United Nations Climate Change

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP19 or CMP9 was held in Warsaw, Poland from 11 to 23 November 2013, stretching on by one day more than scheduled. This is the 19th yearly session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 19) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 9th session of the Meeting of the Parties (CMP 9) to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The conference delegates continue the negotiations towards a global climate agreement. UNFCCC's Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres and Poland's Minister of the Environment Marcin Korolec led the negotiations. The conference led to an agreement that all states would start cutting emissions as soon as possible, but preferably by the first quarter of 2015. The Warsaw Mechanism was also proposed.

The opening of COP 19 on November 11, 2013:

The location of UNFCCC talks are rotated by regions throughout United Nations countries. In 2013 Warsaw, the capital and largest city in Poland, was chosen to represent the Eastern European Group in the COP 19 Presidency.

The choice of Poland has been criticised by environmental organizations, including Greenpeace, because of the country's lack of commitment to reduce its use of fossil fuels and increase use of renewable energy. As of 2013, 88% of Poland's electricity is sourced from coal, as compared to the global average of 68% electricity from fossil fuels. And its officials have been blocking EU proposals to more effectively act against global warming. Standing alone against the other EU member states, in 2011 Poland blocked the proposed emission targets for 2050, and its environmental minister Marcin Korolec declared himself sceptical about the EU's strategy to lead by example.

Over 10,000 participants from 189 countries have registered to attend the conference, but only 134 ministers announced participation. Four countries that are among the most vulnerable to climate change are represented by their president or prime minister:...