American Meteorological Society, not surprisingly, is rather climate change obsessed. A quick search of its website using the word "climate" produces 5,380,000 results. Big deal, given their interest in meteorology, but most of them appear to be about climate change, and to support the "consensus".

They have run a series of reports "Explaining Extreme Events of 2011 from a Climate Perspective" every year to 2016. I look forward to next year's and the one of the year after explaining the cold in North America last month and this. They might have some difficulty given this (chapter 24 of their 2016 offering):

" ANTHROPOGENIC INFLUENCE ON THE EASTERN CHINA 2016 SUPER COLD SURGE

Introduction. A super cold surge during the winter of December 2015 to February 2016 was widely reported by Chinese media. This cold surge originated from the Siberian High and swept across the country on 21–25 January 2016, bringing very strong winds and a large and sudden fall in temperature. During the cold surge, air temperatures dropped more than 12°C over 18% of the country and by 6°C over more than 80% of the country. More than 95% of the country experienced frigid winter weather with minimum temperatures below 0°C (Jiang et al. 2016). Record-breaking minimum
temperatures were reported at many observing stations, with temperature at −46.8°C observed in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The lives of more than one billion people were affected by this cold surge. Snowfall occurred in Guangzhou, the capital city in one of the southernmost provinces in China— the first ever snow event since the meteorological observing station was established. Extreme weather brought by the cold surge, such as heavy snowfall,
freezing rain, and frost, caused significant impacts on transportation and electricity transmission systems, and on agriculture and human health (CMA 2017).
One would naturally expect a reduction in cold extremes as a result of global warming. Nevertheless, some studies have suggested that Arctic amplification of warming and Arctic sea ice loss may have contributed to the so-called “warm Arctic–cold Eurasia” pattern over the past few decades (e.g., Cohen et al. 2014; Mori et al. 2014). It has therefore been speculated that continued Arctic sea ice loss would cause more cold extremes in the continental midlatitudes.
This does not seem to be the case in the United States where very cold winters have become less likely due to global warming (Wolter et al. 2015; Trenary et al. 2016).
In China, a few recent studies have shown that the decrease in the intensity and frequency of cold extremes can be attributed to human influence (Yin et al. 2016; Lu et al. 2016) although the attribution of cold surge events has not yet been resolved. Here we examine a related question with regard to long-term change in extreme cold surges, such as the 2015 winter cold surge in eastern China, and possible causes of the change."

Make a careful note of that for future use: " It has therefore been speculated that continued Arctic sea ice loss would cause more cold extremes in the continental midlatitudes. This does not seem to be the case in the United States
where very cold winters have become less likely due to global warming (Wolter et al. 2015; Trenary et al. 2016)."

This is the link if you want to read it for yourself:

http://www.ametsoc.net/eee/2016/ch24.pdf

Anyway, the delegates are:

Ms. Emma Kuster, Program Coordinator, South Central Climate Science Center, University of Oklahoma:

"Program Coordinator
University of Oklahoma
Responsibilities at SC CSC:
Emma's duties include coordination of grant submissions to USGS and other agencies, connecting researchers and stakeholders across the region, organizing research workshops and committee meetings, and conducting the day-to-day activities of the South Central CSC.
Biography:
Prior to joining the South Central CSC, Emma served as Program Coordinator for the Oklahoma National Science Foundation EPSCoR Program. In this role, she worked with about 35 faculty investigators and their students, engaged in outreach activities to highlight the project's success in adapting socio-ecological systems to increased climate variability, and organized research events. She earned a Master's degree in Geography and a Bachelor's degree in Meteorology, both from the University of Oklahoma.
Publications:
Kuster, E.L. & Fox, G.A, 2017: Current state of climate education in natural and social sciences in the USA. Climatic Change, 1-14, doi:10.1007/s10584-017-1918-z. "

Mr. Jakob Lindaas, Graduate Assistant, Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University:

"As a research assistant in the Wofsy-Munger Group, I work on better understanding the Earth's carbon cycle and the role it plays in the global climate system in order to predict future climate change and inform policy decisions responding to this change. Currently, I am working on constraining the carbon budget of Alaska using measurements made by the NASA CARVE mission.

Previously I have supported the NASA ATTREX mission in Guam, assisted in running the Boston Urban Greenhouse-Gas Network, and helped with the engineering of a portable total column spectrometer being developed by my lab. Prior to becoming a research assistant in the Wofsy-Munger Group, I attended Harvard College, graduating in 2013 with a degree in Environmental Sciences and Public Policy. While in college I studied the decomposition of fine woody debris and its contribution to the carbon budget of Harvard Forest as a REU student, and completed an analysis of the long-term trends and interannual variation in the Harvard Forest net ecosystem exchange as a senior thesis project."

He also says "I enjoy anything involving mountains..." so despite it all, I think that he and I could get on famously over a beer!

American Nuclear Society sent 3 delegates to COP23. From its website:

"The American Nuclear Society (ANS) is a not-for-profit, international, scientific and educational organization. It was established by a group of individuals who recognized the need to unify the professional activities within the various fields of nuclear science and technology. December 11, 1954, marks the Society's historic beginning at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. ANS has since developed a diverse membership composed of approximately 11,000 engineers, scientists, administrators, and educators representing 1,600 plus corporations, educational institutions, and government agencies. It is governed by four officers and a board of directors elected by the membership.

Vision: ANS will be the recognized, credible advocate for advancing and promoting nuclear science and technology.

Mission: ANS provides its members with opportunities for professional development. It also serves the nuclear community by creating a forum for sharing information and advancements in technology, and by engaging the public and policymakers through communication outreach. Mission components can be found in the ANS strategic plan.

Purpose: The core purpose of ANS is to promote the awareness and understanding with regard to the application of nuclear science and technology."

While much of its work is undoubtedly professional and educational, the words "engaging the public and policymakers through communication outreach" suggest something more. If you search its website using the magic words "climate change", all sorts of stuff comes up. E.g. they produced a paper on "UN Climate Change Conference (COP21)
Paris 2015" which includes this:

"The American Nuclear Society (ANS) recognizes that the earth’s climate has changed. Human activities, notably the production of greenhouse gases, have contributed to this phenomenon. The risks presented by rising temperatures across the globe are sufficiently large to justify enactment of policies at the national and international levels.
ANS supports global policies designed to address carbon emission reductions that are performance-based and technology neutral. Carbon-reduction policies should not explicitly privilege any one energy source over another. Instead, such policies should evaluate energy sources based upon their ability to reliably contribute to meeting carbon reduction goals.
Nuclear energy has a crucial role to play in addressing the global need for reduced emissions from energy generation. The increased use of nuclear energy in offsetting the use of fossil fuels where appropriate offers an effective means of reducing global carbon emissions.
ANS recognizes the value of energy diversity and believes that other low-carbon energy technologies (such as wind, solar, and hydro) should be deployed as appropriate, while recognizing the benefits and drawbacks associated with each technology. However, with the exception of hydro, renewable sources are limited by their intermittency, requirement of backup power generation and storage capabilities. It is essential that policymakers recognize that nuclear energy delivers large amounts of reliable, economically competitive electricity with no carbon emissions during reactor operations, and has among the lowest lifecycle carbon emissions of any energy source.
The ongoing global climate talks taking place during COP21 are aimed at reducing carbon emissions from all sources. Significantly reducing carbon emissions while meeting the world’s growing energy demands must include nuclear as a major provider of zero carbon energy."

I can't help feeling that its attendance at COP23 (and other COPs) is simply aimed at pushing nuclear energy, and what better way to do that than to say its an essential part of the formula for saving the planet from all that terrible AGW? Follow the money?

Delegates:

Ms. Kristine Madden:

"INTERNATIONAL YOUTH NUCLEAR CONGRESS
Climate Change Lead, since 2016
Member At-Large (Board Member), since 2012
Plenary Sessions Chair, 2014
Keynote Sessions Chair, 2012
Treasurer, 2010 - 2013

AMERICAN NUCLEAR SOCIETY
Executive Appointment, Rules and Bylaws Committee, since 2016
Exceutive Appointment, Public Policy Committee, since 2015
Speakers Bureau, since 2015
Organize and participate in public outreach activities
Vice Chair, Michigan American Nuclear Society, 2010 - 2011
Chair, Southwest Michigan American Nuclear Society, 2010 - 2011

NORTH AMERICAN YOUNG GENERATION IN NUCLEAR

Executive Board, Holtec Chaprter, 2014
Fukushima Responses Academia and Student Coordinator, 2011
National Student Education Lead, 2010 - 2011"

Ms. Lenka Kollar, Member, International Youth Nuclear Congress :

"Lenka Kollar (@lenkakollar) is the owner and editor of Nuclear Undone. She is a nuclear engineer educated at Purdue University in the United States. Formerly a researcher at Argonne National Laboratory and the National Nuclear Security Administration, Lenka now spends her career educating people about nuclear issues."

Mr. Taylor Stevenson, Generation Atomic (co-founder and managing director):

"Generation Atomic is a grassroots nonprofit defending our largest source of clean power: Atomic Energy". This is worth a look:

http://www.generationatomic.org/actions/sign-the-open-letter-to-erik-solheim-at-unep

It includes this:

"For those who regard climate change as a serious threat, the discrimination against nuclear technology must end."

Not all sweetness and light in saving the planet, then?

American Sustainable Business Council sent 5 delegates to COP23. This is their website:

http://asbcouncil.org/

"Who We Are and What We Do:

Established in 2009, the American Sustainable Business Council is a network of businesses and business associations that have committed themselves to the triple bottom line of People, Planet, and Profit. ASBC members believe that sustainable business is good business, and a sustainable economy is a prosperous and resilient one. The Council works for policy change to support this vision:

We advocate for legislation and other policy actions.
We facilitate testimony by leaders of sustainable businesses before Congress and other policy bodies.
We provide a platform that enables policy makers and policy experts to engage with business executives, owners, investors, entrepreneurs, and other business professionals.
We help our members and others engage with the media on matters relating to sustainability.
We conduct polling of the owners of sustainable, socially-responsible businesses, to understand their views on policy issues.
We commission research on policy issues that involve sustainability.
We communicate to businesses, policy makers, and the media how a sustainable economy based on triple bottom line principles is good for business and good for America."

No complaints in principle regarding those objectives. But search their website for "climate change" and there are masses of articles, to the extent that they might be regarded by some as being obsessed. Is there any money in this?

Delegates:

Mr. Michael Green, Climate Change Chair.

Mr Green's blog on their website has articles under hadings like "New Language Could Create Carbon Markets"; "Small Farms, Big Stakes: Climate Change and Farmers on the Frontline"; "Future Generations Carry the Torch of Climate Action"; "Progress on International Climate Negotiations"; etc. etc.

Mr. Michael Barrett, Massachusetts State Senator, State of Massachusetts. He has a Wikipedia page, which includes this, which is presumably why he was part of the delegation:

"In 2017 he was appointed Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities & Energy. The committee’s jurisdiction covers everything from cell phones to alternative energy to public utility reform to carbon pricing."

Ms. Jennifer Benson, State Representative, Massachusetts. Her website includes this:

"Rep. Benson to Serve as Official Observer at UN Climate Conference

BOSTON – This week, State Representative Jennifer Benson (D-Lunenburg) will travel to Bonn, Germany to serve as an official observer at the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Along with a delegation of 3 other Massachusetts legislators (Representative Jim Cantwell, Representative Josh Cutler, and Senator Michael Barrett), Representative Benson will have unrestricted access to the Conference as world leaders discuss the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. She will be attending meetings with emissaries of the nearly 200 countries and territories that have signed on to the Agreement to discuss their approaches to reducing climate emissions.

“Since the federal government has abandoned its leadership on climate change by signaling that the United States will leave the Paris Agreement, it is vital that we take up the mantle of leadership on this issue at the state level,” said Rep. Jennifer Benson. “I am proud to be representing my district and my state in Germany, and to tell the international community that Massachusetts is still committed to do our part to combat climate change.”

At the Conference, the Representative will also be discussing her carbon pricing legislation filed in the Massachusetts Legislature, H.1726, An Act to Promote Green Infrastructure, Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Create Jobs. The legislation would establish a fee and rebate system on carbon to encourage the reduced use of these fuels, and fund infrastructure projects designed to reduce emissions.

The House of Representatives recently voted overwhelmingly to pass a bill reaffirming the Commonwealth’s commitment to meeting the emissions targets of the Paris Climate Agreement."

Mr. Josh Cutler, Massachusetts State Representative, Massachusetts House of Representatives. His website contains something very similar:

"Rep. Josh Cutler is joining a select delegation of state lawmakers for the upcoming 2017 U.N. Climate Talks in Bonn, Germany. He is one of four lawmakers representing the Commonwealth, along with Climate Action Business Association (CABA) Executive Director Michael Green.

The lawmakers will meet with island nation presidents to talk about sea level rise and coastal resilience, share ideas with leaders from across the globe, and demonstrate Massachusetts’ commitment to action. The delegation hopes to demonstrate in Bonn that while federal priorities may have shifted, commitment on the state level will not waver.

"Climate change isn’t a tomorrow problem. It’s impacting our neighborhoods and businesses today. Here in my district we are already grappling with coastal erosion on our barrier beaches and rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification are threatening our oyster industry, a major driver for the local economy,” said Rep. Cutler.

The 2017 UN Climate Change Conference will take place at the World Conference Center Bonn which is located in Bonn, Germany, the seat of the UN Climate Change Secretariat. The conference will be convened under the Presidency of Fiji. A major focus of the event will be implementation of the Paris Climate Accord. Currently only the United States and Syria have refused to be members of the climate pact.

Although the White House has signaled its withdrawal, Gov. Charlie Baker has already agreed to join a bipartisan coalition of states committed to meeting the goals of the agreement. The Mass. House this week also voted to commit to greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals laid out in the Paris Accords.

“Massachusetts has played a leadership role on climate change and now, in the face of a Federal retreat, our voice is even more vital. I’m excited to attend the UN Climate Talks to share ways we can bring local solutions to confront a global problem,” Rep. Cutler added.

The Climate Action Business Association (CABA) is a non-profit member based organization that helps local businesses take targeted action on climate change.

The Massachusetts lawmakers will travel to Bonn as official NGO observers qualified by the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat. The trip is not taxpayer funded and the lawmakers are traveling at their own expense in order to participate in these historic talks."

Mr. James Cantwell, Massachusetts State Representative, Massachusetts State Government, United States House of
Representatives. This is his website:

http://www.jimcantwell.com/

It seems to have nothing to say about climate change (nothing that jumped out at me anyway) and FWIW I found it interesting and quite impressive.

Why did so many people from Massachusetts attend under the American Sustainable Business Council banner? Is it climate change central in the USA?

American University sent 5 delegates to COP23. This is their website:

https://www.american.edu/

At first blush, it's a fairly standard university website. Search it for references to "climate change", however, and lots of stuff appears. One of the first to appear is "Religion & Climate Change in Cross-Regional Perspective". Good grief!

"Climate change is dramatically altering the planet and affecting human livelihood in ways eliciting religious response. This two-year project seeks to deepen our understanding of the relationship between religion and climate change across multiple regions of the world. It builds upon a previous research project focused on forms of religious engagement with environmental conflict in contemporary Latin American democracies. The present project advances previous work by incorporating a comparative perspective across regions and religions beyond just Latin America, in order to enhance understanding of religious responses to the transboundary effects of climate change. In so doing this project gives sustained attention to the interactions between transnational religious influences and local cultural contexts, and the ways religion mediates the global and the local, as a source for the varieties of religious response to the planet-wide challenges of climate change.

At once building upon existing research and stimulating new inquiry into the similarities and differences of religious engagement with climate change across regions of the world, this project attends to three distinct if interrelated levels of analysis: the role of religion as a key part of ongoing public discourse on climate change; specifically religious sources of environmental knowledge, as this knowledge informs community responses to climate change; and the ways that climate change is also driving religious change. These comparisons across regions and religions are, in turn, developed with attention to three features of climate change concerned with water: the effects of glacial melt in the Andes and Himalayas, climate-related stress upon urban water systems in South America and South Asia, and the vulnerabilities of small island archipelagos in the Caribbean and the South Pacific respectively.

With generous support from the Henry Luce Foundation, this project is led by Evan Berry, an Associate Professor in American University's Department of Philosophy and Religion. Project co-principal investigators include CLALS Director Eric Hershberg and CLALS Research Associate Professor Robert Albro. A basic project goal is to enhance inter-regional collaboration among academic and practitioner networks. Findings will circulate as scholarly publications, through presentations at academic conferences, and also in formats and forums designed to inform policy decision makers and stakeholders in Latin America, the Caribbean, South Asia, and Oceania. In addition, the project will incorporate features of print and video journalism and social media dimensions. As work advances, this project page will be regularly updated."

There's much more in similar vein. They seem to have missed the point that belief in CAGW IS a religion...

Delegates:

Mr. Todd Eisenstadt, Professor, Dept of Govt., School of Public Affairs:

"Professor Eisenstadt has worked on five continents, publishing multiple award-winning books and dozens of articles. He studies development with research that focuses on democratization and environmental politics. He is presently completing a book with Karleen West using a National Science Foundation-funded survey conducted with Ecuadorian partners to study rural, indigenous communities to understand how they experience climate vulnerability, especially in areas of heavy oil extraction. Who Speaks for Nature? Indigenous Environmental Movements, Public Opinion, and Ecuador's Petro-State is slated for publication by Oxford University Press in 2019, and stems in part from an earlier book, Politics, Identity, and Mexico's Indigenous Rights Movements (Cambridge University Press, 2011).

His research also looks at the relationship between constitution-making processes and democratization across scores of nations, and the implementation of judicial reforms in Mexico and Latin America. Along these lines, he and co-authors Carl LeVan and Tofigh Maboudi just published Constituents Before Assembly: Participation, Deliberation, and Representation in the Crafting of New Constitutions (Cambridge University Press, 2017). He also published Courting Democracy in Mexico: Party Strategies and Electoral Institutions (Cambridge University Press, 2004 based on his dissertation), and dozens of journal articles and book chapters on this topic. His research has been funded by the Fulbright Commission, the National Security Education Program (NSEP), the Ford and Mellon foundations, USAID, and the NSF.

A former director of multiple United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grants in Mexico, Eisenstadt has trained hundreds of stakeholders in judicial reform implementation, electoral observation and other government processes there. Formerly an award-winning print journalist and Capitol Hill staffer, Eisenstadt has worked as a consultant for USAID, the Organization of American States, and several development companies. The 2016-17 chair of American University’s Faculty Senate, and Faculty Trustee for the university, Eisenstadt has undertaken a range of administrative positions. From 2009-2012 Eisenstadt served as chair of the Department of Government and has served multiple terms as the Doctoral Program Director. His doctoral students have received awards from the NSF, the Fulbright, Boren, and Inter-American Foundations, and he has held visiting appointments at El Colegio de México and CIDE (Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas) in Mexico City, Harvard University, the University of California, San Diego, and the Latin American Social Science Faculty (FLACSO) in Quito, Ecuador."

Ms. Jillian Du, School of International Service. I think this is probably her:

"As part of the Sustainable Cities Research team, Jillian Du primarily works on the World Resources Report with a focus on urban water and sanitation access by providing research support and data analysis.

Prior to joining WRI, Jillian worked as an environmental researcher and editor for The Wilson Center’s China Environment Forum and as an international educator in Taiwan and Vietnam for two years. She is currently finishing her master’s degree at American University in Global Environmental Policy, and holds a B.A. from University of California – San Diego in Environmental Systems and Policy.

Jillian currently resides in Washington D.C. In her free time, she enjoys chasing frisbees, hiking up mountains, and traveling to new places."

Ms. Yasmeen Zahar, School of International Service. Her linked-in page:

"Yasmeen Zahar
Natural Resources and Sustainable Development Graduate Student

Washington D.C. Metro AreaEnvironmental Services
Previous
Climate Action Campaign, U.S. Climate Plan, Frontier Costa Rica
Education
American University

Climate & Politics Fellow
Climate Action Campaign
September 2016 – December 2016 (4 months)
U.S. Climate Plan
Development Intern
U.S. Climate Plan
September 2015 – May 2016 (9 months)
Wildlife Conservation Intern
Frontier Costa Rica
April 2015 – June 2015 (3 months)
Sustainable Concordia
R4 Dish Project Coordinator
Sustainable Concordia
January 2014 – November 2014 (11 months)"

Ms. Molly Bradtke, School of International Service. I think this may be an example of her work:

"With a capacity of 3,300 MW, Sichuan’s Ertan Hydropower Plant—once China’s largest—promised to alleviate provincial energy shortages and spur economic growth when it began generating electricity in 2000. However, in what came to be known as the “Ertan Incident,” provincial officials halted all clean energy generation in Sichuan soon after the plant came online. The Sichuan power company was obligated by law to buy half of its power from coal-fired power plants, regardless of their inefficiency or environmental impacts. To keep the coal burning, the dam was forced to operate at a major financial loss."

Mr. Cameron Noel, School of International Service:

"Cameron Noel: The Council on Foreign Relations’ Panel on Climate Change was wonderful. The CFR offers free panel discussions on a wide-array of topics as part of its ‘back-to-school’ events. This discussion about the COP21 in Paris gave a deep, multi-faceted overview of the momentum leading to Paris. Luckily, in Washington, there are many of these kinds of events. It’s hard to choose!"

As well as American University, COP23 was also graced by the presence of American University of Beirut, which sent 2 delegates. This is its website:

http://www.aub.edu.lb/Pages/default.aspx

"Founded in 1866, the American University of Beirut is a teaching-centered research university based on the American liberal arts model of higher education. AUB has over 8,000 students and 800 faculty members. The University encourages freedom of thought and expression and seeks to graduate men and women committed to creative and critical thinking, lifelong learning, personal integrity, civic responsibility, and leadership."

A of their website is dedicated to "Climate Change and Environment":

http://website.aub.edu.lb/ifi/public_policy/climate_change/ifi_cc_texts/Pages/home.aspx

Delegates:

Mr. Nadim Farajalla, Associate Professor.

No surprise to see him at COP23, given his relationship with UN organisations, and involvement in things like this:

"PERSGA in collaboration with the UNESCO Beirut office organized a regional training workshop on “Communication and Sustainable Development during 26-28 April2010 at PERSGA HQ in Jeddah.
The training was based on UNESCO media training and Resource kit “Media as partners in education for sustainable development” and PERSGA awareness and education materials, the programme addressed topics like:

Climate Change,
Biodiversity,
Pollution,
Fresh water,
Forest and Fishery
The workshop came as part of PERSGA 2010 Annual Training Program and the Environmental Education and Communication Program’s priority to promote capacity and skills of media professionals from PERSGA member states to handle environmental issues in media.
The main purpose of this workshop was to introduce journalists and media communications personnel to key environmental issues that are relevant to coastal marine environment in the region.
Dr. Nadim Farajalla, Associate Professor of Environmental Hydrology (American University of Beirut) and Mr. George Awad, Programme officer (UNESCO Regional Office – Beirut) as well as PERSGA experts conducted the workshop which gathered up more than 25 media specialists from the PERSGA region.
The participants were provided with basic information about some priority issues for sustainable development. Practical exercises were also conducted in order to inspire investigative reporting, as well as the ability to draw links to existing experience that may enrich the information resources of the participants."

Ms. Rana El Hajj, Program Manager, Climate Change and Environment in the Arab World Program:

"Rana El Hajj is the senior program coordinator for Climate Change and Environment at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut. Prior to her current position, Ms. El Hajj held various positions in environmental non-governmental organizations in Lebanon. The most notable of these include; project manager for several environment and development projects, Program Coordinator for Research and Project Development at the Association for Forests, Development and Conservation; and Biosphere Reserve Manager at the Association for the Protection of Jabal Moussa. Ms. El Hajj Holds a B.Sc in Agriculture,an Agricultural Engineering diploma and a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences with a focus on Ecosystem management, all from AUB."

An Organization for Socio-Economic Development sent 3 delegates to COP23.

They are part of Climate Action Network ("CAN"). This is from the CAN website:

"The Southwest coastal region of Bangladesh is rich in natural resources. The human civilization and culture of this region developed depending on those natural resources. But unfortunately, disasters caused by human interventions and natural calamities have caused severe damages to the environment, ecology, and biodiversity of the region. Thus human lives and livelihoods have become vulnerable.

It was in such a situation that in 1999 a group of young energetic and socially committed enthusiasts got together and formed ‘AOSED-An Organization for Socio-Economic Development’ for conserving environment, ecology and biodiversity and ensuring people's right of access to natural resource towards alleviation of poverty."

This is their own website:

http://aosed.org/

It contains this:

"Environmentally, Bangladesh is considered extremely fragile and one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the negative effects of climate change and natural disasters. The southwest coastal region is one of the most climate hotspots of the world and highly vulnerable to cyclone, sea depression, tidal surge, storms, high tide, water-logging, land subsidence, salinity intrusion, river erosion, increased duration of hot summer and reduce winter and rainy season resulting degraded environment, endanger biodiversity, scarcity of safe water, reduced agro production thus livelihoods have become vulnerable. AOSED consider that vulnerable situation and context to develop participatory planning and implementation of projects and program to reduce risk and improvement the standard of livelihoods"

I seem to remain many (most?) countries making similar claims in their INDCs.

Delegates:

Mr. Binayak Das, Programme Coordinator, Water Integrity Network-WIN. This is his LinkedIn page:

https://de.linkedin.com/in/binayakdas

Not unimpressive.

Mr. Mohon Kumar Mondal, Executive Director.

Again, not an unimpressive person:

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mohon-kumar-mondal-bangladesh-arrests-secularist-blogger-after-he-criticises-islam-1525243

"Mohon Kumar Mondal: Bangladesh arrests environmental activist after he criticises Islam online"

Ms. Hannane Sellali, Programme Manager, International Secretariat for Water:

"Hannane is a program coordinator within the ISW. She has a bachelor’s in political science and international relations from the Université de Québec à Montréal and an M.Sc. in Integrated Water Resource Management from McGill University. She also completed an internship for the United Nations Secretariat for the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) in Montreal. As a young water professional, she is passionate about environmental and development issues such as access to water and adaptation to climate change."

Not to be confused, I think, with International Water Association, who were also represented at COP23 (I hope to get to them later).

Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition sent 3 delegates to COP23. This is their website:

https://www.asoc.org/

"The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) was founded in 1978 during an important decade for the worldwide environmental movement. Public awareness of environmental issues was growing worldwide, and important legislation to protect the environment had been passed in many countries. In the mid-1970s, James Barnes, an environmental lawyer, became aware through some of his contacts that Parties to the Antarctic Treaty were secretly negotiating a framework for mineral and gas prospecting in Antarctica. As more and more environmental organizations connected and discussed this issue, it became increasingly clear that global action was needed to prevent the world’s last great wilderness from being destroyed.

ASOC’s initial objectives were to convince governments to conclude negotiation of the world’s first “ecosystem as a whole” treaty on fishing; prevent oil, gas, and minerals development in the Antarctic by blocking the ratification of the proposed Minerals Convention; and to open up the Antarctic Treaty System to include participation by NGOs and specialist international bodies.

ASOC’s early campaigns focused on dragging the secret minerals framework negotiations out into the open. At the time, even non-Consultative Parties to the Antarctic Treaty (who have signed the Treaty but do not have decision-making power) were not able to even observe the negotiations, and they had to wait for Parties to release any documents produced. ASOC managed to shake up this system by obtaining a secret copy of one of the early drafts, which they distributed publicly. By briefing developing countries such as Malaysia, India, and Brazil on the secret negotiations, ASOC member organizations were able to spark debates at the United Nations. Campaigners also drew attention to the sloppy waste disposal practices at scientific research stations, and to French plans to dynamite several Antarctic islands and displace many penguin colonies to build an airstrip.
Negotiations on the minerals conventions continued throughout the 1980s. But then a major breakthrough occurred when Australia and France decided not to ratify the agreed Minerals Convention due to substantial public pressure. Without the buy-in of all the decision-making Parties to the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention was effectively dead. Australia and France proposed instead that a framework of environmental regulations be enacted by Treaty Parties, and in 1991 the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was agreed. The Protocol entered into force in 1998 and bans mineral and gas exploration and mining, although it contains a provision allowing the Protocol to be reviewed in 2048. The Protocol stated that the Antarctic Treaty Parties were committed “to the comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment” – quite a change from just a few years earlier!

Another major victory for Antarctic environmental protection occurred in 1981 when the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was ratified. During CCAMLR negotiations, ASOC successfully worked to have a precautionary ecosystem approach embedded in the treaty. CCAMLR was one of the first fishery management organizations to put conservation of ecosystems ahead of financial concerns. Although ASOC never achieved its goal of having Antarctica declared a “World Park,” the Protocol and CCAMLR were important developments that ensured that the Antarctic Treaty Parties would finally make conservation a priority.

In 1991, ASOC was finally granted observer status in the Antarctic Treaty System, and began attending annual meetings. ASOC has continued to be the NGO voice for Antarctic environmental protection, and has expanded its portfolio to include issues such as tourism, shipping, and climate change. As ASOC looks to the future, we anticipate taking Antarctic conservation even further, working for the creation of a network of marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean, minimizing pollution from vessels, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. We thank all campaigners, past and present, for their tireless dedication, their clever strategies, and their willingness to dress up in penguin suits!"

All very laudable, and no complaints from me. But then their website contains stuff like this:

"Another climate-change nightmare: 91 new volcanoes beneath Antarctica’s ice":

“By themselves the volcanoes wouldn't be likely to cause the entire ice sheet to melt,” said lead researcher Max Van Wyk de Vries, whose team published the study in the Geological Society in late May. But if the glacier is already melting because of global warming, he said, “if we start reducing significant quantities of ice … you can more or less say that it triggers an eruption.”

I think we've looked at this stuff before, and maintained a healthy scepticism.

Delegates:

Ms. Kali Lamont.

She "grew up in rural Oregon which fostered a strong awareness for ongoing environmental challenges. She attended a traditional primary school in Portugal for three years which helped her build an intercultural understanding. After receiving her associate’s degree, she transferred to College of the Atlantic as a third year and quickly immersed herself in the work of Earth in Brackets. While taking courses in conflict resolution, climate science, and environmental policy, she has recognized the need for collaboration between policy makers, people in conservation, and environmental justice when working for solutions to environmental challenges. This will be Kali’s first COP where she plans to follow land use and is especially interested in observing how negotiators, nongovernmental organizations and civil society interact and communicate their goals and messages."

Her first COP? Sounds like she doesn't intendit to be her last.

Mr. Mark Vardy. No further information is supplied, and it's a common name. Could he be the Mark Vardy of Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey who co-authored Annual Review of Environment and Resources, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities?

Ms. Christina Yin.

It's a guess, but this might be her:

"Senior Lecturer (Associate Dean, Curriculum Enhancement and Accreditation)
MA (Hons) (Melbourne), BA (magna cum laude) (Tufts University), CELTA (British Council)

A graduate from a small American liberal arts college, Christina’s first job was at an educational publishing firm in Boston, after which she worked in Kuala Lumpur as an editor for the Asian Defence Journal. This was followed by three years at TV3, where she was the news anchor for the English news, broadcast journalist and interviewer on the weekly program Money Matters, writing also for The Business Times. Subsequently, Christina pursued a Master in English literature and language at the University of Melbourne. Upon returning to Malaysia, Christina took on the job as communications executive at the World Wide Fund for Nature, Malaysia office. She completed a Cambridge CELTA course at the British Council and worked in Kuching as a full time English lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. Shortly afterwards, she was happy to be a full-time mum and freelance writer for The Sun, before embarking on her teaching career with Swinburne, where she has been since.

Christina won the Swinburne Alumni Teaching Excellence Award in 2011 and has been at the helm of the Swinburne Inter-School Debating Championship since its inception in 2006. A firm believer in a university education being more than simply hitting the books, Christina encourages students to participate in activities organised by the university clubs’ and societies. In addition to running Creative Writing workshops for interested students, Christina has brought together students from diverse clubs such as the Cycling, Debaters’, Football, Green, Junior Chamber International and Running clubs to support the annual Run & Bleed for the Wild and Ride for the Wild, in aid of the conservation of Sarawak’s wildlife. Apart from teaching in the undergraduate and Foundation programs, she hopes her role as advisor to various clubs can help students to hone their debate and public speaking skills as well as to volunteer to help the less fortunate and to live more environmentally-friendly lives."

Aotearoa Youth Leadership Institute sent 2 delegates to COP23 - at least they did under their own aegis. But a look at their website suggests that they sent rather more, and then a search of the COP23 delegate list shows that they did indeed send more, but that most went under the aegis of the P3 Foundation, whose website is:

http://www.p3foundation.org/

"We are a movement of over 5537 young New Zealanders taking action to put extreme poverty in the past, starting with Asia and the Pacific.

Extreme poverty is unjust. Worldwide, 1.2 billion people live in extreme poverty, living on under NZ$2.25 per day. That isn’t okay. We believe every person deserves the chance the follow their dreams.

Because we are youth led, we are innovative, inclusive and experimental. We take risks and constantly try new things. You in?"

I don't wish to sound negative, but $100,000 NZ really isn't that much money over 6+ years. How much did it cost to send 5 young people from NZ to COP23 at Bonn, and what did it achieve?

As for Aotearoa Youth Leadership Institute themselves, this is their website:

http://www.ayli.org.nz/

Whilst in principle they seem like a decent organisation trying to do good, a greater degree of brainwashing and groupthink is scarcely imaginable. Here are the potted biopics of their various delegates (under whoever's name they attended) to COP23:

Ms. Anna Sturman, Head of Delegation:

"Anna is currently a PhD candidate in the University of Sydney's Department of Political Economy, where she looks at New Zealand's engagement with climate change and the UNFCCC in light of macroeconomic theories of value. Her academic background spans degrees in Law, Media and Communications and Political Science; the last being her favourite and the subject of her Honours. Anna is an enrolled Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of NZ, but has opted for the joys of writing policy over litigating. Currently, she manages the Sydney Opera House's organisational policy when she is not burrowed away thinking about her thesis. Anna attended COP21 in Paris with NZYD, and has a selfie with Christiana Figueres from a dance floor at 2am to prove it (nailed it). Really delicious bread, clashing patterns and Meg Ryan's early '90s aesthetic are among Anna's all-consuming passions outside the world of climate change policy."

Ms. Amanda Kirk, Delegate:

"Amanda has a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) majoring in Natural Resources and currently works for Opus International Consultants as an Environmental Engineer. She is involved in a wide range of environmental projects including stormwater design, hydrology and geospatial analysis. Amanda is passionate about humanitarian development and volunteers with Engineers Without Borders New Zealand (EWBNZ) where she is currently managing the National Research Program. EWBNZ is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to confront the global challenges of poverty, sustainable development and social inequity through humanitarian engineering."

USHANA JAYASURIYA:

"Ushana is an MA student at Victoria University of Wellington. Her research is in the field of Climate Justice where she explores the justification of the distribution of obligations between developed and developing countries. The opportunity to attend the Bonn Conference would be beneficial for her studies as well as her personal interest in climate change. Ushana is a keen volunteer, helping students settle in New Zealand and also writing weekly articles for the Organisation for World Peace."

SEDEF DUDER-ÖZYURT:

"Sedef is a second year student at Victoria University studying law, psychology and environmental science. With a particular interest in civics education, she is a founding member of student led organisation Active Citizenship Aotearoa and is the current Campaign Manager for the Virgin Voter Collective. Sedef has always been passionate about being around nature and protecting it, taking part in a Sir Peter Blake Trust expedition to the Sub Antarctic and sailing to Turkey with the Australian Navy. Looking to the future, Sedef sees herself working internationally in global governance or climate change negotiations and is excited to begin this journey at COP 23."

KERA SHERWOOD-O'REGAN:

"Kera is of Kāi Tahu iwi, and has been involved in climate change and environmental advocacy for over a decade. Starting with establishing her school’s environmental club, she has been involved in various advocacy, campaigning, & political groups, currently as Climate Co-Convenor at NZMSA. She holds a BA in Politics & Anthropology, and is studying towards a Medical degree. Kera is passionate about making a difference at the intersection of health, indigeneity, and climate change. She hopes that she can weave these together with a career in General Practice Medicine & Public Health."

JASON BOBERG:

"Jason Boberg is the creative director of Activate, a film agency dedicated to producing content for impact. Jason accidentally graduated with a film degree from Victoria University after studying psychology and architecture. He is passionate about changing perceptions and providing a positive lens on social and environmental issues. He is an advocate for and has a lived experience of disability. He is interested in the interaction between human rights and environmental rights"

MILLY SANDERS:

"After 5 years of travel, Camilla chose to study business, for its massive potential to effect change in the world. Climate change is humanity's most imminent threat and the lives of the most vulnerable of our human family are in the balance. She wishes to be informed on all levels; political, social, scientific and economic on the issue of climate change so as to contribute to her utmost potential in protecting those effected both now and in the future."

(I think that's my favourite - "After 5 years of travel" - oh the irony!).

ANNA CUSACK:

"Anna is currently completing her Law and Politics degrees at Auckland University. Anna also serves on the Auckland University Student Association Executive (AUSA) and the University’s Senate and Discipline Committee. In 2018 Anna will be President of AUSA, representing 40,000 students, which will give her a unique opportunity to advocate for environmental action and policy, particularly for our Pacific neighbourhood."

RACHEL COOPER:

"Rachel loves the outdoors and tries to live every day to the fullest. She is passionate about instigating climate action. She does this in her work as a climate change journalist, researcher, and activist. Rachel loves to learn, and her degree and her involvement in the Science Policy Exchange run by the Prime Ministers Chief Science Advisor inspires her. After traveling in Nepal Rachel has raised money to rebuild two schools after the earthquake and is now starting a social enterprise which will support Nepalese farmers in adapting to the impacts of climate change."

NINA OPACIC:

"Nina is in her penultimate year at Victoria University of Wellington, studying towards a LLB (Hons) / BA. Throughout her degree, she has taken papers that focus on climate change and environmental issues and is writing her masters dissertation on the barriers to meaningful law reform in this area. It is a topic that she is very passionate about. She is a member of the Victoria University climate clinic and has volunteered for Generation Zero, a youth-led organisation founded with the central purpose of providing solutions for New Zealand to cut carbon pollution."

Arab Network for Environment and Development sent just one delegate to COP23, but they're still an interesting example of the inter-connectedness in the world of climate alarmism, and a useful example of where taxpayers' money goes. Their website is here:

http://unsdsn.org/where-we-work/members/arab-network-for-environment-and-development-raed/

As can readily be seen, despite appearing in the section of the list of attendees headed "Non-governmental organizations", and although it is not strictly a "governmental organisation", it IS an off-shoot of the UN:

"The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has been operating since 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. SDSN mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.

We aim to accelerate joint learning and promote integrated approaches that address the interconnected economic, social, and environmental challenges confronting the world. SDSN works closely with United Nations agencies, multilateral financing institutions, the private sector, and civil society.

The organization and governance of SDSN aims to enable a large number of leaders from all regions and diverse backgrounds to participate in the development of the network. The SDSN Leadership Council brings together global sustainable development leaders from all regions drawn from civil society, public, and private sectors. It acts as the board of SDSN. Much of SDSN’s work is led by National or Regional SDSNs, which mobilize knowledge institutions around the SDGs. Several Thematic Networks mobilize experts from around the world on the technical challenges of implementing the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement. SDSN has a small secretariat with offices in New York, New Delhi, and Paris."

Funding:

"The SDSN is grateful for financial support from:
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Dubai Expo 2020
Electricité de France International N.A. Inc.
Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, Switzerland (for the DDPP)
Gross Family
Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et du Développement International (France)
Svenska PostkodStiftelsen
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)
Ted Turner
The Kresge Foundation
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (for the Thematic Network on Data for Sustainable Development)

Several organizations are supporting Solution Initiatives and other activities by the SDSN. These include BT (British Telecom), eni, Digicel, Glaxo Smith Kline, Novartis, Verizon, and Ericsson."

Coming back to they Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED), they undoubtedly perform some usefule work, but then their website also includes things like this:

"RAED is implementing the “Disasters and Climate Induced Displacement” project, in Egypt and Sudan, in cooperation with Norwegian Refugees Council (NRC). It aims to build national and local partnership between governmental and nongovernmental organizations and thereby strengthen the policy response to climate induced displacement."

"RAED is an equal partner in ENTIRE, which is a 2-years programme funded by European Union’s Non-State and Authorities programme. The main objective is to strengthen the role of civil society organizations in reforms, democratic changes and sustainable development of the water sector in the Southern Mediterranean Region (SMR). It’s in cooperation with The Collective Leadership Institute (CLI), the German Water Partnership (GWP), and the Arab Countries Water Utilities Association (ACWUA). http://entire.collectiveleadership.com/"

So that's where more taxpayers' money goes, via the EU.

If evidence were needed that this is a UN organisation sending UN people to a UN conference, their delegate was Mr. Emad Adly, General Coordinator, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

In 2014 he appeared at a Mary Robinson Foundation conference: "Putting a Human Face to Climate Change".

"Emad Adly, General Coordinator of the Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED), shared examples of capacity building projects that engage young people in Disaster Risk Reduction activities and called for greater inclusion of young people, women and civil society actor in all in decision making processes around climate action."

His profile most readily appears following an internet search, here:

http://www.gndr.org/about/governance/regional-representatives/item/1317-emad-adly.html

This is the website of the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction. It has this to say about Emad Adly:

"Regional Representative North Africa & West Asia

General Coordinator, Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED);
Chairperson Egyptian Sustainable Development Forum (ESDF);
Co-founder & Chairperson of the Arab Office of Youth and Environment (AOYE);
Member of Steering Committee supporting civil society in post-2015 development agenda, UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS), National Coordinator if GEF/Small Grants Programme"

Its supporters (presumably financial supporters) include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development; USAID; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs; and the UK Department for International Development.

So that's where some of our taxes go.

Arizona State University sent 5 delegates to COP23. This is their website:

https://www.asu.edu/

It's riddled with articles like "What will it take to convince climate skeptics?" "Climate chaos and real estate speculation ... in 2140" and "ASU students to participate in international Climate Change Theatre Action event" so perhaps it's not surprising they sent 5 people.

Delegates:

Ms. Katherine Kerr, Senior Sustainability Scientist, Global Institute of Sustainability.

My apologies to Ms Kerr, but I couldn't definitively discover anything about her. That probably says more about my ineptitude than it does about her.

Ms. Julia Colbert, Sustainability Teachers’ Academy, Aide/Student pursuing BA in Sustainability and BA in Geography,
Wrigley Institute, Walton Sustainability Teachers’ Academy:

"Julia Colbert is a junior from Raleigh, North Carolina. She is a student in Barrett, The Honors College, with concurrent degrees in Sustainability and Geography. Julia is the President of Sustainabilibuddies Mentoring Program, President of the School of Sustainability College Council, and active member of the Honors Society for Sustainability and School of Sustainability Academy. She is currently a Research Aide at Decision Center for a Desert City and was a Research Aide for the Sustainability & Happiness Research Lab. Outside of school, she enjoys dancing, road trips, and photography."

Yup, "road trips". Climate warriors do seem to enjoy travelling.

Ms. Vanessa Lueck, PhD Student, School of Sustainability, Arizona State University:

"Vanessa Lueck is a PhD student at the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University. She studies sustainable climate change adaptation and complex adaptive systems, focusing on coastal communities and policy, governance and implementation of sea level rise induced retreat and relocation. Hailing from Alaska and having lived and worked in the Netherlands, she is convinced that governments and organizations at all scales need to cooperate and prepare for the consequences of sea level rise in coastal areas. Vanessa holds a JD from University of Minnesota Law School and a BA in Political Science from the University of Chicago.

Teaching Assistant Experience
SOS 220 - Systems Thinking
SOS 321 - Policy and Governance in Sustainable Systems"

Mr. David Krantz, IGERT Solar Utilization Network, Fellow, School of Sustainability:

"David Krantz is a National Science Foundation IGERT Fellow and a Wrigley Fellow researching solar-energy policy and faith-based environmentalism.

He also runs the environmental nonprofit, Aytzim: Ecological Judaism, parent organization of Jewcology.org, the Green Zionist Alliance, and Shomrei Breishit: Rabbis and Cantors for the Earth. He serves on the board of directors of Interfaith Moral Action on Climate; on the board of directors of Arizona Interfaith Power & Light; on the founding team of Interfaith Oceans; and on the board of directors of the American Zionist Movement. He previously served as a leadership fellow at the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life and as a global-justice fellow at American Jewish World Service.

Teaching Assistant Experience
Journalism 324 - News Reporting and Writing - Rutgers University
Journalism 278 - Mass Media and Government in American Society - Rutgers University
History 98 - Directed Group Study - University of California-Berkeley
Sustainability 311 - Future Thinking and Strategies - Arizona State University
Projects
Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies (QESST)
NSF IGERT-SUN
PlanetWorks
Aytzim: Ecological Judaism
Jewcology: Home of the Jewish-Environmental Movement
Green Zionist Alliance: The Grassroots Campaign for a Sustainable Israel
Shomrei Breishit: Rabbis and Cantors for the Earth
Spoken Languages:
Hebrew (working proficiency); Spanish (working proficiency)".

"Faith-based environmentalism"......

Ms. Manjana Milkoreit, Postdoc Research Associate, Global Institute of Sustainability:

"Manjana Milkoreit joined Purdue University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science.

Dr. Milkoreit's research integrates international relations scholarship and cognitive theory to study actor motivations and policy design in global climate change politics and diplomacy. She is interested in governance challenges at the science-policy and science-society interfaces that impact the search for and implementation of sustainable solutions to climate change. These include the use of scientific knowledge in policy and governance decisions, the role of ideologies in advancing or preventing effective societal responses to climate change, and meaning-making processes related to the Anthropocene.

Two major topics dominate her current research agenda: the challenges of future thinking (scientifically informed imagination) in climate change policy and decision-making, and the design of effective review mechanisms under the Paris Agreement, which was concluded in December 2015.

Manjana received her Ph.D. in Global Governance from the University of Waterloo (Canada), where she held a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. Prior to her appointment at Purdue University she was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Arizona State University’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability. At ASU she lead the Imagination and Climate Futures Initiative, a collaboration between the Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiative, the Center for Science and the Imagination, and the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing."

Asheville-Buncombe Sustainable Community Initiatives, Inc sent 2 delegates to COP23. This one is rather strange, with "The Collider" being at the heart of it:

https://thecollider.org/about-asheville/

"Thriving on Innovation: That’s Asheville North Carolina
There’s good reason to come to Asheville, whether it’s to attend a Collider conference like ClimateCon 2018 or to locate your climate services business as a member of The Collider.

Take a look at the city’s creative and innovative economy in this video or check out the long list of accolades, from #1 “Coolest Town in the US” to one of the “Best Cities in North America” and one of “America’s Smartest Cities.”

And did you know this: North Carolina is consistently recognized as a top state for doing business. NC is #2 in Site Selection’s 2017 Top State Business Climate Rankings."

It seems to be about business and money, as further evidenced by the two delegates, both of whom seem to work for Acclimatise ("BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE - THE LEADING PROVIDER OF CLIMATE CHANGE RISK AND ADAPTATION SERVICES WORLDWIDE"):

http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/

Ms. Virginie Fayolle:

"Virginie is a Senior Consultant and the Climate Finance Lead

Virginie leads our work on climate finance. With over 8 years of professional experience, she has helped governments, large and medium companies, regional agencies, research institutes and development banks to access, manage and use climate finance; presenting work and leading stakeholder engagement processes. Virginie is a GIZ qualified trainer on climate finance readiness, having trained civil servants and private sector companies from Bangladesh, Comoros, Madagascar, Maldives, Mali, Mauritius, Seychelles, St Vincent, Tanzania and Uzbekistan on how to access and use climate finance, including from the Green Climate Fund.

Virginie holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Delaware (US), a Master I in Economics and Management from the University of Lyon II (France) and a MSc in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics (UK). A French national, Virginie is bilingual in French and English."

And:

Ms. Serena Odianose:

"Serena is a Climate Finance Analyst

Serena is a junior expert in climate change adaptation and finance. At Acclimatise, she is active in all GCF-related projects and activities. Serena specialises in the identification of bankable adaptation projects and the mobilization of the financial resources as well as in the integration of adaptation into development plans and decision-making processes.

Serena is co-author of the “GCF Proposal Toolkit”, published in June 2017, to guide project proponents on the GCF requirements for the preparation of funding proposals. She is fluent in Italian, English and French.

Before joining Acclimatise, Serena worked on advocacy projects for the integration of human displacement considerations into the National Adaptation Planning process in various countries. She worked in both the public and private sectors, and has experience working with international organizations, government ministries, UN agencies, development banks, private companies and NGOs."

Follow the money, it might seem.

Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact Foundation sent 9 delegates to COP23. This is their website:

https://aippnet.org/

"About us
The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) is a regional organization founded in 1988 by indigenous peoples’ movements. AIPP is committed to the cause of promoting and defending indigenous peoples’ rights and human rights and articulating issues of relevance to indigenous peoples. At present, AIPP has 48 members from 14 countries in Asia with 18 indigenous peoples’ national alliances/networks (national formations), 30 local and sub-national organizations. Of this number, 16 are ethnic based organizations, six (6) indigenous women and four (4) are indigenous youth organizations and one (1) organization of indigenous persons with disabilities.

Our Vision

Indigenous peoples in Asia are fully exercising their rights, distinct cultures and identities, are living with dignity, and enhancing their sustainable management systems on lands, territories and resources for their own future and development in an environment of peace, justice and equality.

Our Mission

AIPP strengthens the solidarity, cooperation and capacities of indigenous peoples in Asia to promote and protect their rights, cultures and identities, and their sustainable resource management systems for their development and self-determination.

Our Goals

To empower Indigenous peoples in Asia to promote and defend their human rights and fundamental freedoms and claim legal recognition to their identities, collective rights under UNDRIP and other international human rights instruments.
To build the broadest solidarity and cooperation of indigenous peoples in Asia to strengthen indigenous movements.
To promote and protect the integrity of the environment and enhance the sustainable resource management systems of indigenous peoples including their traditional knowledge, food security and biodiversity by having full control over their land, territories and resources.
To attain full and effective participation of indigenous peoples, particularly indigenous women and youth at all levels of decision-making.
To strengthen solidarity and cooperation with other social movements towards achieving equality, peace, democracy and justice."

Which is all great. But then I notice:

"AIPP Accreditation:

Special Consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Green Climate Fund (GCF)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)".

So, they're well in with the UN and its associated gravy trains. So it's no surprise that a search of their website, using the simple word "climate" produces lots of articles like:

Delivering on the Paris Promises: Combating Climate Change while Protecting Rights;

Secure Indigenous Peoples’ Land Rights to Combat Climate Change;

Asia Indigenous Women’s Recommendations for Climate Change Policy-Makers;

Traditional indigenous peoples’ knowledge as a viable way for climate change adaptation;

COP 22 Side Event: “Secured Indigenous and Community Land Rights, KEY TO CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION”.

On the plus side, there is an occasional piece like this:

Climate Initiatives Must Not Include Large Hydropower Projects – NGOs

Delegates:

Mr. Lakpa Nuri Sherpa, Programme Coordinator:

"Climate Change Monitoring and Information Network Coordinator, Environment programme

Mr. Lakpa Nuri Sherpa hails from Eastern part of Nepal. He belongs to the Sherpa indigenous community. Sherpa completed his Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications from Pokhara University, Nepal. Before joining AIPP, he was actively associated with Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) as the Research Assistant and later as the Climate Change Monitoring and Information Network (CCMIN) Officer under the NEFIN-Climate Change and REDD Partnership Programme."

Mr. Duong Hoang Cong, Officer, Climate Change CSDM:

"Duong Hoang Cong, Centre for Sustainable Development in Mountainous Areas (CSDM), Viet Nam, described a workshop that developed several key messages on the specific climate change challenges and needs facing indigenous peoples, including the need for capacity building and technology support." [A phrase often seen in INDCs - translates as "send us money"].

Ms. Audrey Mrittica Chisim:

"AUDREY MRITTICA CHISIM, Indigenous Peoples Development Organization, said it was essential to organize regular dialogue between indigenous peoples, the United Nations system and Member States. Free, prior and informed consent was the backbone of the rights of indigenous peoples, although in many countries those rights remained unrecognized. Indigenous peoples faced serious challenges to their access to natural resources and Member States needed to find ways to solve those and other issues that compromised the well-being of indigenous peoples. Regarding the Sustainable Development Goals, indigenous peoples were eager to see how they could participate in their implementation at the country level. She recommended that the Forum seek to engage youth and women’s organization so there could be a bridge between Governments and other stakeholders."

Ms. Patricia Marie Dunne:

Book Author : Patricia Marie Dunne. Title - Words Apart

"Book Summary :
In transnational conservation initiatives that are dependent on heterogeneous networks of actors, the power to participate in decision making is increasingly affected by a politics of translation: that is, who has the power to define the terms, who has the power to use them, and whose voices are heard when decisions are made? International programs that address climate change, such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), have decentralized governance structures and led to greater dependence on transnational networks of actors to balance local knowledge and practice with global priorities. For the indigenous people, conservation practitioners, policy makers, and funders working to implement REDD+ in San Martin, Peru, effectively engaging in these networks is dependent on access to information and an in-depth understanding of key terms and concepts relating to climate change. In this dissertation, I trace the movement of information about climate change through networks of actors at the local and regional levels in San Martin, at the national level in Lima, and the international level in the United States, to understand how knowledge is translated, used, and transformed, and in the process, how it shapes participation. Multi-sited fieldwork in San Martin, Lima, and Washington, DC has included participant observation at key meetings, interviews, and social network analysis. The results of this research indicate that while transnational NGOs are critical to facilitating the movement of information among a broad range of actors working at different scales, they also play a disproportionate role in decision-making networks at the regional scale. It also indicates that while conceptions of key terms related to climate change are shaped by educational experience, linguistic ability, and access to information, traditional knowledge remains poorly integrated into REDD+ initiatives. Finally, it indicates that while the ability to appropriate and use key western scientific terms is a major factor in participation, the dynamic relationship between scientific and traditional knowledge remains poorly understood by conservation practitioners. A greater awareness of the politics of translation in conservation will enable actors to develop more equitable participation processes and, in turn, more effective conservation initiatives that better integrate global conservation priorities with local needs."

Ms. Thin Yu Mon, Country Programme Coordinator, Indigenous Peoples Rights:

"Thin Yu Mon is a human rights activist and program officer with the Chin Human Rights Organization in Yangon, Burma. She is responsible for programs that promote religious freedom and indigenous rights. She is also a cofounder and management committee member of the Myanmar Indigenous Peoples Network, which is a coalition of 29 indigenous organizations.

As a university student, Thin Yu Mon actively participated in the Chin Literature and Culture Committee, organizing university student activities and events. While completing her master's degree at Yangon University, she served as a translator for the Kumudra Journal. She went on to join the Project Achievement Study Team at the Euro-Burma Office, facilitating ethnic minority acceptance programs throughout Burma. She also joined the Chin Youth Network at this time.

Thin Yu Mon is an alumnus of the 2014 International Human Rights Training Program sponsored by EQUITAS (Montreal, Canada) and of UNSCR 1325: Women Peace and Security hosted by Indevelop, the Swedish International Development Agency. Her studies also include a post-graduate diploma course in international relations from Yangon University."

Mr. Dang Duc Nghia, Coordinator, Climate Change, Centre for Sustainable Development in the Mountainous Areas:

"Mr. Dang Duc Nghia, project staff with more than 8 years experience in research and intervention projects, who directly coordinated and participated in the field work, including group meetings, interviews, secondary data research and compiling the final report".

Mr. Te Piha Toeke Raymond Wii Niha, Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities. I think this might be him:

"Kia ora ko Te Piha Toeke Raymond Wii Waa Niha toku ingoa and this is my story. In mid 2017 I weighed in at my heaviest 120kgs. I was heavy in body mind and soul. I turned to external things for happiness and would let my negative though process take over. So this is a letter to myself today you start your journey. Your journey to make an effort to work harder than you have ever before to lead a happy life not with those around you but within you to change your lifestyle of eating habits and exercise to fight those negative thoughts and create positive energy to listen and trust the universe to relearn what is it to be a Maori to be a Rangatira to be a role model to be fit and healthy. I wish to carve my own path towards an abudunance of wealth health and spiritual alignment and to take the first step towards a bright future. I Thank those that have been beside me inspired me relied on me pushed me and loved me even when I didnt love myself. So to me in the past I forgive you to me in the present Kia kaha and to me in the future thank you. No reira Tena koutou katoa."

Mr. Kittisak Rattanakrajangsri, Chairperson:

"
AIPP Chairperson delivered Asia Indigenous Peoples’ statement in the high level opening session of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the COP23
in Campaigns, Statements, What We Do November 21, 2017 0 272 Views

Mr. Kittisak Rattanakrajangsri, Chairperson of Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) spoke on behalf of Asian Indigenous Peoples in the high level opening session of the Indigenous Peoples’ Day on 7 Nov in Bonn Zone in the Twenty Third Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (COP23). This is the first time in the history of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that indigenous peoples’ organisations are allowed to organise Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the Conference of Parties (COP). The other speakers in the high level opening session of the Indigenous Peoples’ Day included; COP22 President, COP23 President and the UNFCCC Secretary.

Please find below the statement delivered by Mr. Kittisak Rattanakrajangsri:

On behalf of the indigenous peoples from Asia who are in this COP, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the COP presidency, member states and the secretariat for allowing us to organize Indigenous Peoples Day in COP23. This is a very important step in strengthening our partnership and recognition of our roles and knowledge in contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

In Asia, indigenous peoples, including indigenous women have been sustainably managing natural resources through customary laws and practices for hundreds of years, and we continue to do so. The recognition, protection and promotion of these traditional knowledge systems are vital in the fight against climate change, deforestation and water pollution and in ensuring sustainable development.

On the other hand, eviction and threats of eviction from forestlands to give way to, economic land concessions, national parks, industrial plantations, tiger reserves, and other extractive industry projects continue among indigenous communities. The classification of dams as clean energy has engendered a global rush to build large dams, of which at least 200 are across Asia. Any projects on our rivers and lands must undergo a consultation process based on our right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) as stipulated in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Yet this is not done and what is worse, indigenous peoples who oppose these are considered criminals and face persecution, some are even killed.

If we are all serious to combat climate change, indigenous peoples defending our homes must be protected and our collective land rights should be recognized, promoted and fulfilled. Without security to our collective rights to lands, territories and resources, climate solution becomes incomplete.

Indigenous peoples of Asia are ready for constructive dialogues and engagement with parties in COP23 on the operationalization of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples’ Platform. Let’s help each other. Let’s work together. Let’s come out with a good decision in COP23 on a platform that will benefit not just indigenous peoples but the entire humanity."

Mr. Rodion Sulyandziga, Executive Director, Cimate Change:

"We are working for many issues related to Indigenous Peoples’ rights and democracy, but specifically when it comes to climate change it’s a threat and a challenge we are facing. That is why we are here at COP 21, because it’s getting more and more critical. We must be visible and vocal in this global negotiation.

All Indigenous Peoples’ lives have included adaptation to worsening conditions, to climate change. It’s a long history, but it’s becoming more and more unpredictable. This situation also affects traditional knowledge. That is why we have to talk about innovations in regards to the practice of traditional knowledge, to become more adaptive to the rapid changes. Traditional people still provide the knowledge to support our development, but we need to adapt for survival in order to move forward.

It’s this unpredictability that impacts traditional activities like hunting, fishing, and traditional food security. It also causes more and more environmental disasters like forest fires and flooding that increase year by year.

All of us came to Paris with the expectation and hope that we can reach a new global agreement. We are facing lots of challenges, and that is why we have to strengthen our coordination, our global solidarity, because some of the parties still oppose the approach by Indigenous Peoples— the human rights approach.

I am satisfied [with the] Paris agreement because it will be translated into national plans of action, into national strategies. It’s not ideal, but the Parties came to political agreement at the end. The Indigenous Peoples’ voice, agenda, and position was strong and visible. Some key messages and demands are reflected in the final document. The next step is to follow up Paris and strengthen the Indigenous Peoples’ movement on both the national and international levels."

Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development sent 3 delegates to COP23. This is their website:

http://apwld.org/

"APWLD is the leading network of feminist organisations and individual advocates in Asia Pacific. Our 211 members represent groups of diverse women from 26 countries in Asia Pacific. Over the past 30 years, APWLD has actively worked towards advancing women’s human rights and Development Justice. We are an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organisation and hold consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council."

Perhaps the last point explains why their programmes include this:

"CLIMATE JUSTICE (CJ)

​This programme focuses on ​building capacity of the women most affected by climate change and ​collecting evidence on the impacts faced by communities. Our advocacy aims to ensure climate framework and policies ​from local to global level incorporate the voice and demands of Asia Pacific women on climate justice, and institute more equitable and sustainable environmental policies. The programme conducts FPAR with grassroots women’s organisations and their communities, and mobilise cross-movements collaboration to advance Climate Justice."

But they were among the many signatories to this letter:

"Letter to Members and Alternate Members of the Board of the Green Climate Fund" which starts:

"We are writing to express our dismay with the conduct of the July 2017 Board meeting, both in terms of process and treatment of civil society. We would like to ensure that the upcoming Board meeting in Egypt does not see a repeat of July’s fiasco, which posed a significant reputational risk to the Fund."

Something wrong there?

Anyway, their delegates at COP23 were:

Ms. Mouna Chambon, Project Director "Gender and Climate Change" project, CliMates:

"Age: 22 / Project: GenderProjectCliMates

Mouna is a MSc student in Geopolitics at La Sorbonne. Through her studies and her experience at COP 22 in Marrakech, she became receptive to the impact of climate change on human societies and the notion of climate justice. She thus carried out a research project on the nexus between gender and climate change in the Vanuatu Archipelago, which resulted in a photographic exhibition at the REcyclerie in Paris in June 2017. She also launched the “gender and climate change” section within the CliMates NGO, which is an international think-and-do tank on climate change gathering both students and young professionals.

Mouna launched the “Gender and Climate Change” project in January 2017. This project intends to document the gender-bias of climate change, while considering at the same time the opportunity of women to empower themselves in this context. Although the goal of my project is global, our actions are undertaken at a local scale, in the city of Paris.

DESCRIBE YOUR MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET.

Throughout my studies, I had the chance to travel between three continents and to experience life in contrasting cultural environments. This insight made me realise the global inequalities between North and South. Moreover, I was deeply affected by the impacts of climate change in all the regions that I have visited. (...) From then on, I resolved to commit myself towards sustainable development. As a young woman, I feel it is the responsibility of our generation to impulse a change towards a better and more sustainable planet. Therefore, I engaged myself towards climate action with a particular focus on the human rights dimension. I defend the vision of a world where justice and equity are placed at the core of responses to climate change. My engagement to climate justice encompasses two spheres: academia and activism.

In my academic work, I have developed an expertise on the nexus between climate change and gender. I am currently working on my Master’s thesis that is concerned with the exploitation of a palm tree species for craft activities by women in Madagascar in the context of climate change. (...) Furthermore, since 2016, I joined the CliMates network, which is a member of the UNFCCC observer constituency of youth non-governmental organisations (YOUNGO). Within this scope, I was able to participate at COP22 in Marrakech and, more recently, at the SB46 in Bonn.

“I have a dream” affirmed the American civil rights activist Martin Luther King in his notorious public address during the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. In the 21st century, my personal dream is to live in a world where the climate crisis acts as a window of opportunity for promoting equality across the world as well as empowering the most vulnerable and marginalized of this planet."

"Throughout my studies, I had the chance to travel between three continents..." as well as attending both COP22 & COP23. Yes, they climate warriors do love to travel!

Ms. Shradha Shreejaya, Programme Officer, Climate Justice. I think this is her:

"Shradha is a graduate in Biochemistry and has a masters degree in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. She has been a part of Thanal since 2016. Her previous work areas have been environmental policies and prediction analysis. She has also worked as a strategist for projects under Swacch Bharat Mission in waste management and sanitation in Tamil Nadu.
She currently coordinates projects in zero waste, supports advocacy and education on menstrual hygiene management, and research on climate action at Thanal. "

Ms. Christina Suprapti, Focal person, Climate Justice:

"In a comment submitted at the COP13 meeting in 2007, Christina Suprapti, on behalf of the women for climate justice and gender, opposed including nuclear in the CDM. "Nuclear power carries inherent injustice to the land of indigenous peoples and local communities on whose territories the uranium is mined," the comment states."

I wonder if she met, and if so how she got on with, the delegates at COP 23 from the American Nuclear Society?

Asian Institute of Technology sent 3 delegates to COP23. This is their website:

https://www.ait.ac.th/

"The Asian Institute of Technology promotes technological change and sustainable development in the Asian-Pacific region through higher education, research and outreach. Established in Bangkok in 1959, AIT has become a leading regional postgraduate institution and is actively working with public and private sector partners throughout the region and with some of the top universities in the world.

Recognized for its multinational, multicultural ethos, the Institute operates as a self-contained international community at its campus located 40km (25 miles) north of downtown Bangkok, Thailand.

Besides the usual labs and academic buildings, the main campus includes housing, sports, and medical facilities, a conference center,and a library with over 230,000 volumes and 830 print and on-line periodicals.

All serve to fulfill AIT's Mission which is:
To develop highly qualified and committed professionals who play leading roles in the region's sustainable development and its integration into the global economy."

No quibbles from me there. But a quick search of the website using "climate" as the search term, produces lot of stuff like:

"New book on Climate Events and Disaster Mitigation";

"Training Programme on Developing Project Proposals on Climate Change Mitigation";

"Urban planning is key to achieving the two-degree target and urban infrastructure can reduce emissions by half, says study in Nature Climate Change by AIT author", which expands to say:

"The design of today’s transportation systems, buildings and other infrastructures will largely determine tomorrow’s CO2 emissions. Climate smart urban infrastructure and buildings could cut future emissions in half or about 10 Gt CO2 per year from 2040 onwards. These core findings have emerged from a new study that has been jointly published by Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal of Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in the prestigious journal “Nature Climate Change.” The study is led by Felix Creutzig from the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) and other international colleagues."

So, they're fully signed up to the agenda. Delegates:

Ms. Alla Metelitsa, Head, Climate Change Cluster, Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific:

"Alla Metelitsa is a sustainable development professional with a long-term experience in the field of climate change. Her experience ranges from representing Belarus in negotiations under the governing and subsidiary bodies of the UNFCCC; and practical experience in devising climate change policies, strategies and innovative projects; to leading a team negotiating technical assistance to developing countries for mitigation and adaptation action and drafting Article on capacity-building in the UNFCCC Paris Agreement .

She brings with her a profound understanding of the complexity and dynamics of the intergovernmental climate change process and action on the ground.Her work experience at UNEP and the UNFCCC Secretariat includes fostering strategic partnerships and establishing alliances with United Nations entities, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, multilateral and bilateral agencies and other stakeholders working on climate change issues.

Together with colleagues from UNITAR, UNEP and UNDP, she founded and developed UN CC:Learn – The One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership that flourished into a 33-member strong cooperative programme advancing education and public participation in developing countries. She also spearheaded the establishment of the UN Alliance on Climate Change Education, Training and Public Awareness, an innovative network linking the intergovernmental climate change process with the national and local-level work of its 14 members."

So she's well in the loop.

Mr. Lyan Villacorta, Programme Officer, Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific:

"Mr Lyan Villacorta is a young professional in the field of climate change with strong practical experience in ocean environment and climate change, climate finance, GHG calculation, renewable energy technologies, and environmental reporting. At the Energy Services Department, University of California, he was responsible for UCLA Greenhouse Gas Inventory Management Manual based on California Air Resources Board (CARB) policies and US Environmental Protection Agency Regulations. At the RRCAP since 2015, he is responsible for Climate Finance Schemes Assessment and module development of Integrated Water Resources Management Applications e-learning course for a joint UNESCAP –UN HABITAT-AIT project. Lyan Villacorta holds a BSc in Business Economics, University of the Philippines and a Certificate in Global Sustainability, University of California."

Ms. Susana Guerreiro, Programme Officer, Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific:

"Over the last 10 years, Susana Guerreiro has accumulated a diverse set of experiences on the climate change and energy sector. She spent some years working with Climate Parliament, a UK-based organization, where she was responsible for implementing a EU-funded project on capacity building for policy makers on climate change and energy access for the poor in Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific, having implemented workshops in Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Ghana, Tanzania and Fiji. She collaborated with the Institute of Social Sciences in Lisbon, doing research on the socio-economic impacts of climate change and coastal erosion in coastal communities in Portugal and adaptation alternatives. More recently her work has focused on social change processes in the energy sector, namely citizen-led and community energy projects in Indonesia and Portugal. She managed the operations and communications of the first renewable energy citizen cooperative in Portugal. Susana Guerreiro holds a MSc on Social and Environmental Psychology and a MSc on Environmental Science, Policy and Management, a joint European programme from Central European University, Lund University, Manchester University and the University of the Aegean."

Asociación AK Tenamit sent 2 delegates to COP23. This is their website:

https://www.aktenamit.org/

This is who they are:

"Prior to founding Ak’ Tenamit in 1992, Steve Dudenhoefer owned a successful interiorscaping business in South Florida. In 1990, he decided to visit Guatemala to discover why many of his employees, Mayans from Guatemala, had immigrated to the US to work and sent every penny they earned back home. He met people who lived on $1 a day, children without schools, mothers without vital medicine for their babies. Deeply affected by this experience, he returned home, sold his businesses and started Asociación Ak’ Tenamit in 1992 with the help of local village leaders. Today Ak’ Tenamit is run entirely by the Q’eqchi people, and Steve remains involved as Chief Technical Adviser, assisting managers and the Board but concentrating on fundraising and networking.

In the same year that Ak’ Tenamit was founded, Steve’s friends and family founded The Guatemalan Tomorrow Fund to create a mechanism for raising funds for the project."

They seem to have done a lot of good work, so it is a shame to see them fully signed up to the whole climate change thing:

"Climate Change Rights
Indigenous Communities Bear the Brunt of Climate Change

Guatemala’s geography and climate are responsible for the country’s rich biodiversity but also make the region highly vulnerable to climate change. It is arguable that those who will be most impacted by these changes are the Country’s 24 indigenous groups. Although they have coexisted with nature for centuries, the environmental changes their areas are experiencing only exacerbates the poverty and extreme poverty that they face.

Indigenous women are likely to suffer the worst. They may have to walk further to collect water or wood. They may have to work longer hours in the fields because it was hardened following severe drought or may watch their entire harvest be destroyed by floods, which also brings water-borne diseases.

Promoting Indigenous Rights During Climate Change
Our mission

National and international leaders are currently designing strategies to regulate and mitigate the effects of climate change on high-risk areas; the activities that result from these decisions will directly impact indigenous villages.

Our mission is to:

Educate indigenous groups about climate change and the solutions being proposed and ensure that they have a voice in designing such policies.
Ensure that indigenous groups’ vision and rights are included in the UN Framework Law on Climate Change and in Guatemala’s climate change policies and strategies.
Ensure that indigenous groups are able to participate in national, regional, and international conferences regarding climate change so that they are seen as actors in this discussion.

Our work

We led the formation of the Guatemalan Indigenous Committee on Climate Change (GICCC), which is the first lobbying organization in Latin America to advocate for the protection of indigenous rights during climate change.
The GICCC is actively involved in the design of the UN Framework Law on Climate Change and the formation of Guatemala’s climate change strategies.
We attend international conferences and organize meetings with environmental organizations and national and regional leaders to persuade these groups to include the GICCC in policy and legislation discussions.
We advocate for including measures to protect indigenous rights and communities in legislation and national policies.
We organize information sessions in indigenous communities and organizations to educate them about climate change and prompt them to participate in national and international climate change forums."

And finally:

"Ak’ Tenamit has participated in the UN’s International Climate Change conferences since 2009."

It's also difficult to understand why the government of Andorra has chosen to fund them.

Delegates:

Sra. Sara Bo Che, secretary, Board of Directors.

Ms. Eugenia Magaly Arreces Lopez

Asociación Ambiente y Sociedad sent a single delegate to COP23:

Ms. Angelica Guerrero Beltran, Researcher, Climate Change

This is their website:

http://www.ambienteysociedad.org.co/en/

"The Environment and Society Association (AAS) is a non-governmental organization (NGO), formed as a nonprofit entity under Colombian law and founded in 2012. The founders of the organization are professionals in anthropology, law, and economics and have over 25 years of experience in the field of defense and promotion of the environment and human rights."

Which is fair enough, but inevitably they're signed up to the climate change mantra:

"Climate change and forest communities:

"Objective: To strengthen the capacity of community-based organizations towards the implementation of international and national institutional guidelines on climate change, risk reduction, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, poverty reduction and sustainable development.

"To influence the local, regional and national institutions, on the implementation of policies regarding climate change, poverty reduction and sustainable development from a human rights perspective." Etc etc....

Asociación Civil Oikos sent one delegate to COP23. This is their website:

http://oikos.pe/

"The OIKOS Civil Association is a non-profit organization registered in public registries and recognized by the Peruvian State, dedicated to the identification, realization, monitoring and execution of projects for the sustainable use of natural resources, management of biodiversity, environmental health, public and animal"[as per Google translate].

Unfortunately, their aims go beyond this and include things like the following:

"Diploma in Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change
Program description

The diploma in "Adaptation to Climate Change and Risk Management" covers different aspects of environmental management and its relationship with adaptation to climate change, the program provides the student with an interdisciplinary vision through lectures, case study exposition and field trips that will allow you to understand the basic fundamentals of this global problem and be able to start a work in adapting to this phenomenon by applying a systemic approach to the analysis of problems and seeking solutions from a multidisciplinary perspective, promoting the formation of a critical and analysis on the issues raised throughout the program.

Target audiences:

Motivated professionals from different disciplines, with or without specialization in the subject, but with interest in the integration of issues related to climate change adaptation in the development of plans, projects and policies. Previous training in climate change is not a prerequisite for entering the program. Previous experience in environmental issues is valued in the evolution of the applicants."

Delegate:

Mr. Paola Sanchez, Coordinator, Comunication

Asociación Coordinadora Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Pequeños Productores de Comercio Justo translates, according to Google Translate, as the Latin American and Caribbean Coordinator of Small Producers and Fair Trade Workers (CLAC). This is their website:

http://clac-comerciojusto.org/

It "is the co-owner of the Fairtrade International system and the network that represents all Faitrade certified organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as other organizations fair Trade.

The mission of CLAC is to represent and promote the interests, empowerment and development of its members and their communities. At present, it has more than 700 member organizations in 24 countries of the continent."

I just learned something there, being vaguely aware of the Fairtrade system, but shamefully not knowing too much about it. If that was all there was to it, who could object? But then, as always seems to be the case, a significant section of their website is given over to climate change:

http://clac-comerciojusto.org/lineas-de-trabajo/ejes-trasversales/cambio-climatico/

Inevitably, perhaps, they sent a delegate to COP23 with the title of "Climate Change Coordinator", namely Ms. Giannina Cadena Lopez. If I have identified her correctly on the internet, she seems to be a Pacific seabird expert, so in my opinion it's a shame to see her spending her days at Bonn last November rather doing something to help or study seabirds.

Asociación de Comunidades Forestales de Petén (which roughly translates as the Association of Forest Communities of Petén) sent 3 delegates to COP 23. This is their website:

http://www.acofop.org/

"Currently the Association of Forest Communities of Petén (ACOFOP), we are a community-based association, made up of twenty-four (24) peasant and indigenous organizations, which through Good Community Forestry Management guarantee the perpetuity of the forests of the Multiple Use Zone ( ZUM) of the Maya Biosphere Reserve. Under the figure of ACOFOP, the community forestry business sector is represented.

The main objective is to achieve the improvement of the quality of life of the communities, through integral forest management and environmental services, thus promoting sustainability; social, ecological, economic and political aspects of the Multiple Use Zone and the Maya Biosphere Reserve."

SIgn me up - sounds very worthwhile.

But, like so many of these organisations, a search of their website shows much ostensible concern about climate change. Their 3 delegates were:

Sra. Reina Isabel Pasos Medrano, Oficial de proyecto, Asociación de Comunidades Forestales de Petén.

She appears to be an independent consultant from Nicaragua.

Mr. Damian Hernandez, Miembro, Asociación de Comunidades Forestales de Petén. This might be him (but I can;'t be sure):

"Damian is a PhD student interested in understanding the crosstalk between plants and their microbiome at a molecular/systems level. He became interested in molecular plant biology while completing his Master’s thesis on transcriptional complexes in hormone-mediated immune responses. He would like to continue researching molecular plant biology, but with a focus on plant-microbe interactions and the regulation of their underlying molecular network."

Mr. Marvin Sotelo Reyes, Executive Secretary, Alianza Mesoamericana, Asociación de Comunidades Forestales de Petén.

He appears on a website called ABC Climate change (cambio climatico) with sections on it like this:

Global Warming;
Greenhouse Effect;
Kyoto Protocol;
Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change;
Efficient Energy Use

So I suppose it's no surprise he was at COP23.

Asociación Española de la Industria Eléctrica sent 8 delegates to COP 23, so they were taking it seriously.

This is their website:

http://www.unesa.es/

Google translate offer us this refreshingly honest offering from their website:

"The Spanish Association of the Electrical Industry is a professional organization of a sectoral nature, for the representation, promotion, management and defense of the general and common interests of its members that are entrusted to them, as well as the electric sector. In particular, external communication at all levels is a priority aim of the Association, which allows for an in-depth explanation of the sector and which allows maintaining an image of the sector in accordance with reality. In all cases in which UNESA acts or exercises the aforementioned functions, the association will be especially vigilant in complying with the competition rules.

The origins of UNESA go back to 1944, but its constitution as Business Association took place on June 24, 1999. Although at present it does not respond strictly to its denomination, in the act of constitution it was established that, together with its name official, the UNESA anagram would be used , for reasons of historical continuity."

Delegates:

Ms. Cristina Rivero Fernandez, Head, Environment and Climate Change Department:

"Biological Sciences, Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Masters on Environmental Impact Assessment. and on Environmental auditing and Environmental business planning
Since 1990, working on environmental issues related to the electricity industry at national, European and international level. Representing the Spanish electricity sector in several fora related to environment and climate change at national and international level (Eurelectric, UNFCCC, IEA. Latin-American associations...). Participation in research projects related to the determination of ecological flows in hydropower streams, calculations of critical loads for atmospheric pollutants in Spain and guide for the implementation of the Clean Development Mechanism in Latin-America.
Member of the working groups of the Spanish Confederation of Employers and the Spanish Administration on: Emissions Trading Directive, Policies and measures for the abatement of greenhouse gases in the industrial sectors, Implementation in Spain of the Flexible Mechanisms of the Kioto Protocol, environmental taxation and environmental liability.
- Coordination of the environmental issues with Latinamerica.
- Observer to the UNFCCC process since 2001."

Mr. Jean-Yves Caneill, ERCST:

"Dr. Jean-Yves CANEILL got his engineering degree at ENSTA (Ecole Nationale Superieure des Techniques Avancées in Paris) and pursued in the same time advanced courses in numerical analysis and convex analysis. He got his PhD Thesis at University Paris VI in 1979. He joined then Electricité de France within the R&D Division where he had various positions and activities. He launched the first project at EDF devoted to the climate issue in 1990. In 1995, he started to get involved in the climate international process and moved in the economics field and became strongly involved in the EU developments related to the design of the ETS directive, together managing research projects on the economical consequences of the carbon constraint for the management of power generation units. He moved then at the corporate level of EDF Group where he is presently Head of Climate Policy, and represents its company in many instances. He has been strongly involved in the European and international debate on the climate issue, attending the climate negotiation conferences under the Eurelectric banner. Particularly these last years he has been strongly involved in dialogues with EGTT, TNA, TEC and CTCN process (UNFCCC) through WBCSD and ICC. He was nominated as a member of the CTCN Advisory Board to represent the private sector for a mandate of one year when this centre started its actiivity. He is also following the GCF issue as an observer. He is also involved in different collaborations with MIT, CEPS, and IDDRI."

Mr. Iban Antonio Chico de la Felicidad:

"Ibán Chico de la Felicidad, Director of Corporate Environment at Gas Natural Fenosa

EcoAvantis (E) : Why do you think environmental respect is important for multinationals in the energy sector such as Gas Natural Fenosa?
Ibán Chico (IC): The protection of the environment is a responsibility not only of people, but also of organizations. In this sense, energy companies must play a leading role with committed and responsible action in the protection of the environment and the use of natural resources, both our production processes and those of our suppliers, and of course, in the forms of consume our customers and society in general.

E: Could you cite some of Gas Natural Fenosa's main achievements with the Environment?
IC: Our company builds and operates industrial facilities in more than 30 countries in order to transport and transform the energy necessary for the development and well-being of people. This leads us to develop a large number of actions related to the environment that have their origin in our Corporate Responsibility Policy. Among the most recent achievements, we should highlight the acknowledgments associated with our policy and transparency on climate change, as well as the implementation of the best environmental technologies to minimize the impact of our activity on the environment, as is the case of the recently completed restoration from the Meirama mine."

Sr. Amado Gil Martinez, Responsable del departamento de Cambio Climático, Empresa Miembro de la Fundación
Privada Empresa y Clima Fundación Privada Empresa & Clima :

"He currently holds the position of Head of the Climate Change Department of Gas Natural Fenosa.

Master in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Davis, where he also developed teaching and research work as Associate Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering.

For more than 10 years he has combined his professional activity with teaching, as Associate Professor in the Thermal Engineering Department of ETSI Industriales of the Carlos III University of Madrid, where he has also participated in research projects for the reduction of CO emissions. 2 through the use of residual thermal energies."

Mr. Miguel Angel Muñoz, Rodriguez, Senior analyst, Iberdrola:

"Senior analyst in the Iberdrola Presidency Area. From 2008 to 2014 he was part of the Regulation Department at Iberdrola, coordinating the area of ​​energy policy and studies. Until 2008 he was Technical Advisor in energy and environment in the Economic Office of the President of the Government of Spain.

Bachelor of Economics, Extraordinary Award of his promotion, MSc in Economic Analysis and Financial Economics by the Complutense University of Madrid, and MBA in management of energy companies by Nebrija University.

He has collaborated in institutional publications such as the Spanish Strategy for Sustainable Development and in the Economic Report of the President of the Government 2007 and 2008, and is the author of several publications on energy security, climate change and regulation of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

He combines his professional activity in Iberdrola with the teaching activity. He is a professor in the Master's Degree in International Affairs: Economy, Politics and Law (Universidad Pontificia Comillas) and in the Master's Degree in Energy Business (Spanish Energy Club)."

Mr. Jorge Pina Pérez:

Whilst at Bonn, he attended a Technical Expert Meeting on Adaptation Effective policy frameworks and institutional arrangements for adaptation planning and implementation.

Mr. Alejandro José Rodriguez Palao, Experto/Responsable en Cambio Climatico y Proyectos de Medio Ambiente, ENDESA SA:

"We are living a key moment, facing a very important change in the global economic model and where the climate change plays a crucial role since it will condition the transition process. As an evidence of this, we can find the results of the fifth IPCC report (AR5) and the recent ratification of the Paris Agreement, which involves an historic global commitment not only in mitigation but also in adaptation to climate change It is important to highlight the responsibility of the electricity sector in the aforementioned transition, but also its high exposure to climate change, both at the electricity demand and supply level. Therefore, climatic modeling plays a very important role since it helps electricity companies to assess their degree of vulnerability against climate change (electricity generation and distribution infrastructures, markets, etc..). ENDESA started working in this issue in 2011, and to date it has accumulated a wealth of experience in many different fields of the adaptation to climate change including private and public collaborations with the Spanish government."

Mr. Gonzalo Saenz de Miera, Director de Prospectiva Energética, Iberdrola:

He authored this piece:

https://www.politico.eu/sponsored-content/great-expectations-for-cop23-beyond-implementing-the-paris-agreement/

Asociación Española del Gas sent 7 delegates to COP 23. This is their website:

https://www.sedigas.es/

"In 1970, the companies of the Spanish gas sector formed the Spanish Gas Association, Sedigas, with the aim of promoting the liberalization of the market.

Currently, the Association's main objectives are to defend the interests of its members and promote the use of gas as a key element of economic development in our country and as a guarantee of the quality of life for future generations.

Natural gas is the conventional energy with the least environmental impact, its reserves are abundant and geographically diverse, its high calorific value facilitates its application in high energy efficiency technologies and its versatility of use makes it an essential part of the process towards a society less carbon intensive

Clean, safe and efficient, gas ensures the coverage of energy demand and supports the implementation of renewable energies in the world energy map of the 21st century."

This part was most refreshingly honest:

"he Association's main objectives are to defend the interests of its members and promote the use of gas...". I wonder how their fellow COP23 attendees view them? Maybe they needed to be 7 in number for self-defence...

Delegates:

Sra. Marta Margarit, General Secretary. She gives a very interesting interview here:

http://www.energyboardroom.com/interviews/interview-marta-margarit-borras-secretary-general-spanish-gas-association-sedigas/

Much of it makes a lot of sense, but she obviously still felt the need for some politically correct climate-speak:

"Spain’s gas sector is growing rapidly and will play a key role in decarbonizing the economies of Europe. Everybody is working towards this goal and we are there to help. Moreover, we work on achieving cleaner air in our cities as well.

Gas is the cleanest of fossil fuels and we work on achieving more cars, public transport, ships and even trains fuelled by natural gas. Engines fuelled by natural gas produce near 0 NOx emissions and PM particles, both responsible for the urban air pollution to a great extent. That is the reason why the Eco environmental badge was recently issued by the Spanish Department for Transport to natural gas vehicles, whose drivers are already allowed to travel under any circumstance, regardless of any environmental alert in any Spanish city. As for maritime transport, vessels anchored in ports have great impact on cities’ pollution and LNG liquefied natural gas ships are definitely the best alternative, particularly when it comes to improving the quality of the air we breathe."

Mr. José María Eduardo Arceluz.

Ms. Ana Fernandez Fernandez.

Sr. Juan Carlos Garcia Marinas, EDP:

" The importance of coal (and emergent clean coal technologies) should not be underestimated given that there is estimated to be 170 years-worth of coal reserves in the world. Juan Carlos Garcia Marinas, HC Energy Asturias."

That quote was from the Scottish Parliament's Brussels Bulletin for October 2007. I wonder how he persuaded them to print it?:

http://archive.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/europe/documents/2007.10.23BB.pdf

Ms. Alejandra Landeria Morillo.

Mr. Jose Domingo Martinez Rodriguez.

Ms. Sara Molinero.

Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana appears to translate as Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest. Their website can be found here:

http://www.aidesep.org.pe/

They sent 3 delegates to COP23.

As is so often the case, this is an organisation carrying our work of which I can only approve. It's a shame that as usual (is this necessary to attract money?) they start the "What we do" section of their website with:

"Adapt climate policies and programs at the national level to guarantee rights over territory, management and territorial governance and the Amazonian Indigenous REDD + strategy (RIA)
Articulate proposals and strategies to face climate change that include mitigation, adaptation and resilience actions.
Generate proposals from the perspective of indigenous peoples within the framework of climate projects: FIP, MDE, RPP, UN-REDD, JICA-REDD and others.
Advance zero net deforestation by controlling megaprojects / large deforestation engines, especially oil palm and Amazon agroindustry.
Promote climate justice, indigenous self-determination in global climate agreements
Articulation of the proposal of the Amazonian indigenous peoples for the scope of the Determined National Contributions and the Paris Agreement.
Implementation of the AIDESEP climate proposals vis-à-vis the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Conferences of the Parties (COP)".

Delegates:

Mr. Jamner Manihuari Curitima, Presidente, AIDESEP.

He is a member of the Steering Committee of DGM Global, who do things like hold the DGM Africa Regional
Training Workshop on Climate Change on 19-23 July, 2016 at Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Sra. Nery Luz Zapata Fasabi:

"The Regional Coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples of Atalaya (CORPIAA) base of AIDESEP (Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle) will carry out a series of activities on the occasion of the celebration for its third anniversary.

Various activities will be held for this celebration, such as holding a training workshop on the COP20 annual climate change meeting, which will take place in Lima in December, according to the indigenous leader of the Yine family, Nery Luz Zapata Fasabi."

Sr. Marcial Mudarra Taki, Awajun Leader, Regional Organization, CORPI.

From websites such as this:

http://gptublog.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/

it appears that he has been one of a number of indigenous leaders arrested, charged and released. There are suggestions the charges were trumped up, and the state is engaged in harassment. It may be that this is a brave man.

Asociación La Ruta del Clima sent only 2 delegates to COP23, which is a bit of a surprise, given who they are and what they do. This is their website:

https://larutadelclima.org/

"RUTA DEL CLIMA IS A LATIN-AMERICAN NGO FOCUSED ON ACTIONS FOR CLIMATE EMPOWERMENT. OUR TEAM FOSTERS CITIZEN PARTICIPATION CLIMATE CHANGE GOVERNANCE THROUGH EDUCATION, AWARENESS AND CAPACITY BUILDING.
WE ENGAGE IN ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATIONS, REGIONAL FORUM ORGANIZATION, CLIMATE TALKS, WORKSHOPS, CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES AND CONSULTANCIES ON CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY. WE FACILITATE TOOLS FOR CITIZENS AND ORGANIZATION TO ENGAGE IN SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE GOVERNANCE."

"Climate Route maintains a radio broadcast program for education and awareness on climate change.

In this act of empowerment use traditional radio stations but also we publish podcast to promote awareness and education on climate change."

"Climate Training
Training on climate change and sustainability for Organizations and companies in order to .. This Facilitate Compliance With CSR Objectives, complementary goals of projects, part of training Initiatives or others.
- Technical training on mitigation and adaptation
- Organizational sensitization on the effects of climate change.
- Development of special projects for sustainability and Carbon Reduction."

And so on...

Delegates:

Mr. Adrian Alberto Martínez Blanco, President, Board (from Costa Rica):

"MA. Environment, Development and Peace. Specialist in Public Policies Climate Change: Adrián is passionate about working with other young people promoting projects that bring Latin American youth closer to international climate change negotiations and the right to development. He works in environmental law, researches on community adaptation to climate change and promotes informed citizen participation."

Sra. Rosa Elena Vásquez Rodríguez, Project Coordinator, Board (also from Costa Rica):

"Engineer and Environmental Consultant: Rosa has a great sensitivity towards socio-environmental issues and the effects that these have on vulnerable populations. It has promoted initiatives that develop improvements in the environmental management of the productive sector and leads initiatives for carbon neutrality. She is an environmental engineer and consultant who is very concerned about citizen participation and to create intersectoral capacities to change towards a model of sustainable development and low emissions."

Asociacion para la Naturaleza y Desarrollo Sostenible (0r Association ANDES as they call themselves) sent 4 delegates to COP23. Their website can be found here:

http://www.andes.org.pe/

"ANDES is a non-profit association involved in:

Struggle and relief from poverty

Biodiversity management

Recongnition and strengthening of communal traditional rights on biocultural resources, and

Promotion of institutional changes and policies relevant to conservation and development.

This work takes into account the considerations of:

Gender,

Conservation,

Sustainability and

Participative processes.

To that effect ANDES:

Works cooperatively with indigenous organizations at the communal level in the development of adaptive models of indigenous biocultural heritage that affirm the rights and reponsibilities of the communities and that strengthen food sovereignty and local sustainability.

Utilizes communal development strategies based on the Andean cosmovision and traditional values in an effort that the interventions are holistic, democratic, participative and efective locally.

In recent years ANDES has become in a nationally and internationally recognized organization in the area of defense of indigenous rights on genetic resources, traditional knowledge and the protection and conservation of centers of origin of native Andean crops and landscape.

ANDES is a pioneer in the promotion and establishment of Biocultural Heritages Areas, based on an innovative strategy that combines conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity and landscape in the development of new strategies of local sustenance and poverty reduction."

A lot of good stuff there. Sadly, however, they are fully signed up to the usual mantras:

"The social and political complexity of climate change and its impacts, and the predictive limits of mainstream global models suggests that local initiatives which use wider and locally contextualized frameworks are necessary contributions for understanding change to assess impacts and develop appropriate response strategies. The IPCCA has developed an indigenous biocultural approach for conducting assessments of climate change and its challenges to indigenous communities. Indigenous knowledge and practices have historically produced resilient landscapes and territories, but climate change threatens this resilience. Assessments of conditions and trends are producing evidence of the use of indigenous knowledge for responding to extreme climatic events, developing strategies that can build resilience and support adaptation to safeguard rights and promote well-being. Our biocultural approach is based on an indigenous vision of an interconnected world, in which the bio-physical, socio-cultural and spiritual all play an important role in maintaining resilience through the guiding principle of reciprocity. Such a contextualised indigenous approach is able to provide evidence where global models and processes fall short. Through linking local bio cultural realities with complex global processes, the IPCCA assessments are providing indigenous communities with the necessary tools and methods to deal with the threat of climate change."

Delegates:

Ms. Helene Botreau, Program Coordinator & Lead Researcher:

"Hélène was born in France. She is currently the principal researcher for SD=HS that works in conserving biodiversity and native seeds in 13 communities in the Lares District."

Ms. Sara Argumedo Gomez, Researcher:

"Sara specializes in border and migration politics. Currently, she is Program Assistant for the SD=HS project in the Lares District."

Ms. Sonia Quispe Ttito, Farmer/Researcher:

Also involved in the Lares Project. "Sonia is native of the community of Choquecancha, in the region Cusco, Peru. She lives there with her family on their farm. She is considered a leader in her community for her commitment to biodiversity conservation and er participation in different activities and collectives that aim to conserve plant genetic recourses and the traditional knowledge associated with them. She belongs to the local handicraft collective, participated in the formation of the local gastronomy collective, aiming to conserve local biodiversity and traditional food and nutrition-systems through the promotion of biodiverse diets consisting of local plant species (NUS) high in nutritional value; and
finally, she is involved in participatory plant breeding training and in the development of breeding methodologies. Because of her commitment and position as a community leader, in December of 2016, she was elected to attend the Conference on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cancun, Mexico, where a side-event was held explaining the advances of the Sowing Diversity = Harvesting Security (Oxfam Novib) program."

Sr. Ricardo Pacco Chipa, Field Coordinator:

"Ricardo is a community leader of the Quechua community, Paru Paru, Potato Park. He has worked as a local technician since 2002 and participates in networks of indigenous mountain communities. He is currently the Local Coordinator of the SD=HS program in Lares."

Asociación Proteger sent a single delegate to COP23, one Richard Siren.

It's proving difficult to find out much about them, but they seem to COP regulars. Here's a little online snippet:

"Sarah Queblatin, GEN's excellent coordinator, introduced the panel and our humble network, then handed off to Geun Jeong of Green Korea, who showed some harrowing images of Korean children being scanned for fallout from Fukushima but through slides, video and music, focused on alternative energy futures for her country, rising spontaneously from the grass roots. She handed off to Richard Siren and Lileana Lewinski of Asociacion Protoger who spoke about their work in Argentina and Africa redesigning the built environment by recovering the native vernacular of natural buildings."

Not much more to say - they seem to be quite low profile.