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Discussion > COP 23

Mark

it's not "my" thread :-)

I really appreciate you taking the time to regale us with these attendee numbers and other stuff - I well know what a chore it can be to extract stuff like that.

I recall digging around Doha and UKYCC's delegation and their funding (shady purportedly Canadian "philanthropy" ) - and discovered that they swerve accounting scrutiny via charity rules. I'm tempted to "Read our first 5 years report and be amazed" flash bannered on the web site but well, enough's enough...

At a very rough guess I'd estimate that less than 50% of the delegates have a legitimate mandate to get their knees under the table. Hansen?... his granddaughter? - pffffff..... What most definitely isn't clear is the funding of the delegates - it seems clear to me that many of the attendees come from organisations that would/could not fund the trip - so I'm wondering if there is financial assistance given to attendees who pass some kind of accreditation test.

Dec 22, 2017 at 8:53 PM | Registered Commentertomo

Thanks tomo - appreciated.

Next up is ACT Alliance - Action by Churches Together. They sent 6 delegates. This is their website:

http://actalliance.org/

Although an alliance of churches, they are clearly greatly motivated by climate alarmism. The first page of their website has 3 prominent pieces:

Moving towards resilience; and “We must increase climate action and global solidarity with the vulnerable,” says ACT Alliance; and [COP23 Blog] Climate Action means implementation of the Paris Agreement.

In fairness, their work does cover other areas:

"ACT Alliance is a coalition of more than 140 churches and church-related organisations working together in over 100 countries to create positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality in keeping with the highest international codes and standards.

ACT Alliance is supported by 25,000 staff from member organisations and mobilises about $1.5 billion for its work each year in three targeted areas:

humanitarian aid

development

advocacy

ACT Alliance is deeply rooted in the communities it serves. It has earned the trust and respect of local people long before large international interventions scale up, and remains steadfast in its grassroots commitments for many years after world attention has shifted elsewhere.

This means that every day, ACT Alliance is on the frontlines:

addressing systemic poverty

supporting survivors of disasters, wars and conflicts

training rural communities in sustainable agricultural techniques

helping people adapt to environmental change,

and influencing governments and other key decision makers to safeguard citizens’ human rights."

I'm guessing, but I think the first named delegate, Martin Vogel, is a director of Vogel Wakefield:

"Martin helps senior executives and emerging leaders who face complex challenges. Sceptical of unrealistic goals, he encourages leaders to focus on being the best they can be given the reality of their situation. He brings a facility to hold strategic and systemic considerations while digging deep on salient matters. He draws on inquiry skills honed in journalism, coaching and strategy development and a career-long interest in the role of organisations in society.

Martin creates a reflective space in which he encourages clients to connect with their values, understand their networks and foster equanimity about the inevitable compromises of organisational life. This enables people to be more aware of their influence and to exercise leadership effectively and ethically. Typical issues include: stepping up to challenging roles; making an impact amid rapid change; making wise judgments when others are floundering. People appreciate the openness and candour that Martin brings and the sensitivity with which he enables people to face up to difficult issues."

I think this is the website of the second delegate, Jobst Kraus:

http://jobstkraus.de/

"We face the global challenge of how societies can make the qualitative leap into a sustainable world. It is about finding the transition to an ecologically-solidary civilization that allows all people a good life, without destroying the creation. Practical perspectives are important to me in my work and are impulses for an implementation in everyday life, which brings us closer to these goals.

What has hitherto been found mainly in niches must become a rule, but it must become a matter of course: the sparing use of scarce resources, decentralized and renewable energy generation, eco-friendly purchasing, sustainable mobility and much more.

I hope that the contents of this website motivate you to think further and also to experiment in practice, how a "less, different, better" can succeed - be it in your own household, in the workplace, in the community, in church or association. Maybe then other people will succeed in inspiring such a sustainable future."

ACT's website has a profile of their 3rd delegate:

"Khulekani Sizwe Magwaza is from South Africa. He is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (ELCSA) and a Theology Student. He is LWF Council Member and part of the LWF Climate Network. He is championing the Green ELCSA which is a church’s climate change initiative and he is Secretary-General of the South African Youth Climate Change Coalition (SAYCCC)."

This is the 4th delegate:

"Bruno Nicostrate, Climate Change Advocacy Officer at ACT Alliance EU: “The window of opportunity to keep global warming below 1.5°C is rapidly closing. Just a few more years to prevent irreversible loss and damage which will annihilate the progress made so far. The Sustainable Development Goals will only be achieved if the richest countries and the development sector integrate this temperature limit in their policies and practices today.”"

I think their 5th delegate tweets: Mattias Söderberg - "@Mattias_S
Senior advocacy adviser at @DanChurchAid & Manager of the @ACTalliance Advocacy Academy - Tweets about #climatechange sustainable #globaldev and #landrights"

The final delegate was Dinesh Chandra Vyas. I think he also tweets: "@dinvyas
Development Worker, Concerned with Sustainable Development and Climate Change related issues."

Dec 23, 2017 at 7:44 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

Action in Hunger sent a single delegate, thereby keeping a sense of proportion. They seem to be an admirable organisation, for whom climate change seems to be a much lower priority than doing something very worthwhile. From their website:

"As well as providing children and their families around the world with support and care, we work to encourage governments to champion the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

WHY DO WE CAMPAIGN?
The global community has the knowledge and resources to ensure that no child dies from preventable and treatable malnutrition, but the lack of political will means that every 30 seconds, somewhere in the world, a child needlessly dies from acute malnutrition. Campaigning and influencing is one of the most cost effective ways to build political will and achieve impact on hunger and malnutrition.

Alongside providing life-saving support to families, we aim to influence the policies and practices of governments to:

Ensure that high-impact programmes and interventions can continue to reach the poorest and most vulnerable people;
Address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition.
Through our campaigning we aim to deliver sustainable change that will benefit millions of families.
WHO DO WE WANT TO INFLUENCE?
At the international level we work with our partners to influence global processes and key players in nutrition.

In the UK we focus particularly on the UK Government, which provides the largest amount of humanitarian assistance after the United States, as well as being one of the biggest donors to overseas development assistance (ODA), spending 0.7% of their Gross National Income (GNI) on overseas aid.

We also work in partnership with other stakeholders to help encourage more support for tackling acute malnutrition internationally, including UK based companies, academics and aid agencies."

No complaints from me.

Dec 23, 2017 at 7:49 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

Action Planéterre next. They sent 2 delegates. This is their website:

http://www.actionplaneterre.org/

They seem to be obsessed with climate change, but given their name, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Their website is (unsurprisingly) in French, but Google translate offers this:

"Created on the eve of the Lima climate conference in 2014, Action Planéterre is a development NGO working for the preservation of the environment, the fight against climate change and access to sustainable energy.

With a young dynamic team, it develops and supports local actors and associations in the implementation of sustainable development actions with a strong environmental, economic and social dimension for the improvement of the living conditions of populations and the preservation of natural resources. .

Based in France, Action Planeterre currently works in Africa, particularly in Mali and Togo with local actors and associations."

Dec 23, 2017 at 7:52 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

Action Solidarité Tiers-Monde a.s.b.l. next, with a single delegate: Ms. Rocio Mercedes Meza Suarez, Lawyer, Legal Department IDL – Instituto de Defensa Legal . Online she describes herself as a layer specialising in Human Rights and Environmental issues.

From the website of Action Solidarité Tiers Monde, google translate tells us that it "is a Luxembourg non-governmental development organization that has been fighting since 1969 for the political, economic and social emancipation of the peoples of the Third World. It is guided by the conviction that major obstacles to this emancipation are located at home, in the centers of economic and political power. That's why we recognize equal importance to all three aspects of our business:

Support to people in the South:
- Africa ,
- South America ,
- Central America ,
- Asia

Information and awareness here:
- Third World Information Center
- Cultural Agency
- Agency towns
- Review Brennpunkt

Political work:
- Analysis and political action

ASTM is a non-profit organization approved by the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Department . She is a member of the Luxembourg Cooperation Circle and the Grupo Sur network . ASTM complies with the CONCORD Code of Conduct for Images and Messages .

The objectives and strategies of ASTM are defined in the ASTM charter."

Dec 24, 2017 at 2:02 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

ActionAid International sent 4 delegates. This is their website:

http://www.actionaid.org/

"We’re an international organisation, working with over 15 million people in 45 countries for a world free from poverty and injustice.

Our head office is in Johannesburg. We’re the only international development organisation with our head office based in Africa. We also have offices right across Asia, the Americas and Europe. We believe the people whose lives our work affects should decide how we’re run.

And that’s what makes us different. We help people use their own power to fight poverty and injustice. Because that’s how real change happens – for families, for communities, for whole societies."

"We focus on the people that others forget. People in poverty. People who face discrimination. People whose voices are ignored.

We help people fight for the rights that they are denied. Simple things, like the right to eat. The right to stay on their land. To an education. To have a say in the decisions that shape their lives.

We’re not about giving handouts or telling people what to do, because in the long run we know that doesn’t work. Instead, we use our resources, influence and experience to help people find their own solutions.

We listen to what people really want and need. We help communities take action together to hold their governments to account, and we give local organisations our support where they need it. Together, we’re making a lasting difference."

Which, in my book, is all admirable.

Unfortunately, their website also contains this:

"The rich countries cause climate change, but it’s the poorer countries that are suffering the consequences. We’re supporting communities who are trying to cope with the disastrous effects of climate change. And we’re challenging world leaders to do something about it.

ActionAid is working with communities, and challenging world leaders, to protect poor people from the disastrous effects of climate change caused by human action.

If not urgently addressed, climate change is likely to place millions of more people at risk of increased hunger, disease and disasters.

A growing body of evidence, including the recent reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), paints a picture of falling crop yields, problems with access to water, the degradation of many eco-systems, and an increase in diseases such as malaria, spread by insects.

As well as responding to climate-related disasters, ActionAid is working with communities to help them deal with a changed climate. We are also campaigning for change at the global level, because international action is needed to make a difference."

And this:

"ActionAid is calling on rich governments to repay their climate debts. Rich countries need to drastically reduce their emissions so that developing countries have scope to grow their economies without destroying the planet.

The rich world needs to provide finance and technology to enable developing countries to reduce emissions, adapt effectively to climate change, compensate communities for loss and damages and chart low-emission pathways out of poverty."

Which is no doubt why they felt it necessary to send 4 delegates. Those delegates were:

Mr. Harjeet Singh, Global Lead on Climate Change, Policy Directorate, ActionAid International. From ActionAid's website:

"Harjeet Singh is the global lead on climate change for ActionAid. Based in New Delhi, India he supports countries across the world on policy advocacy related to climate change. Prior to this, he managed disaster resilience programme globally and coordinated emergency response and preparedness work in Asia and the Americas. Until 2007, he led the tsunami response programme in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for ActionAid India.

Harjeet is closely associated with the Global Network of CSOs on Disaster Reduction (GNDR) and Climate Action Network (CAN) International as well as its South Asian node. He is also the one of the founder-directors of the Alliance of Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction (AADRR), India and presently chairs the network.

He writes regularly on climate change and disaster resilience issues. He tweets at @harjeet11 and can be reached at harjeet.singh@actionaid.org."

And Ms. Teresa Anderson, Policy Officer, Climate & Resilience International
@1teresaanderson on Twitter

She has several pieces on their website, and if I were concerned about climate change, I would have to agree with this:

"And for those people for whom climate impacts are so severe that they can’t even adapt – for example the Bangladeshi farmers whose lands have disappeared permanently beneath the seas – what can the Paris deal do to help them address loss and damage?

Well, we got our answer in Paris on Saturday. And it was non-committal at best, and actively harmful at worst.

Two weeks earlier, the negotiations had started with stirring speeches from Heads of State. President Obama’s speech in particular hinted that the US was finally ready to recognise that vulnerable countries need a way to address loss and damage.

But the price the US extracted in return for their nod of recognition was far too high. The final deal, while recognising that loss and damage is an issue, explicitly prevents affected countries from ever seeking financial compensation to cope. Many were left wondering at the point of the exercise.

Although we did achieve some good wording on adaptation, developed countries’ refusal to back this with solid assurances of finance means that fine words may never become real action. In fact, all the financial commitments outlined in the Paris Agreement were quietly weakened in an accompanying document of decisions, with slippery language that countries only “intend” to continue towards their current finance goal.

Many more of the wins that have been celebrated in the Paris deal have actually been carefully undone in the small print. The notional target of limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C, for example, is unrealistic without the rules and tools to make sure we don’t go over that target. There is much work to be done to ensure that mitigation action driven by the long-term goal on greenhouse gas emissions does not drive massive land grabs for bioenergy while allowing countries to continue polluting business-as-usual. In fact, under the Paris Agreement, historically polluting countries can pledge to do as little as they like, instead of being legally obliged to take action as they are currently under the Kyoto Protocol. With current climate pledges heading us on a path for nearly 3°C, they need to do far, far more."

The third delegate was Mr. Brandon Wu, Senior Policy Analyst, ActionAid International. From their website:

"Brandon Wu is ActionAid USA’s Director of Policy and Campaigns. He oversees ActionAid’s research, advocacy, coalition building and campaigning work on issues such as food security, land rights, biofuels and more. He personally leads ActionAid’s work on international climate justice, approaching the problem of climate change from the perspective of sustainable development and rights of impacted people. His work in this capacity has focused on climate finance for developing countries, fairness and equity in the global climate regime, and energy democracy in the Global South.

Brandon has served on the Board of Directors of Climate Action Network-International, a network of over 900 NGOs in 100 countries, and recently completed a two-year term as the first elected developed country civil society representative on the governing Board of the Green Climate Fund, a new multilateral institution expected to channel billions of dollars of climate finance per year.

Brandon has regularly represented ActionAid in major media outlets such as the Associated Press, Reuters, Washington Post, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, PBS NewsHour, Telesur, and many more. He has previously worked for Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG (now Environment America). He holds a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs, where he was a lead organizer in an effort to unionize 4,500 graduate employees, and a B.A. in sociology from Yale University."

Finally, Ms. Kelly Stone, Policy Analyst, Policy and Campaigns, ActionAid International - USA. From their website:

"Kelly Stone is a Senior Policy Analyst at ActionAid, focusing on biofuels, climate change, food security, and land use. She joined ActionAid USA in 2014.

Prior to joining ActionAid, Kelly worked in the House of Representatives, where she specialized in food security and also worked on foreign affairs and appropriations. She has an MSc in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and a B.A. in Political Science from DePauw University."

Without passing comment, positive or negative, I note that in the world of climate junketeering, there seem to be lots of people like this. Who pays for them all?

Dec 24, 2017 at 2:14 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

African Centre for Technology Studies next, also with 4 delegates.

http://www.acts-net.org/

"The African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) is a pioneering development research think tank on harnessing applications of science, technology and innovation policies for sustainable development in Africa. ACTS is an Intergovernmental organization founded in 1988 to pursue policy oriented research towards strengthening the capacity of African countries and institutions to harness science and technology for sustainable development. ACTS envisions a sustainable economic, social and environmental future for Africa, through science, technology and innovation.

Article 3 of the Charter of ACTS, empowers the Organization to undertake capacity building, conduct research, provide advisory services and disseminate information on the policy aspects of the application of science and technology to sustainable development in Africa. It also requires ACTS to:

Promote capacity building in the developing countries in the field of policy analysis related to sustainable development.
Monitor international trends in science and technology, undertake technology assessment and forecasting and analyze the impacts of new technologies for purposes of providing policy options to African and other developing country governments.
Promote, enhance, inspire, study and conduct the building of the institutional framework requisite for the management, assessment, sustainable utilization and conservation of natural resources.
Foster the exchange of information and networking between the Centre and other governmental and private institutions and individuals that have similar or related interests at the local, national, regional and international levels, with particular emphasis on policy matters.
Promote, encourage, inspire and undertake technical cooperation activities between and within nations.
Since its founding, ACTS has been instrumental in enlarging the range of policy choices for sustainable development in Africa. Over the last quarter century, ACTS’ work has influenced patent (i.e. industrial property) legislation and policy (Kenya); environmental impact assessment standards (Eastern and Southern Africa); bio-energy and biofuels policy (Kenya, Eastern Africa, West Africa); agricultural policy, bio-diplomacy, biotechnology and biosafety (Africa-wide); climate change adaptation and mitigation (Africa-wide).

ACTS remains among the leading institutions working on sustainable development in Africa. In 2013, it was rated amongst the top Environment Think Tanks in Africa and the world. ACTS is also a past winner (1991) of the Justinian Rweyemamu Prize from CODESRIA (Africa’s Social Science Research Council) for its work in expanding the knowledge base for Africa’s development."

Clearly they do much good work. Unfortunately, they regard climate change as a big deal. Their people produce books like this:

"Exploring the agency of Africa in climate change negotiations: the case of REDD+"

"Abstract
Emerging climate change regimes, such as the mechanism for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), are increasingly aiming to engage developing countries such as those in Africa, in sustainable development through carbon markets. The contribution of African countries to global climate negotiations determines how compatible the negotiated rules could be with the existing socioeconomic and policy circumstances of African countries. The aim of this paper is to explore the agency of Africa (African States) in the global climate change negotiations and discuss possible implications for implementing these rules using REDD+ as a case study. Drawing on document analysis and semi-structured expert interviews, our findings suggest that although African countries are extensively involved in the implementation of REDD+ interventions, the continent has a weak agency on the design of the global REDD+ architecture. This weak agency results from a number of factors including the inability of African countries to send large and diverse delegations to the negotiations as well lack of capacity to generate and transmit research evidence to the global platform. African countries also perceive themselves as victims of climate change who should be eligible for support rather than sources of technological solutions. Again, Africa’s position is fragmented across negotiation coalitions which weakens the continent's collective influence on the REDD+ agenda. This paper discusses a number of implementation deficits which could result from this weak agency. These include concerns about implementation capacity and a potential lack of coherence between REDD+ rules and existing policies in African countries. These findings call for a rethink of pathways to enhancing Africa’s strategies in engaging in multilateral climate change negotiations, especially if climate change regimes specifically targeted at developing countries are to be effective."

Delegates:

Mr. Joanes Atela, Senior Research Fellow & Head of Programme Climate Resilient Economies. From their website:

"Dr Joanes Atela is an interdisciplinary scholar with more than five years research experience in the area of environment, climate change, agriculture and development. Joanes obtained a PhD in Environment and Development from the University of Leeds, UK, MSc in Agriculture and Resource Management from the University of Bonn Germany (First Class) and BSc in Environmental Sciences from Maseno University, Kenya (First Class Honours). His PhD research provided one of the first multilevel analysis of climate change policies from the global design process down to national and local level implementation in an African setting.

Joanes’ career passion lies in innovative research and policy analysis that link multilevel policies to local resource and development realities in a manner that creates sustainable development opportunities for the poor. This passion builds on hands-on experience he gained through working with local communities to implement conservation and development projects at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute. After the practical experience, Joanes proceeded to passionately engage with diverse international research and development issues. Prior to joining ACTS, he worked at the World Agroforestry Centre as a Research Fellow and a Consultant investigating climate change policies and local livelihoods and supporting fundraising on the same. Joanes was also an Early Career Fellow at the Future Agricultures Consortium in affiliation with NEPAD-Kenya Secretariat. During the fellowship, he pursued fascinating evidence-driven research on political economy of climate change policies in Kenya. He also conceptualised the NEPAD-Kenya Fellowship Programme and interventions for the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). In 2010, Joanes was a research intern at United Nations Environmental Programme and later joined the United Nations University in Bonn as a Visiting Scientist.

Joanes has won a number of competitive academic/policy awards including the Honourable Delegate Award for exceptional achievements in the model UN Conference and Young Scientist Travel award by the European Meteorological Society among others. Joanes has also pursued several short courses including intercultural competence, environmental impact assessments, project planning and management, pathways to sustainability approach to research and policy analysis among others. He is skilled in specific analytical tools such as SPSS, R statistics, Social Network Analysis and GIS. He has published in international"

Ms. Winnie A. N. Khaemba, Researcher.

"Winnie is an environmental enthusiast. Her areas of interest include: sustainable development, climate change, natural resource management and environmental law and policy. Ms. Khaemba has been actively involved in environmental, sustainable development and climate change work since 2006 and has participated at various forums both locally and internationally."

Ms. Victoria Chengo.

"A lover of science, fascinated by nature, working towards water security & protection. I seek to create a meaningful impact in the grassroots societies through sustainable development advocacy, with a lot of emphasis on climate change."

Mr. Charles Tonui, Research Assistant, Research and Development.

"As a Research Assistant, Tonui assists with research and project management in projects under Climate Change, Water and Food Security programme. Tonui actively participates in climate change discussions at local, national, regional and international level that aim to create awareness, enhance capacity and try to shape policies to facilitate integration of climate change into plans, projects & programmes in Africa. Tonui has co-authored several climate change articles with other scholars.Tonui joined ACTS as a Research Intern in April 2009. He holds a BSc Degree in Environmental Science from Egerton University and currently pursuing Master in Environmental Planning and Management at Kenyatta University.

Other areas of expertise: Environmental conservation, climate innovation and entrepreneurship (business plan development using triple-bottom approach), lifelong learning and livelihoods diversification"

Dec 24, 2017 at 2:34 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

African Climate Change Research Centre also sent 4 delegates. Unlike some organisations attending, for whom climate change seems to be peripheral to their main concerns and activities, it is the raison d'etre of this organisation:

http://accrec.org/

"OUR MISSION
We will secure a health Africa by providing solutions to Africa’s climate problems through research and concrete dialogue on climate issues with the rest of the continents across the globe. In collaboration with in-country and international partners, we will:
􀁸 Promote research and development in order to mitigate the impact of man-made causes of climate change.
􀁸 Approach climate change problems from the grassroots.
􀁸 Engage Africa’s urban and rural communities, primary schools pupils and school students in shelter belt/ woodlot tree planting campaign programme.
􀁸 Identify the sources of carbon emission due to human and animal action that is detrimental to Africa’s ecosystem.
􀁸 Make Africa a green continent by the year 2050 where carbon emission will be reduced to zero.
􀁸 Observe and proffer virile solutions over African households’ burning habits that cause carbon discharge into the atmosphere.
􀁸 Arrest gas flaring by industries that is inimical to Africa’s weather condition.
􀁸 Collaborate with regional and international communities/organizations in order to give relief to disaster victims in Africa and to curtail the terrible rate of green house effect on our lives for sustainable development.
􀁸 Organize and hold conferences, seminars and workshops in relation to climate change issues.
􀁸 Provide grants on lower and advanced researches on climate change issues.
􀁸 Advocate to policy makers for a conducive legal environment that can halt the emission of green house gases."

Delegates:

Mr. Nura Jibo, Secretary General, Research and Development.

@Nura_Jibo
Quantity Surveyor and multidisciplinary academic Writer for 11 years. Author of three(3) Books published in UK and Germany.

Mr. Abdulsalam Abubakar Salisu, Chairman, Board of Trustees

Mr. Rabiu Saidu Kura Adamu, Member, Research and Development

Mr. Malami Umaru Dantama, Administrative Assistant, Research and Development

Dec 24, 2017 at 2:50 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

African Forest Forum next - they sent 3 delegates. This is their website:

http://www.afforum.org/

From their website:

"The African Forest Forum is an association of individuals with a commitment to the sustainable management, wise use and conservation of Africa’s forest and tree resources for the socio-economic well-being of its peoples and for the stability and improvement of its environment.

The goal of the African Forest Forum is to promote the sustainable management of forest and tree resources to support people’s livelihoods, national economies, and environmental stability...".

And:

"In 2003, the African Forest Research Network at the African Academy of Sciences, with the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, implemented a two year project on “Lessons Learnt on Sustainable Forest Management in Africa” funded by the Swedish International Development Agency, Sida. The resulting studies, analyses, programmes and projects, all of which support African leaders in the management of forests, evolved in 2007 to become the African Forest Forum."

Delegates:

Mr. Mahamane Larwanou, Senior Programme Officer.

"Larwanou Mahamane joined AFF in 2008 as a Senior Programme Officer and the Head of the Programmes Management Unit. He worked with the University of Niamey as a lecturer and research scientist from 2006. In 1994, Larwanou joined the National Institute for Agricultural Research of Niger (INRAN) as a research scientist in the Forestry Department where he was deployed to offer professional services to the regional centres for agricultural research in Tahoua, Kollo and Niamey. Larwanou holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Resources Management, a Master of Science degree in Ecology/Agroforestry and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Plant biology and ecology from the University Abdou Moumouni, Niamey, the Republic of Niger.

An accomplished scholar, Larwanou has published more than 80 papers in peer reviewed scientific journals and coordinated many scientific collaborative research projects. His special research interests includes: forestry ecology, agroforestry, vegetation dynamics, climate change, forest-water relation in dry lands. He has developed and updated various agroforestry technologies aimed at improving parkland systems in the Sahel. He still continues to teach, undertake student supervision and conduct research at the University of Niamey."

Ms. Anna Chileshe Masinja, Climate Change Focal Point.

"Mrs Anna Chileshe Masinja (Dip For, Post Graduate Dip Soil Science, BSc For and Msc For), is a Forester by profession with more than 35 years’ experience in forestry policy, legislation, research education and training. At the peak of her career she served as Director - Forestry Department. Prior to the afore mentioned apposition, she was the Principal - Zambia Forestry College as well as Silviculturist at the Zambia Forestry Research institution. She has represented Zambia as a Focal Point at the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), represented Africa on the United Nations Forum on Forests Bureau (2011 to 2013), Chaired the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission for two years. Currently, she is a member of the Governing Council of the African Forest Forum (AFF) and is Chairperson for one of the AFFs committees, namely Climate Change Working Group besides serving on the Executive Commitee and Technical Support Team of the same organisation. At JA Consultancy, Mrs A.C. Masinja holds the position of Director responsible for the Technical and Administration Units of the organisation."

Mr. Demel Teketay Fanta, Professor in Forest Science, Crop Science and Production.

A very full and distinguished CV can be found online if you look.

If all organisations and delegates attending the COPs were like these, I would have fewer problems with them.

Dec 26, 2017 at 7:38 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

African Wildlife Foundation next - they sent 2 delegates. This is their website:

https://www.awf.org/

Delegates:

Mr. Charly Facheux, Vice President Programme.

"Charly began his career as a researcher focused on the economics of forest resources. Driven by his desire to “build the bridge between conservation and development” for local communities, he joined AWF in 2009 as Senior Program Officer for the Congo landscape. Known for his high standards and a knack for motivating teams in difficult circumstances, Charly took on the role of Vice President for Conservation Projects in 2015. He spends 40 percent of his time in the field to understand the challenges on the ground. Charly holds an M.S. in international management and external trade from the École Supérieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales in Douala, Cameroon."

Mr. Eric Coppenger, Senior Program Design Director, Program Design.

Eric was at the Rio COP in 2012, as a quick internet search reveals. I don't have a problem with this organisation or the individuals involved with it, but I still have a nagging doubt regarding people who fly all over the world to multiple climate conferences, where there is much complaining about GHG emissions.

Dec 26, 2017 at 7:47 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

Agriconsulting S.p.A. next. They sent 2 delegates:

Mr. Ottavio Novelli. Head of Climate Change Department. Climate Change.

"Expertise
Topics & subtopics:
Aid Effectiveness, Biodiversity & Ecosystem services, Climate change, disaster risk reduction & desertification, Development Policy, Energy, Environment & green economy, Sustainable Forest Management".

And:

Ms. Ghizlane Lajjal, Project Manager Clima South, Climate Change.

Both seem to have been at the Paris shindig 2 years ago, and both were involved with this little curiosity:

"HOW TO CREATE VALUE FROM CLIMATE CHANGE A GUIDE FOR YOUR COMPANY IN LEBANON

An Initiative by: Green Mind NGO United Nations Development Programme In partnership with: Banque Du Liban In cooperation with: Ministry of Environment The Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon How to create value from climate change A guide for your company in Lebanon Lead authors: Aglaia Ntili, Managing Director, Sustainability Knowledge Group Rawad Massoud Main reviewers: Lea Kai Aboujaoude Yara Daou Produced with support from the ClimaSouth project: ClimaSouth team leader: Bernardo Sala Publishing editor: GH Mattravers Messana Layout & graphic design: Raffaella Gemma Proofreading & editing: CoDE translations Agriconsulting Consortium project directors: Ottavio Novelli / Ghizlane Lajjal Funded by the European Union Copyright: European Commission & Lebanon Climate Act, First edition, July 2017 Printed on FSC paper Co-funded by the European Union."

More information there about how the EU usefully spends our money...

Agriconsulting S.p.A. are part of a group of commercial companies:

http://www.agriconsultingeurope.be/en/about-us

"Most of our project funding comes from the donors programs of the International Financing Institutions such as the World Bank; Regional Development Banks such as the International Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank, EBRD; International Organizations such as the EU, through the EU Parliament and EC funding programs, and from other global development agencies and private clients.

AESA has currently grown into an organization with qualified permanent team of 40 employees in its Brussels based headquarters, more than 250 experts on ongoing assignments worldwide, and a further pool of 7000 international experts available at short notice to be able to cover a large number of multisectoral projects.

The company maintains cordial business relations with many EU universities, research centres, and other educational and scientific institutions that collaborate occasionally in projects managed by AESA."

Follow the money?

Dec 27, 2017 at 7:35 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

Albertine Rift Conservation Society next. They sent a single delegate:

Mr. Samuel Kanyamibwa, Executive Director, Executive Director Office.

Their website contains some surprisingly verbose and legalistic terms of use, so I'll play safe and not link to or quote from it. I'm sure you can find it for yourselves. They seem to do some good and interesting work, but also have a section devoted to climate change, so I suppose it's inevitable they'd send someone to COP23, but at least they limited it to a single delegate.

A couple of snippets about their delegate, from this website:

http://mri.scnatweb.ch/en/mri-africa-news/profile-dr-sam-kanyamibwa

"Dr Samuel Kanyamibwa is the Executive Director of the Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS) and the African representative of the Mountain Partnership. Dr Kanyamibwa travels between Cambridge, UK and Kigali, Rwanda, to champion sustainable mountain issues." And

"Where do you live?
I live with my family in Cambridge, UK. But I travel a lot."

Yes, I've noticed that. Climate warriors do tend to "travel a lot."

Dec 27, 2017 at 7:44 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

Mark

thanks ... not sure I'd have had the patience to do the digging as I'd simply prejudge them all as Oxygen larcenists.

All these folks travel, subsistence, accommodation and salaries racks up a few bob - cynical old me strongly suspects that they aren't beavering away at this out of a wholly selfless altruism towards their fellow less fortunate planet dwellers.

Dec 27, 2017 at 8:10 PM | Registered Commentertomo

tomo - I cannot help but agree.

All India Women's Conference next - 2 delegates.

An admirable organisation. From Wikipedia:

"The All India Women's Conference (AIWC) is a non-governmetal organisation (NGO) based in Delhi. It was founded in 1927 by Margaret Cousins, "as an organisation dedicated to upliftment and betterment of women and children". As well as continuing its original mission, the AIWC has since diversified into various social and economic activities involving women. Today there are more than 100,000 members in over 500 branches. AIWC is recognised worldwide as a premier organisation working for women's development and empowerment."

From their own website:

http://www.aiwc.org.in/

"Our Vision
Emancipation, Education and Empowerment of Women.
Our Mission
Work actively for the progress and welfare of women and children.
Help women utilize to the fullest the Fundamental Rights conferred on them by the Constitution of India.
To work for a society where women are free from all types of violence, especially domestic violence and sexual harassment.
To empower women and prepare them for taking up leadership roles."

It is difficult to see what any of this has to do with COP23, or why they felt it necessary to send 2 delegates But then a look at the News and Events section of their website makes it all clear. E.g.

"Organized a stakeholder workshop on gender integration into climate change policies in collaboration with Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Combating Climate Change under Gender into Urban Climate Change initiatives Project supported by GenderCC, Germany on 20th September 2017"

"Workshop on Gender integration in climate change issues with youth of DAV students at SultanPuri under Gender into Urban Climate Change initiatives Project supported by GenderCC, Germany on 11th September - 2017"

"Conducting a survey on climate change and gender issues in Budh Vihar Colony, Rohini Sector – 24 under Gender into Urban Climate Change initiatives Project supported by GenderCC, Germany on 5th& 6th September 2016"

Which leads to GenderCC's website:

http://www.gendercc.net/home.html

"GenderCC - Women for Climate Justice is a global network of organisations, experts and activists working for gender equality, women’s rights and climate justice.

GenderCC has evolved in the context of the international climate negotiations (UNFCCC). It includes women and gender experts working in policy, research and practical implementation at international, national and local levels.

GenderCC is working to achieve gender and climate justice by:

Raising awareness and building capacity on gender and climate to improve climate policies;
Increasing the knowledge base on gender and climate to identify effective mitigation and adaptation options
Empowering women and men to actively contribute to mitigation and adaptation
Enhancing cooperation on gender and climate issues at all level, and
Advocating for gender and climate justice as overarching, guiding principles."

But more on them much later - they sent 10 delegates to COP23. What a tangled web is the world of climate alarmism and conference attending!

Back to the current 2 delegates:

Ms. Kalyani Raj, Secretary General, Head of Delegation:

"Kalyani Raj has extensive experience working on gender and climate change and has advocated for disaster preparedness, adaptation and mitigation as well as alternate energy, which she has worked on for over a decade with the All India Women’s Conference (AIWC). For the past four years, she has participated in the UNFCCC processes including attending several COPs where she worked closely with the Women and Gender Constituency. With AIWC, Kalyani draws attention to the wealth of knowledge women have to share on adaptation in terms of traditional knowledge and skills. She has conducted a variety of advocacy workshops including on disaster preparedness and risk reduction as well as socio-economic impacts of climate change on women. She consistently works on bringing the voices of grassroots women to the international level."

And Ms. Usha Nair, Vice-President, Administration:

"Usha Nair is currently the co-focal point of the Women and Gender Constituency and is member-in-charge of the All India Women’s Conference (AIWC) with a particular focus on Climate Change and the Environment. Usha has extensive experience working on issues related to gender and climate change and has experience with UNFCCC negotiations and processes. Through her work she consistently advocates for gender equality and human rights as a cross cutting element across all parts of climate change policy. Many of her interventions and interviews highlight the need to focus on women as change agents for climate change. She argues that most mitigation actions need to start with women as they are the decision makers at the domestic level, and therefore women must be the main stakeholders in policy making. "

Dec 28, 2017 at 7:09 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy sent 3 delegates. This is their website:

http://www.alliancepolicy.org/

"The Alliance is an industry coalition organized in 1980 to address the issue of stratospheric ozone depletion. It is the primary voice of manufacturers, businesses and trade associations who make or use fluorinated gases for the global market.

Today, the Alliance coordinates industry participation in the development of economically and environmentally beneficial international and domestic policies at the nexus of ozone protection and climate change."

Delegates:

Mr. Kevin Fay (Executive Director). I suspect he is the Kevin J Fay who appeared before the US Senate in this guise 20 years ago:

"Statement of Kevin J. Fay
Executive Director
International Climate Change Partnership
before the Committee on Environment and Public Works
July 17, 1997"

Mr. Jorge Dieguez, Manager. I suspect this might be him:

"Mr Jorge Diéguez
Regulatory Affairs Manager, DuPont International S.A.
Mr Jorge Diéguez (Spain, 1970) holds degrees in Roman Philology and French literature. After completing several additional courses on International Relations and Foreign Trade he was hired by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and served as Commercial Officer at the trade section of the Spanish Embassy in Warsaw. In 2002 Mr Diéguez joined the newly born European steel giant Arcelor to fill the position of Institutional Relations Manager, in which he was involved in the monitoring and follow-up of EU's most important recent environmental legislation: REACH, Air Quality and Waste Framework Directive and the Emission Trading scheme.
Since March 2007 Mr Diéguez is in charge of Regulatory Affairs issues at DuPont's Fluoroproduct division, with a vow to contribute to finding the regulatory, technical and marketing ways of significantly diminishing the company's footprint in this area."

Certainly DuPont is a member of the Alliance.

Mr. Evan van Hook
Corportate V.P.: Health, Safety, Environment, Product Stewardship and Sustainability, Honeywell

"Evan is Corporate Vice President for Health, Safety, Environment, Product Stewardship and Sustainability for Honeywell International, and a 2012 recipient of the Honeywell Senior Leadership Award, the Company’s highest honor. From 2005 to 2015 he was an Adjunct Faculty Member for International Environmental Law at Columbia Law School. He is a graduate of the Yale Law School, a former partner in the law firm of Sidley Austin and a former Chair of the Environmental Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association. From 2002 until 2004 Evan served as Assistant Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection."

Honeywell is also a member of the Alliance.

I'm not really sure what to make of this organisation one way or another. A serious attempt by industry to be the good guys? Or an attempt to influence policy-makers to maintain their profitability? Or a bit of both? I just can't tell.

Dec 29, 2017 at 7:57 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

Alliance for Rural Electrification sent 6 delegates. This is their website:

"It is the vision of ARE that by 2030 everyone in the world and in particular all rural people in low-and medium income countries should have access to affordable, secure and clean energy and energy services."

Who could object to that? Certainly not me. But it starts to look like a money-making organisation when you look a little further:

"By consolidating the off-grid sector ARE is there to assist decision-makers from both, private and public sector, by:

Providing key policy, technical and financial recommendations for the development of incentivising and business enabling market and framework conditions that will allow for higher investments into self-sustainable and business-driven rural electrification markets;
Sharing best practices in order to enable interested players to improve by making use of lessons learnt and thereby engage more effectively into project implementation and deployment as well as into operations and management commercially viable business models;
Acting as a global match-making platform for B2B and B2Finance with the purpose to direct and to increase available funding and financing so that rural electrification technologies can be rolled out in a systematic manner;
Bringing members into a more competitive position to successfully grow their businesses on the international level.
To promote the transformation of the global economies towards the use of low carbon emission and clean energy the function of ARE is also to close existing communication and function gaps between the public and private sector, the grid and off-grid sector as well as between the fossil and renewable energy sector. ARE strongly believes that with the appropriate mix of instruments and initiatives it is possible to mature and to commercialise rural electrification markets in the short term!"

And:

"Networking benefits of joining ARE

Get the latest updates on possible off-grid partnerships and networking opportunities.
Connect with business partners, other practitioners or high-level decision makers at events, conferences, workshops and webinars.
Discounts on entry fees at events and conferences
Increased visibility through our website, publications, events and marketing."

Delegates:

Mr. Marcus Wiemann.

"Marcus Wiemann is responsible for the management and direction of ARE with the objective to best assist Members in their efforts to provide clean energy access. In this regard, he is in charge of the relationship management with Partners and developing organisations, banks and institutions. As a member of numerous steering committees and working groups, he contributes to the professionalisation of decentralised clean energy markets in order to make the sector more business friendly. Marcus manages also the ARE-OFID CfP to implement four mini-grids in Bangladesh, India, Mali and Mozambique. The objective here is to showcase that by adequate de-risking mechanism it is possible to unlock private sector investments.

Marcus (born in Dortmund, Germany in 1971) holds diplomas in Economics, International Relations/Developing Countries and Environmental Economics from the Universities of York and Trier. Marcus has a professional background from the finance and energy sector as well as in consultancy, advocacy and project management.

Before Marcus joined ARE in 2013, Marcus established and led representation offices in Brussels of Verbundnetz Gas AG, EWE AG and of the International Association of Gas and Oil Producers (OGP)."

Mr. Pablo Astorga. I'm guessing this is him:

"Pablo Astorga is ABB's Global Sales Manager, Microgrids. In this role, he is responsible for global microgrid sales and addresses the increasing need to efficiently integrate renewable energy systems into new and existing fossil fuel-based generation. Mr. Astorga has nearly a decade of extensive international experience in renewable energy and joined ABB in 2006 in Spain. In 2009 he relocated to the U.S. to develop ABB's solar business in the region and, after a successful 5 years in North America, he returned to Europe at the end of 2014.

Mr. Astorga holds a Bachelor's degree in Telecommunications Engineering by the Technical University of Madrid and a M.Sc. in Digital Communications & Technology by Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. "

Mr. Laurent de Wouters d’Oplinter, Business Development Director, MWH Stantec.

"MWH, now part of Stantec, has appointed a new Business Development Director for the Belgium business. Laurent de Wouters d’Oplinter rejoins MWH from Royal HaskoningDHV to lead the business development team in the Brussels (La Hulpe) office and take on the responsibility of creating opportunities for growth and furthering the company’s international development business in the European capital.

Laurent brings more than 10 years of multidisciplinary experience in environmental consultancy, four of which spent with MWH between 2008 and 2012 in several roles both in business development as well as in project management. In 2013, Laurent joined Royal HaskoningDHV as Director of the Advisory Group for Industry and Buildings for the French speaking Belgium regions (Wallonia and Brussels). As Operations Director, he had the full responsibilities of the P&L Centre located in Namur, leading and managing the strategy, business opportunities and team of engineers.

Laurent has a strong track record in managing large projects and defining consortia strategies and the management of both technical and financial aspects of proposals for high level international development projects."

Mme Rebecca Lamas Aguiar, MWH Stantec.

Ms. Cecilia Strandberg - she appears to be the Project Director at the Renewables Academy.

"The Renewables Academy (RENAC) provides trainings on green energy internationally and a variety of business services to develop capacities for a sustainable energy supply. Since our founding in 2008, more than 7,500 participants from 145 countries worldwide have participated in one of our training programmes."

Ms. Manolita Wiehl. She also seems to work at the Renewables Academy, in the Sales/PR/Marketing section. If you need a sales/PR/marketing team, then I suppose you're about making money.

Dec 30, 2017 at 7:27 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

Alliance to Save Energy sent 3 delegates (they might have saved some energy by sending only one!).

This is their website:

http://www.ase.org/

"Who We Are
Founded in 1977 by a pair of U.S. senators who recognized the enormous opportunity of energy efficiency, the Alliance to Save Energy is a nonprofit, bipartisan alliance of business, government, environmental and consumer leaders advocating for enhanced energy productivity to achieve economic growth, a cleaner environment, and greater energy security, affordability and reliability.

Our Vision: A nation that uses energy more productively to achieve economic growth, a cleaner environment and greater energy security, affordability and reliability.

Our Mission: To improve energy productivity by:

Leading bipartisan initiatives that drive technological innovation and energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, through policy advocacy, education, communications, and research.
Convening and engaging in diverse public private partnerships, collaborative efforts and strategic alliances to optimize resources and expand our sphere of influence.
Tell me more.
Improving energy productivity – including through energy efficiency – means getting more economic output from every unit of energy used. It is the cheapest, fastest and simplest way to address our energy and environmental goals – and a powerful economic catalyst. Improved productivity will save consumers and businesses money, drive innovation, improve U.S competitiveness, create jobs and economic activity, and sharply reduce pollution, including carbon emissions. Already, the energy efficiency sector is among the leading job creators in the entire energy sector, with 2.2 million jobs, according to the Department of Energy.

Since 1980, we have doubled U.S. energy productivity – we now get twice as much GDP from each unit of energy consumed as we did then. We can double it again."

As so often, who could argue with that? Certainly not me. The problem is when they write articles like this:

"Paris Agreement: It’s Time To Put Energy Efficiency To Work!

In an historic accomplishment, the European Parliament on Tuesday approved the European Union’s ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement. The decision ensures that the world’s first comprehensive global climate agreement will enter into force far earlier than any of us imagined when we celebrated the negotiation of a successful deal in Paris this past December.

It took long, arduous and complex international negotiations to get to this point, and global leaders should be proud of this accomplishment. For the rest of us, it’s time to get to work!

Achieving the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global temperature change to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius will require a massive economic shift. While this is a daunting task, there is enormous opportunity for households, companies and governments alike to help shape the transition and to ensure that we come out of it with a stronger economy, a healthier environment and greater global energy security.

Each national government signing on to the Paris Agreement has voluntarily committed to undertake specific actions – called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – to help reach the Paris goal. The NDCs set a variety of climate-related goals and offer varying levels of specificity in how they intend to meet those goals. There is an important role for citizens, civil society, advocates and companies around the world to ensure that not only do governments fulfill these commitments, but that they do so in a way that delivers real benefits to the rest of society.

It’s no secret that we at the Alliance to Save Energy think energy efficiency policy should be the No. 1 priority for governments around the world. What may not be as well known is that a global consensus is growing around the fact that energy efficiency is the single most effective way to meet our climate goals. In fact, according to the IEA, energy efficiency is half of the solution, and is more impactful than any other greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan.

Not only that, but by investing first in energy efficient technologies and practices, a Fraunhofer Institute study estimates that we could save up to $2.8 trillion (yes, with a “T”!) in the clean energy transition. That money saved translates directly back to lower energy bills for consumers, more money in business coffers and lower government spending on energy costs. It will also help us to double global energy productivity faster – making sure that we get twice as much economic benefit from the energy we consume. This means not having to choose between climate action and development goals.

The implementation of the Paris Agreement is only the beginning for national and subnational leaders in government, academia, civil society and the private sector. Our international negotiators have set the target, and now it’s up to us to hit it dead-center. Energy efficiency is the first, and most effective, arrow in our quiver."

No recognition there that renewables are costing the world a fortune and would be getting nowhere without subsidies. I can't help thinking that it's about following the money after all.

Delegates:

Ms. Laura Van Wie Mc Grory, Vice President, International Policy.

"For more than two decades, Laura Van Wie McGrory has been designing and carrying out energy efficiency programs in the United States, Asia, Africa, SE Europe, and Latin America. As Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at the Alliance, she manages the Systems Efficiency Initiative and the Alliance’s other domestic and international energy efficiency programmatic activities. Her work at the Alliance has focused on international energy productivity, building systems efficiency, building code implementation, energy efficiency policy and regulatory reform, utility demand-side management capacity building, municipal energy efficiency programs and financing, energy efficient transportation, gender and climate change, and water and energy efficiency in water supply and wastewater systems. Laura also serves as Vice President for North America with the International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC).

Laura previously worked with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for nine years, as a Program Manager and then Head of the Washington, DC office. At LBNL, she supported the U.S. Department of Energy’s development of energy efficiency appliance standards rulemakings, provided technical support for the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and managed a range of international energy efficiency programs for U.S. DOE and other funders. Prior to that, Laura helped produce climate change mitigation reports with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. She also has consulted with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the World Bank, and has published numerous reports and articles related to international energy efficiency.

Laura has a bachelor degree in Geography and Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College and a master of international affairs focusing on International Environmental Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs."

Ms. Jennifer Layke, Director, Global Energy Program, World Resource Institute.

"Jennifer Layke is global director of WRI’s Energy Program. Layke oversee initiatives and projects that aim to expand access to clean and affordable energy that will reduce climate risks and strengthen communities worldwide. Layke leads a global team of experts in energy access, renewable energy and energy efficiency in China, India, Indonesia and the United States.

Previously, Jennifer was director of the Building Efficiency Initiative of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. From 2010-2014 Jennifer ran Johnson Controls’ Institute for Building Efficiency a global initiative to provide information and analyses on the technologies, policies, and practices to deliver high performance buildings. In addition, she supported strategic planning on corporate energy, sustainability and policy goals.

Jennifer’s prior experience includes 12 years at World Resources Institute where she was deputy director, Climate and Energy Program. She founded The Green Power Market Development Group which developed innovative energy procurement paths for corporate use of clean energy in the U.S. and Europe. Jennifer also managed corporate partnerships focused on strategies to reduce GHG emissions and was the lead for WRI’s participation in USCAP, a partnership between environmentalists and business providing consensus recommendations on carbon cap-and-trade policy approaches.

Jennifer’s international experience includes consulting for the World Bank and the U.S. EPA on Montreal Protocol technology transfer. She has a B.A. in Asian Studies/Political Studies from Pitzer College in Claremont, CA, and a M.S. and MBA from the University of Michigan. In 1990, she was awarded a Thomas J. Watson Foundation fellowship for a year of sociology research in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan, China."

Mr. Jean-Charles Joseph Seghers, Head of Climate Transparency, The Climate Group.

"Jean-Charles joined The Climate Group as Compact of States and Regions Manager in March 2015. As a Head of Climate Transparency, he now works with governments to promote public disclosure of GHG emissions targets and inventories. He ensures the smooth running of the newly founded Compact of States and Regions and manages the relationship with the Compact’s founding and supporting partners.

Previous to joining, he worked in Brussels for the global public affairs and communications company Burson-Marsteller. As an Associate in the B-M Energy and Environment teams, his main responsibility was to advise his clients on the European Union’s 2030 Framework for Climate and Energy (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, RES, energy efficiency, ETS).

Jean-Charles kick-started his career with a traineeship at the European Union’s delegation to the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Vienna. Jean-Charles, a Belgian national, holds a BSc in Business Engineering, a MA in International Relations and an MSc in European Politics and Policy."

'Nuff said.

Dec 31, 2017 at 7:48 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

Thanks Mark

I went and had a look at the individuals listed in you last four posts - pffffff.....

What a bunch of bureaucratic ticks.

Dec 31, 2017 at 10:58 PM | Registered Commentertomo

tomo - I haven't found anything of spectacular interest so far, but will keep beavering away. The only conclusions I can draw so far are that climate warriors do like to travel; that good organisations doing good things can be corrupted by adherence to the climate alarmism mantra (possibly because that is necessary to gain access to the UN and/or money); and that an awful lot of people seem to make a good living out of all this.

Anyway, Amazon Environmental Research Institute (or IPAM) next - they sent 4 delegates to COP23.

"Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) is a non-profit, independent research, policy and outreach organisation working towards achieving sustainable development in the Amazon region in a way that reconciles people’s economic aspirations and social justice with the maintenance of the functional integrity of tropical forest landscapes. Made up of scientists and educators, the remit of IPAM is to address three problems that threaten the survival of the forest and its people: degraded landscape, non-sustainable economies and social injustice.

IPAM research has throughout its history been based on the concept of participatory research by measuring and assessing both from the point of view of scientific research, environment conservation and community. IPAM’s activities and researches are carried out by experts of academic excellence through four major research programmes:
Amazon scenarios
climate change
community-based management of floodplains and forests
IPAM international programme."

As so often, it looks like interesting and valuable work, but as always, there is the "climate change" obsession.

Delegates:

Mr. André Loubet Guimarães. Full CV here:

https://www.escavador.com/sobre/975188/andre-loubet-guimaraes

Like so many, he worked for a while for the World Bank. Brief summary:

"He holds a Masters Degree in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University (1997). He is currently Executive Secretary of the BioAtlantic Institute. Has experience in the field of Agronomy."

Mr. Eugênio de Sousa Pantoja. He appears to be an environmental lawyer (based on my limited Spanish and a brief trawl of the internet - so I could be wrong).

Mr. Paulo Roberto De Souza, Moutinho, Director.

Ms. Érika de Paula Pedro Pinto.

"Bachelor in Ecology from the Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho State University (UNESP), master's degree from UNB's Center for Sustainable Development and technical coordinator of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM). Since 2004, he has been working at the IPAM in projects that aim to promote a new model of rural development for the Amazonian family agriculture capable of reconciling the socioeconomic conditions of the population, reducing emissions from deforestation and changes in land use and valuation of environmental services. He is in charge of the coordination of the Working Group for the Evaluation of Ecosystem Services of the Brazil Climate, Forests and Agriculture Coalition."

Jan 1, 2018 at 7:44 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

"an awful lot of people seem to make a good living out of all this"

I'm still not much the wiser about how these folk are funded. Obviously there's a lot of governmental types but I still suspect that the trip to Bonn might have some direct UN funding applied. When I looked at the per diem / allowances on the main web site there was no hint as to who was eligible for the lolly... was it simply direct UN personnel or were the funds doled out to all accredited attendees?

No doubt funding several hundred activists to attend is chump change to your average billionaire ... but with them all swanning about like they obviously do... I really wonder how much (if any..) of the tabs are picked up by the UN - or have they all paid an attendance fee as is normally the case with professional conferences that I've attended over the years ?

Jan 1, 2018 at 9:50 PM | Registered Commentertomo

tomo - I can't find info regarding the funding of COP23 delegates, but there's little doubt that this whole thing is about money. E.g.:

http://newsroom.unfccc.int/climate-action/list-of-recent-climate-funding-announcements-help-us-capture-more/

"Boosting financial flows and greening investments into a low carbon, resilient transition will be key to meeting the aims and ambitions of both the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.

During the UN Paris climate conference of 2015, the UNFCCC secretariat published a simple web site attempting to capture the finance-related momentum that was clearly underway.

The data was based on publicly available announcements of climate-related financial flows and pledges from a variety of open sources from governments and multilateral development banks to investors and other private sector initiatives.

Today we are re-launching the site and populating similar data from the post Paris era so that government, local authorities, civil society and interested individuals can get a snapshot of the momentum in 2016 as nations look to the next UN climate conference in Morocco in November.

And we need your help: If, when looking at the information you see something is missing and you think it should be included please send an e mail to mcastanocano@unfccc.int or kcowan@unfccc.int and they will be delighted to include the information

This "tracker" is by no means comprehensive or exhaustive and the secretariat makes no claims as to the veracity of the information captured, but we hope it will add to public understanding in respect to a crucial area of climate action and the 2030 agenda.

Some highlights of recent announcements include:

Europe’s offshore wind-power industry has attracted investments of $15 billion in first six months of 2016.
The World Bank Group has signed an agreement with the International Solar Alliance (ISA), consisting of 121 countries led by India, to collaborate on increasing solar energy use around the world, with the goal of mobilizing $1 trillion in investments by 2030.
And the central bank of Bangladesh is launching a US$200 million fund to green the country’s clothing factories.
These are but some of the inspiring examples that the UNFCCC has collected. Please consult the updated info graphic for more information.

Again, please note that in extracting and presenting this information, the UNFCCC secretariat has applied no methodology, analysis or other subjective criteria. The graphic is not comprehensive, but rather a snapshot of diverse funding sources and funds contributing to climate action, in some cases expressed in local currency."

Jan 2, 2018 at 8:05 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

Amazon Watch sent 6 delegates to COP23. This is their website:

http://amazonwatch.org/

"Our Work
Protecting the Amazon and our climate by supporting indigenous peoples
Since 1996, Amazon Watch has protected the rainforest and advanced the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. We partner with indigenous and environmental organizations in campaigns for human rights, corporate accountability, and the preservation of the Amazon's ecological systems.
Our work is focused on three main priorities:
Stop Amazon Destruction | Advance Indigenous-led Solutions | Support Climate Justice"

Shame about the last one, as (like so many bodies represented at COP23) they obviously do good work. But:

"Why We're Going to Germany for COP 23
World leaders will meet in Bonn, Germany from November 6th through 17th for COP 23 – the latest round of global climate talks. They're set to discuss how to implement the Paris Climate Agreement. Representing the U.S. in those talks will be climate villains like Scott Pruitt and Rick Perry. If left to them, business as usual will continue and climate chaos will become an everyday reality."

Their delegates:

Ms. Leila Salazar López, Executive Director, Amazon Watch:

"Leila is a mother; proud Chicana-Latina woman; and passionate defender of Mother Earth, the Amazon, indigenous rights and climate justice. Since 2015 she has served as the Executive Director of Amazon Watch, leading the organization in its work to protect and defend the bio-cultural and climate integrity of the Amazon rainforest by advancing indigenous peoples' rights, territories, and solutions. For 20+ years Leila has worked to defend the world's rainforests, human rights, and the climate through grassroots organizing and international advocacy campaigns at Amazon Watch, Rainforest Action Network, Global Exchange, and Green Corps. She is a 1998 graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara. Leila lives in San Francisco, CA with her husband and two young daughters.
Follow Leila on Twitter: @LeilaSalazar10"

Mr. Leonardo Cerda, Hahku.

I suspect Hahku should in fact read Hakhu:

https://hakhu.net/pages/about-us

"Hahku, which means let’s go in Kichwa, is an organization that is dedicated to promoting sustainable development projects in league with small indigenous communities within the Ecuadorian Amazon. The idea of founding The Hakhu Project came from years of working in advocacy with indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Our communities face imminent threats from transnational companies and governmental departments over the demand for, and extraction of, our natural resources. We have collaboratively created a grassroots indigenous organization in order to directly implement local programs and projects to help mitigate these threats."

According to Bloomberg "Leonardo Cerda, Leo serves as Managing Director and Vice President of Runa LLC."

And "Runa LLC bottles, markets, and sells beverages and tea produced. The company offers favored energy drinks and infusers. It markets its products under the Runa brand name. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is based in Brooklyn, New York. 315 Flatbush Avenue. Box 431. Brooklyn, NY 11217." This is their website:

http://runa.org/

""There's more than one way to enjoy RUNA.

If you're looking for a boost of Amazonian strength in a can, you should try our Energy drinks. If you’re on the hunt for a refreshing way to refocus, our bottled teas are for you. And if you're looking to experience RUNA the way indigenous Kichwa tribes do, brew some of our loose leaf tea."

Next:

Ms. Mirian Liduvina Cisneros, President, Sarayaku

"Mirian Cisneros is the current president of the Kichwa nation of Sarayaku. From a young age she became involved in community and regional organizations, including the Sarayaku women's organization."

Mr. Tiam Yankuam Escobar Sirén

Mr. Kevin Koenig, Ecuador Program Director, Amazon Watch:

"Kevin Koenig, Ecuador Program Director
Prior to joining Amazon Watch, Kevin worked as the Ecuador Researcher/Organizer with the Rainforest Action Network as part of the Beyond Oil campaign. He has lived and worked in Ecuador for nearly seven years, collaborating with indigenous and environmental NGOs on oil and gas issues. He is fluent in Spanish.
Follow Kevin on Twitter: @kevinmkoenig"

Mr. Yacu Viteri, International Representative, Pueblo Kichwa de Sarayaku

Jan 2, 2018 at 8:29 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

American Anthropological Association sent 3 delegates to COP23. This is their website:

http://www.americananthro.org/

"The American Anthropological Association is the world’s largest association for professional anthropologists, with more than 10,000 members. Based in Washington, D.C., the Association was founded in 1902, and covers all four main fields of anthropology (cultural anthropology, biological/physical anthropology, archaeology, and linguistic anthropology).

While 75% of our members are employed in higher education or are students of anthropology, about 25% of our members work in the public, private, and non-governmental sectors, beyond the academy. The Association is organized into 40 sections, each reflecting specialized domains of knowledge. We publish a portfolio of 22 journals, offer career planning and professional development services, support college and university departments, award numerous prizes and fellowships, sponsor a paid summer internship program, a summer field school in ethnography and occupational therapy, and stage research conferences in the Fall and Spring each year. We also have a public education initiative that highlights the contributions made by anthropological research to important and enduring topics such as race and migration.

The Association is proud to belong to a number of inter-organizational collaborations, including the World Council of Anthropological Associations, the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences, the Consortium of Social Science Associations, the National Humanities Alliance, and the American Council of Learned Societies."

Fair enough. However, type in "climate" to their site search function, and huge amounts turn up (they do seem to be rather obsessed). E.g.:

AAA's Official Position on Climate Change;and

Anthropologists at COP 23:

"The AAA delegation will deliver a statement on anthropologists’ positions, concerns and hopes for the implementation of the Paris Agreement as well as establish relationships with constituents and NGOs on jointly-held concerns such as sustainable development, deforestation, forestry and communities facing REDD and REDD+, non-economic damage and language loss, indigenous peoples and human rights."

Delegates:

Ms. Julie Raymond, Liaison:

"American Anthropological Association Climate Change Internship Program

Application for 2018 internships is now closed.

Program Details:
The American Anthropological Association is pleased to offer four internship opportunities thanks to the generous support of the Marrella Fund of the Seattle Foundation for 2018. Stay tuned for news about the interns’ progress.

Internships are for January – November, 2018. Internships are unpaid. However, interns will be able to earn academic credit for a directed service learning/practicum experience, and AAA will provide a stipend to cover the travel expenses to attend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Conference of Parties-24, in Warsaw, Poland, November 2018.

Interns will work via video teleconference and document sharing platforms under the supervision of Julie Raymond, Idaho State University, and Ed Liebow, American Anthropological Association."

Ms. Susan Crate, Professor of Anthropology, Dept. of Environmental Science and Policy:

"Susan A. Crate is a Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University. An environmental and cognitive anthropologist, she has worked with indigenous communities in Siberia since 1988. Her recent research has focused on understanding local perceptions and adaptations of Viliui Sakha communities in the face of unprecedented climate change—a research agenda that has expanded to Canada, Peru, Wales, Kiribati, Mongolia and the Chesapeake Bay. She is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles and one monograph, Cows, Kin, and Globalization: An Ethnography of Sustainability (AltaMira Press, 2006), and she is co-editor of Anthropology and Climate Change: From Encounters to Actions (Left Coast Press, Inc., 2009), with its second volume, Anthropology and Climate Change: From Actions to Transformations just released in early 2016. She also served on the American Anthropology Association’s Task Force on Climate Change."

Ms. Shirley Fiske, Chair, Global Climate Change Task Force:

Shirley J. Professor Fiske is an environmental and policy anthropologist whose work has been dedicated to augmenting the voice of social sciences, and anthropology in particular, in natural resource management and environmental and climate policy issues--presenting the human side—cultural, behavioral, and social—of our interactions with the environment.

“Very early in my career I became convinced that anthropology has important insights to offer and roles to play across the range of policy stages and issue; and I have dedicated myself to engaging with and making those models accessible to a broader range of the public and academia. I co-edited the book Anthropological Praxis in 1986 and its themes have been recurrent threads in my publications, work with graduate students, teaching, and service in professional organizations. Most of my career has been at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a research manager and program director in multidisciplinary ocean and coastal research and outreach/extension. I was there at an historic time when fisheries management and fishing communities were undergoing profound changes from open access to limited access fisheries. I worked with marine anthropologists across the US to fund and promote social sciences of community and family impact and involvement, as states Fishery Management Councils began to regulate the fishing industry's effort, gear, and species. On climate change, I worked to ensure that the growing federal interest in and research on global change had a human dimensions program that was broadly based in anthropology and the social sciences. My work with ocean resources, coastal communities, and fisheries broadened when I took a job in the Senate dealing with energy policy, climate change, natural resources, and public lands, including National Forests and National Parks.

I am currently a Research Professor with the Department of Anthropology, continuing an association that began in 1984 when the MAA degree was developed. This appointment allows me to focus on the Chesapeake, in particular, and to be back in the field after being a manager, research reviewer, fundor, and legislative actor for over 20 years. After seeing the difficulties that climate scientists and educators have in convincing the public, legislators that climate change is important to act on, I am convinced that we need a more thorough understanding of how people think about climate and environmental change in general. I am co-PI with Dr. Michael Paolisso on an anthropology climate change grant from NSF (http://www.eanthchesapeake.umd.edu/climate.html) that is wrapping up in 2014. I and am working on a book on carbon offsets and social equity. I continue a long history of participation and service in professional organizations and am currently Chair of the AAA’s Task Force on Global Climate Change (2011-2014), with an eminent group of colleagues concerned with anthropology, its insights, and and role in climate change, which you can find at http://www.aaanet.org/cmtes/commissions/CCTF/gcctf.cfm. I serve on committees for graduate students, both MAA and PhD candidates, and other young professionals as they develop their careers. I was recently asked to serve on the Editorial Board for the American Anthropologist (2013).”

Jan 3, 2018 at 7:49 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

American Chemical Society sent 6 delegates to COP23. This is their website:

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html

At first blush, why did they send anyone? But then the "about us" section of their website makes it clear:

"Founded in 1876 and chartered by the U.S. Congress, we are the world’s largest scientific society. Our mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people. Our vision is to improve people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry.

What We Do
More than 140 years after our founding, we remain a champion for chemistry, its practitioners and our global community of members.

We’re recognized as a leading publisher of authoritative scientific information. Our 50+ peer-reviewed journals are ranked the “most-trusted, most-cited and most-read.”
We empower our members to advance chemistry, elevate their career potential, expand their networks, inspire future generations, collaborate globally and build communities that provide scientific solutions.
We provide broader networks that facilitate connections and open doors in a way no other professional organization can match!"

And search their website for "climate" or "climate change" and dozens - if not hundreds - of references pop up.

Delegates:

Mr. Justin Pothoof:

https://eng-sci.udmercy.edu/news/2017/08-23-climate-change.php

"For most college students, being part of a United Nations conference seems like a dream, but for one University of Detroit Mercy student, that dream is coming true.

Chemistry major Justin Pothoof was selected through a national search to report on climate change at the 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, in November. The conference will focus on the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The American Chemical Society's (ACS) Committee on Environmental Improvement is sponsoring eight university students from across the United States to attend the conference and report about it via blog.

"This is really big," said Pothoof, whose interest is in renewable solar energy.

At the conference, he will have access to political leaders, scientists and policymakers from more than 190 countries to help him share stories and educate his peers around the world on the effects of climate change.

“I was stunned,” he said. “I was surprised and humbled when I received the email of my acceptance. I was in the lab, about to extract pesticides from spinach, when I saw the message. I took off my gloves and picked up my phone. I stumbled into Dr. Evans' office, shaking — almost crying — trying to tell her, but I couldn’t. I handed her my phone.”

Pothoof, who is entering his senior year also serves as president of the Chemistry Club, first learned about this opportunity from a friend of Chemistry Chair Mark Benvenuto, during the ACS conference in San Francisco earlier this year. In his time at Detroit Mercy, Pothoof has attended five ACS conferences nationwide and will be attending his sixth this month.

The application process required an essay and sample blog. “I went above and beyond the requirement,” Pothoof recalled. “I created a website and video. In the essay, I described how this opportunity was made for me.”

He credits his Detroit Mercy education and experience for this opportunity. “What’s special about Detroit Mercy is the opportunities we present to our students," he explained. "You’re not going to get this elsewhere. I am able to pursue something that I really care about, and I get to try to make a change in the world.”

“Essentially, I’m going to be a news reporter,” he said. “The whole idea about this is to spread awareness and education about climate change, especially to university students. A lot of people don’t receive this information or, due to the current political climate, it’s pushed away.”

Pothoof’s academic interest is inorganic chemistry with a focus on renewable energy.

“That’s where we have to go [renewable energy]," he said. "We don’t have a choice. At our current rate of consumption, we’ll run out of oil in the next 40 years. If we don’t find something soon, we’ll all be dirt poor trying to pay for gasoline.”

“Everything centers around a good education,” he continued. “We need to make sure all students, not just in our country, are educated on climate change so that they feel like they are in a position to make a change in the world.”

Pothoof will continue to blog following the conference until the national ACS meeting in New Orleans in March 2018. At the meeting, he will present a poster, possibly run a symposium or present an oral presentation to spread awareness of climate change.

All of this comes at a cost. The ACS covers the cost of the conference and handles the diplomatic arrangements. However, Pothoof is responsible for his travel, lodging and meals. He has set up a GoFund Me page to support his expenses."

Mr. Thomas Watson. If this is him, he's a top chemist all right:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-watson-b5578714

"Hi everyone, my name is Jessica White. I'm currently a student at the University of New England majoring in Biochemistry & Applied Mathematics. I was recently selected by the American Chemical Society Committee on Environmental Improvement to be a student representative in November at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties 23 in Bonn, Germany. I will be receiving accreditation by the UN as a NGO (non-governmental organization) observer representing the ACS.

I am required to attend a practice conference, as well as two conferences. First, I will be travelling to Washington D.C. to receive media training and prepare for the conference by meeting with climate policymakers. In November, I will be in Bonn, Germany for one week attending the conference and blogging my experience. Additionally, I will be giving a presentation on my experience at the American Chemical Society national meeting in New Orleans in the spring.

I am expected to fund each of these trips myself, the American Chemical Society and the United Nations do not provide financial support for the position. I am trying to raise funds to help cover the travel costs associated with these trips, particularly the travel for COP 23 in November.

This position as an ACS representative places particular emphasis on scientific communication, something that I am very passionate about. Throughout this journey, I will be documenting my experience via a blog and various other forms of social media in efforts to promote scientific literacy concerning climate change to my peers.

I'm thankful to those who are able to donate and help me make this trip happen, those who took the time to read this whole blurb, and those who share this page to help support me."

Which seems to suggest, in answer to tomo's question, that there is no direct UN funding for delegates.

Ms. Jessica Brunner - more of the same:

"Hi friends and family! This November I will be traveling to Bonn, Germany to attend the 23rd annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. I will be representing the American Chemical Society as a student delegate and documenting my experience through different forms of social media. My goal is to educate my peers about current environmental issues by providing updates throughout the conference and tracking the progress of different climate initiatives such as the Paris Climate Agreement which was adopted at the 21st annual Conference of the Parties. This is an amazing opportunity that will hopefully allow me to gain more experience in my field as well as help to spread environmental awareness!

All funds will help to cover the expenses of transportation and housing throughout this journey. Any size donation is appreciated! Thank you!"

Mr. Zachary Snier:

"Zachary Snier is a junior at York College of PA pursuing a degree in Biology with minors in Mathematics and Chemistry. Currently in the pre-medical program, he hopes to attend medical school with the intention of becoming a family physician. In addition to his medical pursuit, Zachary is passionate about public policy and the role science should have in the policy-making process. Later in life, he hopes to be in a position to advise policy makers on science-centered issues such as climate change. In the meantime, Zachary is focusing his undergraduate research on determining resource-efficiency of algal species to evaluate viability for use in biofuels as a way of being a part of the solution to climate change. Outside of of academics, Zachary serves his college and community through various roles such as being one of his Student Government Vice-Presidents."

Ms. Michelle Civitella:

"Michelle Civitella is from Long Island, New York. She is currently a senior at York College of Pennsylvania, majoring in Forensic Chemistry and minoring in Criminal Justice. As Vice President of the Chemistry Society at York College, she aims to make science fun and interesting for everyone on campus. Michelle has a strong interest in how science, including climate change, is communicated to the public. She is also a laboratory assistant for many of the chemistry courses on campus. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys running, gardening, walking her dogs, and going to the beach."

Jan 4, 2018 at 8:28 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations sent 4 delegates to COP23. This is their website:

https://aflcio.org/

It's a little difficult to see why they felt it necessary to send 4 people, but a quick search of their website for the word "climate" produces 110 results. Most of them are in support of the Paris Agreement, criticising Trump, generally supporting the "green" mantra, but there is an interesting element of conflict here, given the damage to their members' jobs and employment prospects caused by much of what they claim to support. Hence, I suppose, the occasional article on their website with headings like "Dakota Access Pipeline Provides High-Quality Jobs". This article/press release was issued before Trump became POTUS, and contains these little gems:

"We believe that community involvement in decisions about constructing and locating pipelines is important and necessary, particularly in sensitive situations like those involving places of significance to Native Americans. However, once these processes have been completed, it is fundamentally unfair to hold union members’ livelihoods and their families’ financial security hostage to endless delay. The Dakota Access Pipeline is providing over 4,500 high-quality, family supporting jobs.

Furthermore, trying to make climate policy by attacking individual construction projects is neither effective nor fair to the workers involved. The AFL-CIO calls on the Obama Administration to allow construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline to continue."

Delegates:

Mr. Brad Markell, Executive Director, Industrial Union Council.

"BRAD MARKELL is the Executive Director of the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council (IUC) and chairs the AFL-CIO energy task force. The Industrial Union Council is comprised of 11 unions with over 2 million members, including nearly one million directly employed in the manufacturing sector. The IUC works to build and advance policy frameworks that support manufacturing in the United States.

Prior to joining the staff of the AFL-CIO, Brad was an International Representative with the UAW in Detroit for 15 years, where his duties included helping develop and advance the union’s positions on energy and environmental policy, and performing costing and financial analysis for bargaining. Brad has participated in several rounds of national bargaining in the automobile, aerospace and heavy truck industries.

Brad was deeply involved in the negotiations leading to the historic tailpipe emissions standards for light-duty vehicles, and led the UAW’s efforts to establish public support for manufacturing clean and efficient vehicles in the United States, including the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturers and the Battery and Electric Drive grant programs administered by DOE.

Brad’s board and committee service on behalf of the labor movement has been across a broad array of organizations, including the MIT Lean Aerospace Initiative, the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council, the Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras, the Michigan Climate Action Council, the Energy Future Coalition, and many others.

Brad has degrees from the University of Michigan and Wayne State University. He joined the UAW in 1976 and is a member of Local 14 in Toledo, Ohio."

Mr. Anthony Jacobs, Vice President, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers:

"Special Assistant to the International President - CSO
Assistant Director - Legislative Affairs, Government Affairs Department
Director - National Construction Agreements"

https://missionandvision.org/person/000699111/anthony-jacobs/overview

"Most recent data we have is that Anthony Jacobs was Assistant Se in 2015 of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Society.

Alphabetical list is:

Aia Kansas Inc from 2010 to 2013 in multiple roles
Albany Ga Moose Lodge 1285 Loyal Order Of Moose Albany Lodge from 2011 to 2012 in multiple roles
Christ The Savior Academy Inc during 2014 as Director
International Brotherhood Of Boilermakers Iron Ship Builders from 2011 to 2014 in multiple roles
Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Society from 2011 to 2015 in multiple roles
Washington Dubois Christian Leadership Academy Inc from 2010 to 2011 in multiple roles
International Brotherhood Of Boilermakers Iron Ship Builders compensated Anthony Jacobs for the role of Spc. Asstnt To Int Pres in 2011 with $177,987.00, the role of Spc. Asstnt To Int Pres in 2012 with $161,715.00, the role of Spc. Asstnt To Int Pres in 2013 with $163,640.00 and the role of Spc. Asstnt To Int Pres in 2014 with $175,696.00

His role as Assistant Se in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 with Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Society was uncompensated. His roles as Director in 2010, Director in 2012 and Treasurer in 2013 with Aia Kansas Inc were uncompensated. His role as Trustee in 2011 and 2012 with Albany Ga Moose Lodge 1285 Loyal Order Of Moose Albany Lodge was uncompensated. His role as Board Member in 2010 and 2011 with Washington Dubois Christian Leadership Academy Inc was uncompensated. His role as Director in 2014 with Christ The Savior Academy Inc was uncompensated."

Ms. Anna Fendley, International Representative:

"Anna Fendley works with the United Steelworkers’(USW) Health, Safety & Environment Department. She acts as an advocate and technical resource to the USW local unions on a variety of issues including chemical hazards, nanotechnology, ergonomics, and the dissemination of health and safety information. Anna also develops and delivers occupational health, safety and environmental training; participates in government regulatory activity and rulemaking; and assists in coordinating the USW’s health, safety and environmental programs with the AFL-CIO, other unions and outside groups. Anna received her Master’s in Public Health from Boston University."

Mr. Ross Templeton. I think this might be his Linkedin profile:

"Legislative Aide
Ironworker's Political Action League (IPAL)
November 2012 – Present (5 years 3 months)
● Lobby federal and state elected officials and assist local unions with political development
● Research and advise the Director and President on issues in preparation for meetings and hearings and participate in strategic planning
● Represent the Director in meetings with elected officials and other labor organizations
● Represent union at political functions and national conferences
● Draft issue memos on labor, energy, and economic policy
● Write political and departmental articles for The Ironworkers monthly magazine
● Arrange events and ceremonies".

Jan 5, 2018 at 8:31 PM | Unregistered CommenterMark Hodgson