* Global temperatures are climbing steadily. The 1990s were the warmest decade, and the 1900s the warmest century during the last 1000 years. In addition, 1999 will have been the 21st consecutive year with above-average global surface temperatures.

* Life in the oceans is under threat. All the world's major coral reefs are now suffering from bleaching due to increasing water temperatures. Salmon and cod stocks have crashed in the Pacific and Atlantic for the same reason.

* Massive areas of rainforest in Amazonia and southeast Asia have already burned. Fires are getting worse as temperatures rise and the forest dries out. The combined assaults of logging and climate change are likely to wipe out all the world's tropical forests within 30 years.

* Climate change is a problem of global justice. The majority of the world's greenhouse gases were emitted by the rich yet the first to feel the impacts will be the world's poor, as they are more dependent on natural systems and cannot pay for technology to adapt to climate change. It is estimated that by 2020 ecological problems will have created over 20 million 'environmental refugees'  

As with other pillars of the global economy, such as the World Trade Organisation or World Bank, people and the environment the world over are destined to lose out under the new agreement. For example, it is likely that incentives will be given for vast swathes of monoculture tree plantations to be planted across the world. Under the logic of the climate talks, this could involve the felling of old growth forest and its replacement with fast growing genetically modified trees. The social impacts on communities which might use that land do not come into the equation.

The nuclear industry is lobbying the summit hard, sensing that the subsidies available may make their industry viable again.

Much of the agreement will be about allowing Western countries to finance emissions reductions in the Global South and former Eastern Bloc rather than reduce at home - thereby simultaneously avoiding making any real change and allowing Western companies new market opportunities to exploit the poor around the world. If these are the only solutions that the global elite of business and government can come up with, then we have to reject the legitimacy of the UN process.

* 11th November, East Oxford Community Centre, Oxford
Planning and preparation for Den Haag. info@risingtide.org.uk or 01865 791 391

* 17th – 24th November
Come to Den Haag (accommodation and travel details available at planning day on 11th November). Includes a Counter Conference on the 19th, an opportunity to network with people from all around the world and develop different ways of working to the current inequitable, unjust and unsustainable international institutions.

* 13th January 2001, MERCi, Manchester Evaluation of actions in Den Haag and planning for the future.