Oxfam at the Copenhagen Climate Talks

Published: 5th December 2009

Oxfam International is campaigning for a strong and fair climate deal in Copenhagen. Information on Oxfam resources and our December program of activity is outlined below. 

Mon 23 30 7 14
Tue 24 1 8 15
Wed 25 2 9 16
Thu 26 3 10 17
Fri 27 4 11 18
Sat 28 5 12 19
Sun 29 6 13 20


Photo and Filming Opportunities: from Monday 7 December

  • 7 December: A Bangladeshi woman is flooded up to her neck in water in a huge glass tube to highlight the human cost of failure in Copenhagen;from 09:00 – 09:30 near to the climate rescue station next to Hall H in the Bella Centre.
  • 10 December: A 3m high ice sculpture of two Maasai warriors - great location for a piece to camera and there will be opportunities to film and photograph the sculptures being created and slowly melting away. 
  • 14 December: a 5 x 3m 3D depiction of a drought stricken African landscape by a world renowned pavement artist - there will be opportunities to film and photograph the artist at work as well as report from inside the finished image.
  • 18 December: verdict stunt with a Christmas theme.


Business and Climate Change: Thursday 10 and Friday 11 December

Corporate Leaders Group Debate, 12:30 – 14:30, Thursday 10 December & Copenhagen Business Day Panel Debate, 14:00 - 16:00, Friday 11 December: Jeremy Hobbs, Oxfam’s International’s Executive Director will join policy makers and global business leaders from US, Europe and developing countries - including the CEOs of Coca-Cola, Unilever, and Duke Energy - to debate the role of business in delivering an ambitious climate deal.
 

Global Day of Action: Saturday 12 December

  • Mass Rally: Thousands of people will gather for a rally at Parliament Square at 1pm and march to the Bella Centre to demand a strong and fair climate deal. The event will end at 6.30pm with a candlelight vigil and a symbolic handover of messages to Yvo de Boer. Hundreds of Oxfam supporters and the climate witnesses will be carrying giant life belts with the slogan: CLIMATE CHANGE KILLS - ACT NOW, SAVE LIVES.  Hundreds of events and activities will be organised around the world during the day - pictures and footage will be available.
     
  • Press Conference with Helena Christensen:  Oxfam Global Ambassador Helena Christensen, model and renowned photographer visited Peru to see how climate change is affecting communities in her mother’s native country. During her trip she documented people’s personal stories and changing lives in a series of arresting and moving images are being exhibited in Copenhagen from 7 – 30 December. Press conference from 17:00 – 18:15 at NIMB, Bernstorffsgade 5, 1577 Copenhagen.


Humanitarian Day: Tuesday 15 December

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee - a coalition of humanitarian agencies including UN agencies, Oxfam and others are organising a day of activity to highlight the human impact of climate change including: 

  • International climate hearing - 10:45 - 12:00 hearing; 12:00 - 12:15 press questions and answers; 12:30 - 12:45 photo opportunity with Yvo de Boer and Mary Robinson.  With Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson, Honorary Chair of Oxfam International and former UN Commissioner for Human Rights and climate-affected people from Uganda, Peru, Bangladesh and America. Film footage and photos of witness’s personal stories and striking b-roll from recent climate hearings in Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Malawi will be available.

  • Press conference - 16:45 - 17:15: Panel will include John Holmes, Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Barbara Stocking, Director of Oxfam Great Britain.

Additional events and activities will be added to the programme shortly.


Spokespeople in Copenhagen

  • Climate witnesses: men and women already struggling to live in a changing climate from Bangladesh, Uganda, Peru and the US. Footage and photos which show the impacts of climate change on the witnesses lives and their communities are available.
     
  • Oxfam experts on the policy and politics of the negotiations including the role of the business are available for briefings and interviews in many languages. Our team of experts come from around the globe. Oxfam representatives are liaising closely with government delegations and party to inside information on the talks
     
  • Oxfam Global Ambassadors including Mary Robinson, Honorary Chair of Oxfam International and former United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights; Helena Christensen, model and photographer and Rahul Bose, one of India’s most acclaimed actors, screenwriter, director, social activist, and rugby union player.
     
  • The next generation: a young climate activist from China is attending Copenhagen as an envoy for the Chinese public and has visited poor communities who are struggling to cope with a changing climate. Plus a team of negotiation trackers - young people from around the world who regularly meet with their country delegations.
     

Pictures, Footage and Stories

Powerful stories, high resolution photographs and broadcast quality footage are available to illustrate the impacts of climate change on people in every region of the world; innovative ways in which communities are attempting to adapt to a changing climate; the global campaign for action on climate change – including pictures and footage of Oxfam celebrity ambassadors; and photographs by Helena Christensen documenting the impact of climate change on people’s lives in Peru.
 

Notes to editors

Oxfam International is a confederation of independent organizations from 14 countries around the world. It works to help others to tackle poverty.

Oxfam is a member of the tcktcktck campaign - a global coalition environments and development organizations, faith and youth groups and unions that is calling for a fair, ambitious and binding climate agreement in Copenhagen in December 2009.