International Atomic Energy Agency - 11
International Civil Aviation Organization - 2
International Fund for Agricultural Development - 13
International Labour Organization - 11
International Maritime Organization - 6
International Monetary Fund - 4
International Organization for Migration - 5
International Telecommunication Union - 6
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - 31
United Nations Industrial Development Organization - 28
WMO/UNEP Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - 30
World Bank - 85 (one of whom was a BBC broadcaster).
World Health Organization - 41
World Intellectual Property Organization - 2
World Meteorological Organization - 38
World Trade Organization - 1

Repeat comments as on previous post.

There's still more. Next on the list of attendees are "Intergovernmental organizations." But they can wait until tomorrow.

Under "Intergovernmental organizations" we have the following:

Adaptation Fund Board - 9
African Centre of Meteorological Application for Development - 13
African Development Bank Group - 18
African Union Commission - 17
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States - 7
Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization - 3
Asian Development Bank - 8
Black Sea Trade and Development Bank - 2
CAB International - 2
Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre - 6
Caribbean Community Secretariat - 2
Caribbean Development Bank - 2
Center for International Forestry Research - 12
Centro del Agua del Trópico Húmedo para América Latina y el Caribe - 3
CGIAR System Organization - 19
Comité permanent interétats de lutte contre la sécheresse au Sahel - 5
Commonwealth Secretariat - 11
Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat - 3
Cooperation Council for The Arab States of the Gulf - 2
Corporación Andina de Fomento - 6
Council of Europe - 2 (one of whom was none other than Lord John Prescott).
East African Community - 5
Economic Community of Central Africa States - 2
Economic Community of West African States - 2
ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency - 3
Energy Charter Conference - 2
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development -19
European Forest Institute - 6
European Investment Bank - 23
European Patent Office - 3 (clearly climate change is critical to the issue of intellectual property rights...).
European Space Agency - 18
European University Institute - 1
Global Green Growth Institute - 11
IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre - 3
Institut International du Froid (strange name in connection with global warming) - 3
Inter-American Development Bank - 5
Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research - 5
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development - 6
International Centre for Research in Agroforestry - 16
International Energy Agency - 30
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 19
International Network for Bamboo and Rattan - 7
International Potato Center - 2 (presumably potatoes aren't as important or as endangered as rattan).
International Renewable Energy Agency - 36
International Transport Forum, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - 2
International Tropical Timber Organization - 3
International Union for Conservation of Nature - 26
International Water Management Institute - 2
Islamic Development Bank - 11
ITER International Fusion Energy Organization - 4
League of Arab States - 3
Nordic Council - 7
Nordic Council of Ministers (when the Nordic Council just isn't enough!) - 36
Nordic Development Fund - 1
Nordic Environment Finance Corporation - 10
Nordic Investment Bank - 2
Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel 13 (one of whom has the title of "storyteller" - interesting!).
OPEC Fund for International Development - 2
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - 31
Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie - 19
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries - 2
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries - 3
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat - 2
Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean - 1
Permanent Court of Arbitration - 3
Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention - 3
Secrétariat général de l'union du Maghreb Arabe - 2
Secretariat of the Pacific Community (why is this needed beyond a Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat?) - 4
Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean -6
South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme - 2
South Centre - 3
Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation EU-ACP - 5
The Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden - 3
Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine - 5
University for Peace - 2

A common theme among the names of many of these organisations and the job titles of people working for them is that they contain words like bank, fund, investment, development etc. Follow the money!

The organisations listed as "Non-governmental organizations" attending COP23 are listed in alphabetical order, so the first one is A SEED Europe, which sent 3 people to Bonn.

This one is rather interesting, as it is critical of the EU and the lobbying process in Brussels, so much so that it has produced a brochure, downloadable on its website:

https://corporateeurope.org/sites/default/files/lp_brussels_report_v7-spreads-lo.pdf

Its title is "The Corporate Europe Observatory guide to the murky world of EU lobbying".

It contains stuff like this:

"Welcome to our Lobby Planet guide, which takes you on a tour of Brussels’ EU quarter to explain the many – and often shady – methods of corporate lobbying. From Volkswagen’s Dieselgate affair to Monsanto’s glyphosate controversy, it usually takes scandals to bring to light how big business lobbies try to shape EU policies in their interests, evade regulation, and control the terms of the debate.
But while they cultivate cosy relationships with public officials, the public remains in the dark about what happens at the cocktail parties and hotel dinners, off-the-record meetings and private briefings between lobbyists and EU decision makers.
However it is us, the more than 510 million people across the EU, who have to live with the results of that lobbying: whether it means being forced to breathe highly polluted air caused by dirty vehicle emissions, or to see children play in parks covered with the potentially carcinogenic pesticide glyphosate.
It is high time to lift the lid on the hidden world of corporate lobbyists in Brussels. Come along and join us on this tour!
More than 25,000 lobbyists are estimated to be working in Brussels. This Lobby Planet guide introduces you to the often outrageously opaque world of corporate lobbying, street by street. We trace the invisible lines of political power that criss cross the city to give you an idea of how lobbyists work, introduce you to the big players, show where they meet, and what issues they focus on."

I'm not sure if they see the irony, given the lobbying that takes place in the EU by "green" organisations, when they say things like this (but if they do, then fair play to them for exposing it, since the tactics mentioned below fit the green lobbyists/climate change playbook like a glove):

"Repeat your message via as many channels as possible to build credibility and create the illusion of a general consensus on the issue.
Lobby directly: Make sure to present your policy input, ideas and wishes to Members of the European Parliament as well as EU staff and officials in meetings, consultations and correspondence. In-house lobbying aside, also join forces and resources in industry lobby associations and pay huge sums to specialised lobby consultancies and law firms which also
represent your interests and thereby boost your influencing prowess.
Get legitimacy via a think tank: Channel your message through a well-established think tank to give it legitimacy. Many of the numerous Brussels think tanks depend on corporate funding and offer business sponsors a range of services in return. Some will even give you a prominent role in panel discussions on issues of your choice, others publish customised reports in return for cash. Exploit those ideological biases of the Brussels bubble!
Hide your profit motives: Want to disguise your lobbying activities? Worried that policy makers might spot your profit motives if you put forward your own arguments? Then set up a front group to argue your case for you – or even better, persuade an NGO to campaign on your behalf.
Co-opt science for your cause: Do everything to protect your products against legal restrictions or bans. You can initiate and monitor public-private research projects to generate favourable study data, fund scientists to echo your messages as third party voices and hire product defence companies to cast doubt on unfavourable, independent study findings."

There's much more like this in the tactics section. And there's this:

"Case study: By 2017, more than one out of every three ex-Commissioners who left the European Commission in 2014 had gone through the revolving door into private sector jobs, which in many cases involved lobbying. The biggest revolving door scandal to date broke when former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso joined investment bank Goldman Sachs, which had been at the heart of the 2008 financial crisis and still lobbies against stricter regulation of the financial industry. If Goldman Sachs can do it, you can do it!"

They're unimpressed by EU-land in Brussels too:

"THE EU QUARTER, AN URBAN-PLANNING CATASTROPHE
In the city that gave the world the term Brusselization, locals have witnessed some of the 20th century’s most haphazard and destructive urban development. Whole communities in different parts of Brussels were decimated in the 1960s and 1970s as city authorities, in collaboration with developers, made way for five-lane motorways, high-rise office blocks and large-scale development projects.
Across the Quartier Leopold, a formerly prestigious mid-19th century residential area for well-heeled Bruxellois, corporate lobby offices, institutional buildings and office spaces have replaced many of the old town houses, overshadowing what is left of the original neighbourhood.
With no long-term planning, the EU institutions and the Belgian state facilitated this decline of the area into a mostly soulless administrative district, which has brought with it all the resulting mobility, housing and environmental problems the area suffers from today. Within the roughly four square kilometres between the Avenue des Arts and Parc du Cinquantenaire, change, destruction, and reconstruction is constant.
The speculative construction boom that brought the first big office buildings in the 1960s drove out many locals as thousands of officials, national diplomats, politicians, and lobbyists set up shop in the millions of square metres of office space that once were homes. After the working day ends, the majority of these streets are deserted and the area turns into a ghost town."

I'm surprised they got tickets to Bonn! I bet they weren't sitting anywhere near the numerous EU contingents.

Mark Hodgson, thank you for your continued work. It is appreciated.

Did any of the Economists present consider the possibility of a Cost/Benefit Analysis of travelling to Bonn to confirm there was no money to distribute?

golf charlie - thank you, much appreciated. I'm always curious to see just who goes to these jamborees, and to try to work out why.

tomo - sorry if I've hijacked your thread. I hope you don't me continuing to ferret away at the list of people attending COP23.

By the way, ASEED intrigues me. They seem to be based in the Netherlands, and to enjoy the equivalent of charitable status over there, so that subject to certain conditions, donations to them are tax-deductible. As a bit of a lefty I actually have sympathy with some (but not all) of their campaigning objectives. ASEED stands for "Action for Solidarity Environment Equality and Diversity". Their mission statement can be found here:

http://aseed.net/en/aseeds-mission-statement/

Next on the list is Abibimman Foundation, whose website can be found here:

http://www.abibimmanfoundation.org/

They are part of Climate Action Network International, and this apparently sums them up:

"The Foundation focus its efforts mainly on women, children and young people by promoting the needed awareness, and help address their development challenges while utilizing them as positive agents in the promotion of sustainable livelihoods, peace and development through facilitated collaboration among various partners in their communities. Abibimman Foundation a Non-Profit Oriented, Non-Partisan, Non-Governmental Organisation (RGD G5,895, DSW 2525), established in 2000 and dedicated to the promotion of sustainable Livelihoods, ameliorate conflict situations and a culture of peace, Climate Change, environmental ,Land Degradation, Agriculture, Biodiversity, democracy and development based on knowledge of cultural, civic, human right, environmental and health issues."

They are based in Africa, and their website contains rather short and simplistic articles with headings like:

"An Ultimate Guide To Using Wood Pellets As Horse Bedding – Get The Most Out Of It!"

"Why Are Environmental Education Activities Important?"

"Asbestos Exposure Causes Dangerous Diseases In People" and

"Claim For Compensation, When Met With Any Health Problem Due To Working Environment"

They sent 9 people to COP23 at Bonn. It strikes me that there is a network of connections that allows people to use organisations like this to get a ticket to the COP shows, even though their connection to the organisation seems to me to be non-existent (though obviously I may be wrong). For example, among the people attending under their umbrella was one James Hansen, who needs no introduction to readers of this site. The COP23 website shows that he was giving talks there under their name. e.g. "Abibimman Foundation: James Hansen - Making the Carbon Majors Pay for Climate Action" and "Abibimman Foundation: James Hansen - Young People's Burden: Averting Climate Disaster".

Others attending under their name were Mr. Stanislav Shmelev, Director, Environment Europe. He has his own Wikipedia entry, which tells us this:

"Dr Stanislav Edward Shmelev is an ecological economist affiliated with the International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE), currently holding a position of a Director of an NGO Environment Europe, Oxford, UK and lecturing at Edinburgh University. His books include 'Ecological Economics: Sustainability in Practice' (Springer), 'Sustainability Analysis: An Interdisciplinary Approach' (Palgrave) and 'Green Economy Reader. Lectures in Ecological Economics and Sustainability' (Springer)."

Also, one Michael Shellenberger. I assume (I may be wrong) that he is the Michael Shellenberger who has also has his own Wikipedia page, which tells us this:

"Michael Shellenberger is a candidate for Governor of California, an American author, environmental policy expert, cofounder of Breakthrough Institute and founder of Environmental Progress. He was named a Time magazine Heroes of the Environment (2008), winner of the 2008 Green Book Award, co-editor of Love Your Monsters (2011) and co-author of Break Through (Houghton Mifflin 2007) and The Death of Environmentalism (2004). He and his co-author Ted Nordhaus have been described as "ecological modernists" and "eco-pragmatists." In 2015, Shellenberger joined with 18 other self-described ecomodernists to coauthor An Ecomodernist Manifesto. On November 30, 2017, he announced he would run for Governor of California during a New York Times conference."

Another appears to be James Hansen's granddaughter, Sophie Kivlehan. "BONN (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The 18-year-old granddaughter of a veteran climate scientist is so angry at the environmental legacy that adults are leaving her generation that she is taking the U.S. government to court.

Sophie Kivlehan, with a group of 20 other people aged 10 to 21 years, alleges the government, through its actions that drive climate change, has violated their constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property.

“I am afraid and I am angry at the problems that greedy and foolish adults have created,” said Kivlehan, speaking on the sidelines of U.N. climate talks.":

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bonn-climatechange-lawsuit/im-afraid-and-angry-says-18-year-old-leading-climate-legal-fight-idUSKBN1D71MC

Another is Daniel Galpern. I could be mistaken, but I suspect this is him:

"Dan Galpern is a pro tem instructor at the UO Law, teaching Hazardous Waste and Toxic Substances Law. He also runs a solo practice in a South Eugene office right above an Indian Food restaurant. His practice focuses on environmental law -- especially climate change matters. Currently, Dan is co-counsel in the Clean Water Act citizen suit Deschutes River Alliance v. Portland General Electric and on the legal team in the constitutional climate case Juliana et al. v. Trump et al.

Dan has represented the scientist James Hansen in climate-related cases throughout the United States and internationally. He is also the co-author of a 2015 article in the Journal Environmental Law titled Atmospheric Recovery Litigation: Making The Fossil Fuel Industry Pay To Restore A Viable Climate System (with Professor Mary Wood) and the author of a 2008 article in the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation titled Climate Change 101: Urgency and Response.

Dan has appeared in cases before the Oregon Supreme Court, the Nevada Supreme Court, and the Federal District Court of Oregon, among others. In addition to his environmental law practice, Dan practices general law -- and he has represented over 150 persons with disabilities in hearings before the Social Security Administration.":

https://law.uoregon.edu/explore/Dan-Galpern

Virginia Rollando and Hugh Hunt both seem to be at the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge.

Kenneth Nana Amoateng and Faustina Araba Boakye seem to be the only two of the 9 who actually work for the Abibimann Foundation or are from Ghana, where it is based.

Can anyone help me out by explaining how an organisation can be piggy-backed in this way to send 7 people to COP23 who, at first blush at least, appear to have nothing obvious to do with that organisation?

Next up is Academy for Mountain Environics. They only sent one person. They seem to be part of the Environics Trust:

http://environicsindia.in/

"Environics Trust is a not for profit research and community development organisation and an enabling institution. Environics conducts participatory research on issues of environmental and human behavior and uses these outcomes for innovative community development programmes. Environics provides research and evaluatory services to International, National, State and Local Institutions and directly works with marginalised communities such as those in the mountain regions, tribals and communities adversely affected by mining and industrialisation." And:

"Years of work in the mountain areas through our Academy for Mountain Environics and demand for action elsewhere has enabled us to evolve into the Environics Trust with the following objectives:

To conduct research and development on environmental issues and human behavioural aspects;
To implement programmes for community development;
To promote art and culture, innovate and implement technical and institutional designs for an integrated development of the society;
To assist, guide local governments, state and central government and international agencies in their development efforts;
To provide assistance to communities to redress injustices and uphold their rights;
To diffuse useful, educational, literacy, social, academic, professional and other knowledge;
To apply results from scientific research for protecting local and global environment;
To promote Environics as a discipline converging various subjects related to environmental sciences and human behaviour.
Environics Trust continues its activities in the Himalayan mountains and now reaches out to other communities such as Mining affected communities, marginalized communities, disaster affected communities such as coastal communities and the displaced communities."

Not a lot more to say really.