Editorial

Dear friends,

This WatchThis! edition takes a critical look at the upcoming climate change conference in Peru: Plates of negotiators will hopefully not only be filled with delicious Ceviche but also with a healthy portion of climate finance that will be crucial for a constructive dialogue to agree on rules needed to lay the essential groundwork for a future climate treaty to be agreed in Paris in 2015.

We remind about lessons learnt from the CDM Policy Dialogue back in 2012 and explain why it is critical that civil society is actively involved in discussions about the shape of new market mechanisms. We also look at why the CDM in its current form cannot be eligible for accessing climate finance under the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and how the important mandate to protect human rights in climate change related matters can be operationalized.

This edition also looks at the challenges and opportunities of the post-2015 global development framework which will replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the end of 2015.

Finally, our Guatemalan friends provide a first-hand account about how the infamous Santa Rita hydroelectric dam is becoming a showcase of the power of civil society despite the struggle faced by the indigenous Q’eqchi´ and Poqomchí communities.

Happy Reading!