20-25 September 2009

2009 is a key year for Climate Change because the successor to the Kyoto Protocol should be agreed at the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP 15), which takes place in Copenhagen from 7-18 December.  The majority of world governments will be represented there and their delegates will be responsible for finalising the details of the agreement that will provide the framework for international action on Climate Change from 2012 onwards.

We aim to engage several of our Climate Advocates in the process leading up to COP 15 by organising an International Climate Camp for them, which will take place in Slovenia from 20-25 September 2009.

What is the International Climate Camp?

The International Climate Camp will bring together a multinational group of Climate Advocates and provide them with a creative space in which to share their experience, gain new knowledge, and generate ideas that they would like to see presented at COP 15. 

The camp will be attended by five participants from each of Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Turkey, the UK, and Slovenia.  They will be accommodated in a “green” venue that will give them plenty of opportunity for exchanging information, working in groups, and networking.  They will find out how international agreements on climate change are developed, influenced and implemented, and will have the chance to learn more about different aspects of climate change from international experts.  They will share their own ideas with these experts and develop their own list of priorities for COP 15.  Crucially, they will present these priorities to representatives of the Slovenian government who will be attending COP 15 and others who will be responsible for implementing climate change policies in the country.  They therefore have a chance to make a real and lasting difference.

What will be the benefits of the International Climate Camp to the Climate Advocates?

•    Developing understanding – of climate change issues and the processes by which international agreements on climate change are reached.
•    Developing ideas – Climate Advocates will work collaboratively to identify the top ten priority topics they would like to see tackled during COP15.
•    Knowledge-sharing and networking – with each other, with experts, and subsequently with the wider network of Climate Advocates across Europe.
•    Making a difference – through direct access to relevant groups, including Slovenian policy-makers and international organisations such as UN and EC, Climate Advocates can influence how climate change is addressed in the future.

What is the agenda for the International Climate Camp?

Initially the Climate Advocates will be given a thorough briefing on the processes that lead up to the formation of international climate change agreements by an expert who has been directly involved in those processes and is part of the Slovenian delegation to COP 15.
There will then be workshops led by international experts on the four major areas to be covered by the Copenhagen conference:
•    Forming reduction objectives
•    Financing for developing countries
•    Technological cooperation
•    Adaptation

Climate Advocates will then present the approaches being taken by their own countries to tackle climate change, looking at similarities, differences, and examples of good practice.
Having gathered sufficient knowledge about international approaches to climate change, the Advocates will discuss and develop their own ideas for the top ten priority issues that should be covered by the Copenhagen agreement.
On the final day the Climate Advocates will present these ideas, for discussion, to representatives of the Slovenian government, the diplomatic community in Slovenia, the EC, the UN and the media.

Who is organising and supporting the International Climate Camp?

The British Council is organising the International Climate Camp in association with Focus, Association for Sustainable Development - the Slovenian NGO most active on Climate Change;  see http://www.focus.si/ in association with the British Embassy and in cooperation with the European Comission Representation in Slovenia.

The International Climate Camp is being supported by:
The Office of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, The Office of the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Slovenia, The Slovenian Ministry for Environment and Spatial Planning, The Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The United Nations Information Service, Vienna, The Finnish Embassy in Slovenia, The Danish Embassy in Slovenia, The Hungarian Embassy in Slovenia, The Turkish Embassy in Slovenia.

Media Note

We encourage you to use the backgrounder together with short introduction of Climate Advocates participating at the Climate Camp and photos of participants available from Slovenian Press Agency. 

For more information about Challenge Europe visit http://challengeeurope.britishcouncil.org or contact:
Adriana Dvoršak, Project Manager Slovenia, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,        
tel.: +386 31 378 683,
Hanna Klinge, Project Manager Finland, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,                        
tel.: +358 40 5548 365
Ozlem Gokalp, Project Manager Turkey, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,               
tel.: +90 312 455 3651,
Ian Wilding, Project Manager United Kingdom, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,               
tel.: +44 161 957 7603,
Andrea Simon, Project Manager Hungary, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,              
tel.: +36 20 333 8427,
Brid Conneely, Project Manager Denmark, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,                
tel.: +45 20984503.