COP 21

The climate talks in Paris are coming to an end, but a final agreement seems to be delayed until tomorrow morning. Climate scientist Diana Liverman spoke to Invisible Dust’s Alice Sharp, and told us that when the debates started there were over 500 exceptions to the clauses laid out, which have now been reduced to 50 – quite a big change. As well as many other changes to the initial draft, all mentions of both human rights and gender equality have been removed.

The points that the parties are still struggling to agree on, according to Guardian journalist Suzanne Goldberg, include disagreements on whether 1.5C or 2C should be the maximum rise in temperature, and the balance of contributions between developed and developing countries.

Alongside the climate conference, ARTCOP21 is providing an artistic response to climate change issues, and is a global festival of cultural activity on climate change which takes place both internationally (such as Adam Chodzko’s Deep Above here in the UK) and in Paris.

One of the artworks that has garnered a lot of press attention is Olafur Eliasson’s Ice Watch, which aims to encourage public action against climate change at COP21. Made up of pieces of free floating ice from the arctic placed in a clock formation, the work has been steadily melting during the course of the talks as a reminder that urgent action is required. The project was realised in collaboration with Julie’s Bicycle.

Exit, another ARTCOP21 installation, highlights the effects of climate change on humans, charting human migration. Taking place in Palais de Tokyo, it is composed of immersive animated maps that highlight the causes of migration as well as the migration itself, including the impacts of climate change.

This post will be updated when an agreement has been reached.