Protesters gathered outside the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid on Thursday, calling on Japan to stop supporting the use of coal, domestically and internationally.

One protester donned an oversized mask meant to represent Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, while another held up a sign reading, "Japan: stop coal finance".

Officials at this year's U.N. climate talks are hoping to achieve a breakthrough in long-running efforts to agree on rules for a global carbon trading system.

Economists say establishing an international market for carbon could unlock billions of dollars' worth of investments as countries and companies seek the most cost-effective way to cut emissions.

But the issue, known in the parlance of climate diplomacy as 'Article 6,' has defied agreement for years.

"There are some fundamental differences between parties that remain and it's going to be a lot of work to try to resolve those issues," said Kelly Levin, Senior Associate with the global climate program at World Resources Institute.

"This is really a COP that is dedicated largely to Article 6," she said, adding that a year of technical work and political pressure "will certainly aid the negotiations".   

With pressure growing from governments to resolve the deadlock, environmental campaigners say the two-week meeting in Madrid might finally result in a deal, after agreements were reached last year on almost all other parts of the rulebook governing the 2015 Paris climate accord.

Madrid - 5 December 2019

1. Protester wearing mask representing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, another holding sign reading (English): "Japan: stop coal finance"  

2. Protesters holding up banners

3. Protesters wearing large mask representing Abe

4. Protester holding bucket with text on it reading (English): "Coal"

5. Protesters and people dressed as fictional video game character Pikachu chanting, UPSOUND: "Sayonara (goodbye) coal"

6. Various of protester holding sign reading (English): "No coal Japan"

7. SOUNDBITE (English) no name given, protester:

"We don't want Japanese government to use coal anymore, because they said they're going to keep investing in coal and we don't want that to happen."

8. People protesting

9. Protester wearing Abe mask handing out coal from bucket  

10. Close of Abe mask

11. Protester saying UPSOUND (English): "Japan has been funding subsidies to expand coal in Asia"

12. Various of protesters chanting

Madrid - 4 December 2019

13. People walking past logo of COP25 Climate Change Conference inside venue

14. Various of Senior Associate with the global climate program of the World Resources Institute Kelly Levin

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Kelly Levin, Senior Associate with the global climate program at World Resources Institute:

"(On new Article 6 draft) we have altogether seven pages of text removed from Article 6.2 and Article 6.4 which are main elements of the text, so it's very streamlined, And there are really bright lines between options and it's much easier to understand, so that countries can choose. But there are some fundamental differences between parties that remain and it's going to be a lot of work to try to resolve those issues."

16. Conference venue

17. Text on wall reading (English): "Climate solutions for the future we want"

18. People in conference venue

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Kelly Levin, Senior Associate with the global climate program at World Resources Institute:

"A few things have changed since Katowice (COP24 in 2018), and the first is that this is really a COP that is dedicated largely to Article 6. There are some very critical issues as well, but in Katowice we had to put together the whole rulebook, so a lot of diverse action that was happening that was garnering a lot of attention. Second is that we've had a whole year of intense technical work and political pressure that will certainly aid the negotiations. And lastly, we have a lot of heads of delegations and eventually will be ministers next week who are paying attention to these issues in a new way that they haven't."

20. Participants talking in conference hall

21. COP25 Climate Change Conference logo

This year's international meeting on tackling climate change was meant to be a walk in the park compared to previous instalments.

Countries had planned to put the finishing touches to the rules governing the 2015 Paris accord, ironing out a few wrinkles left over from last December and setting the scene for a major review of their efforts next year.

But then Brazil pulled its offer of hosting the talks and stand-in Chile, rattled by anti-government protests, cancelled five weeks before the meeting.

President Donald Trump served formal notice that the United States was quitting the Paris accord, delivering a symbolic blow to one of his predecessor's signature achievements.

Scientists didn't have any good news either.

Study after study published in recent months has underscored the rapid pace of global warming and the urgent need to cut emissions of greenhouse gases that are causing it.

Against that backdrop, the December 2-13 meeting in Madrid has gained fresh urgency.

Organizers expect around 25,000 visitors, including heads of state, scientists, seasoned negotiators and activists to attend the two-week meeting.

The main items on the agenda include finalizing rules on global carbon markets and agreeing how poor countries should be compensated for destruction largely caused by emissions from rich nations.

Proposals to create a worldwide market for emissions permits have been around for decades.

The idea is that putting a price on carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, and gradually reducing the available permits will encourage countries and companies to cut their emissions, such as by shifting to renewable energy sources.

Scientists and activists say the time to act is now, if the world wants to meet the goal set in Paris of keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), ideally 1.5C by the end of the century.

Madrid - 27 November 2019

1. Various of sign of COP25 Climate Change Conference - Chile Madrid 2019 outside conference venue

2. Spanish flag waving

3. Entrance of COP25 conference venue 'Feria de Madrid'

4. People walking past COP25 sign inside conference venue

5. COP25 logo on wall inside conference venue

Berlin - 5 November 2019

6. Johan Rockström, co-director of Germany's Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, speaking with colleague

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Johan Rockström, co-director of Germany's Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research:

"We are having a larger risk than we previously predicted, so global warming is going faster, climate impacts are occurring earlier, and that we are approaching potentially irreversible thresholds earlier than we previously thought."

Abaco - 5 September 2019

++MUTE++

8. Drone footage of people walking through the piles of debris from demolished buildings left by Hurricane Dorian

Busovaca - 14 May 2019

9. River Lasva rushing past houses in flooded area

10. Flooded house

Santiago - 23 August 2019

11. Dried land after severe drought

12. Dead cow on dried land

Berlin - 5 November 2019

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Johan Rockström, co-director of Germany's Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research:

"We're talking of a change that has to occur at a pace which exceeds the industrial revolution that took us here, so we are talking of another revolution in terms of decarbonising the world economy, and you know, that is not sinking in yet."

Beijing - 6 January 2017

14. Cars driving down road in smog

15. People walking along wearing masks

16. Skyline showing city shrouded in smog

Berlin - 5 November 2019

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessica Strefler, researcher at Germany's Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Transformation Pathways Department:

"We have waited so long with really ambitious climate protection that we need a combination of all the options that we have. We need mitigation, we need renewable energies, we need bio-energy, but we also need, for the last bit of emissions that we cannot avoid, we also need carbon removal."

Madrid - 27 November 2019

18. Sign of COP25 Climate Change Conference - Chile Madrid 2019 at entrance of conference venue

19. Participants in front of information sign inside conference venue

20. Tents outside conference venue entrance, reading (Spanish) "Welcome"

Rondonia State - 23 August 2019

21. Aerials of white smoke rising from burning Amazon forest

22. Various aerials of burned area and charred trees

Near Vila Nova Samuel - 26 August 2019

23. Firefighters walking with equipment to contain Amazon fire

24. Amazon forest burning

Geneva - 26 November 2019

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Inger Andersen, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):

"There's a young girl who said that the house in on fire, and we should treat it as such. It's time to think about the house being on fire, and so yes, we absolutely need action, and action needs to be taken now. This is not something we can postpone."

Denver – 11 October 2019

26. Activists putting up banner that reads (English) "climate strike" at climate rally with Greta Thunberg

27. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, environmental activist:

"How dare they pretend that they are doing enough, when the politics needed are still nowhere in sight."

28. Activists with poster showing photograph of Greta Thunberg with the famous quote (English) "How dare you?"

Geneva - 26 November 2019

29. UN flag waving

30. SOUNDBITE (English) John Christensen, Director, UNEP-Danish Technology Institute Partnership:

"The IPCC, the UN climate panel, last year put out a 1.5 degree report that described the difference in terms of impacts from 1.5 up to 2, and they are really scary. And if you go beyond that, I mean, there's already been reports about a 4 degree world, and that's really something you don't want to live in. I mean, you have complete cities being flooded, you have coral reefs, eco-systems completely being destroyed. That's something, it's really hard to describe, because you don't even know what the tipping points are, I mean, if something really dramatic happens and so on. It's a place you don't want to go."

Venice - 17 November 2019

31. Various of flooding in Venice

Helheim Glacier - 14 August 2019

32. Drone footage of helicopter on the ice field of shrinking Helheim Glacier

33. Students sitting on the top of the mountain, Helheim Glacier in the background

34. Time lapse of sunset over Helheim Glacier ++MUTE++

Protesters gathered in the conference centre in Madrid where delegates are taking part in the COP25 climate talks.

The protest group included indigenous people from several continents, who held hands and demanded climate justice through slogans and songs.

The climate talks in Madrid entered choppier waters Wednesday with ministers struggling to agree on rules for a global carbon market and possible ways to compensate vulnerable countries for disasters caused by global warming.

Madrid - 11 December 2019

1. Various of protesters gathered inside venue for COP25 climate conference, chanting slogans

2. Security guard talking to protesters, telling them to stop, protesters start chanting loudly

3. Protesters chanting for climate justice

4. Security guards next to protest, protesters chanting UPSOUND: (English) "Let them go."

5. Protest

6. Various of security guards in a line pushing protesters back, other security guards talking to protesters

7. Wide of protesters chanting

8. People moving through corridor

World leaders were arriving on Monday for the start of a two-week international climate conference in Madrid that seeks to step up efforts to stop global warming.

The UN is warning that the efforts so far are insufficient to overcome the “point of no return” in climate change.

The summit, which moved to the Spanish capital after Chile had to pull out amid anti-government protests, aims to put the finishing touches to the rules governing the 2015 Paris accord.

That involves creating a functioning international emissions-trading system and compensating poor countries for losses they suffer from rising sea levels and other consequences of climate change.

CORRECTION: CLIENTS PLEASE NOTE SHOT 3 HAS BEEN AMENDED TO 'SPANISH ENVIRONMENT MINISTER TERESA RODRIGUEZ ARRIVING'. IT DOES NOT SHOW CANADIAN DEPUTY PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND, AS PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN++

Madrid - 2 December 2019

1. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte arriving for COP25 climate conference

2. New European Council President Charles Michel arriving

3. Spanish Environment Minister Teresa Rodriguez arriving

4. New European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arriving

5. Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen arriving

6. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arriving

On October 7th 2019 Paris members of Extinction Rebellion blocked streets with mass sit-ins as riot police looked on.

In Berlin people blocked the Grosser Stern, a traffic circle in the middle of the German capital's Tiergarten park dominated by the landmark Victory Column, in a protest that started in the early hours.

Members of Extinction Rebellion also set up a camp outside Chancellor Angela Merkel's office ahead of what it called an "international rebellion" starting on October 7th.

Founded in Britain in 2018, the movement, also known as XR, now has chapters in some 50 countries.

***

A wildfire raged out of control along the northern edge of Los Angeles on October 11th, forcing thousands of people from their homes as firefighters battled flames from the air and on the ground.

Police Chief Michel Moore said mandatory evacuations encompassed about 100,000 people in over 20,000 homes.

Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said the fire had grown to more than 7 square miles (18 square kilometers) and at least 25 homes had been damaged.

A middle-aged man who was near where the fire was burning went into cardiac arrest and died, the chief said, but he did not have details.

The blaze erupted around 9 p.m. Thursday along the northern tier of the San Fernando Valley as powerful Santa Ana winds swept through Southern California. Smoke streamed across the city and out to sea.

Terrazas said there were sustained winds of 20-25 mph (32-40 kph) with gusts over 50 mph (80 kph) and relative humidity levels had fallen as low as 3%.

The fire erupted in Sylmar, the northernmost portion of the valley, and spread westward at a rate of 800 acres (324 hectares) an hour into Granada Hills and Porter Ranch, part of a so-called urban-wildland interface where subdivisions crowd against the foothills of the Santa Susana Mountains. The cause wasn't immediately known.

Porter Ranch, an upper middle-class suburb that was the backdrop for the 1982 movie "E.T." is no stranger to evacuations. Four years ago, a blowout at an underground natural gas well operated by Southern California Gas Co. in the neighboring Aliso Canyon storage facility drove 8,000 families from their homes.

Helicopters made repeated water drops as crews in Los Angeles attacked flames in and around homes. Water- and retardant-dropping airplanes joined the battle after daybreak. About 1,000 firefighters were on the lines.

Fire danger is high throughout Southern California after the typically dry summer and early fall, and the notorious Santa Ana winds - linked to the spread of many wildfires - bring a dangerous mix of witheringly low humidity levels and powerful gusts.

***

A spokeswoman for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Southern California says the complex has not been damaged by a nearby wildfire that has grown to more than 970 acres (392 hectares).

The fire erupted before dawn as strong winds hit Ventura County northwest of Los Angeles.

Flames are pushing through sparsely developed hills between suburban tracts. Horses are being evacuated from small ranches.

The brush fire broke out just before dawn Wednesday near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in the Simi Valley area north of Los Angeles.

Red Cross spokesman Tom Horan says people are confused and scared as they arrived at a shelter set up in a community center in the city of Thousand Oaks, some wearing masks.

They registered with shelter staff amid the banging of cots being set up and food and water being carried inside.

Horan says the shelter can accommodate about 380 evacuees during the day and about 180 overnight. Pets must be kept outside in crates.

***

Strong winds fanned new Southern California wildfires on October 31th, burning homes and forcing residents to flee their homes in a repeat of the frightening scenario already faced by tens of thousands across the state.

The latest blazes erupted in the heavily populated inland region east of Los Angeles as strong, seasonal Santa Ana winds continued to blow with gusts of up to 60 mph (96 kph) predicted to last until the evening before they fade away.

A fast-moving fire spread into the northern neighborhoods of the city of San Bernardino, forcing the evacuation of 490 homes - approximately 1,300 people, the San Bernardino County Fire Department said.

Fire Chief Don Trapp said initial assessment showed that six homes and two outbuildings were destroyed or damaged in the 200-acre (80-hectare) fire.

As winds buffeted the state this week, utilities deliberately cut power to more than a million people to prevent high winds from damaging power lines and sparking wildfires.

Southern California Edison said its safety power cuts still affected about 215,000 people by October 30th and warned that outages were under consideration for about 800,000 people.

Pacific Gas & Electric, which has staged three sweeping blackouts this week, restored power to hundreds of thousands of people Wednesday and expected to have it back for the others sometime October 31th.

The days of windstorms are not unusual for the fall season, which has seen vicious gusts propel a series of deadly and destructive California wildfires in recent years.

***

On October 31th authorities in Ventura County ordered evacuations for about 7,500 people in an area that includes roughly 1,800 buildings as the blaze threatened the small, unincorporated rural community of Somis.

Hundreds of firefighters raced to attack the blaze, which initially was fanned by moderate winds and then was fueled by tinder-dry brush in canyons. Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said more than 400 firefighting personnel were on the job. The fire grew in only a few hours to around 7,400 acres - just over 11 square miles (28 square kilometers) - before midnight.

Ventura County Fire Assistant Chief John McNeil estimated that the fire could reach around 12,000 acres before running out of fuel. Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said a small drone that appeared to be "looking at photography of the fire" interfered with aerial firefighting efforts.

***

Tourists and Venetians have donned high boots and taken to raised walkways to slosh through the high water that has hit much of the lagoon city.

Venice's tide forecast office said the water level peaked at 1.27 metres (about 4 feet 3 inches) on Novembre 12th but warned that an even higher tide was forecast for after nightfall.

The high water invaded cafes and stores.

As a precaution, authorities closed nursery schools.

San Marco Square, more usually thronged with tourists, was largely deserted.

Many hotels keep disposable knee-high plastic boots handy for tourists.

Venetians' wardrobes often include over-the-knee rubber boots.

Bad weather has dogged Italy lately, with near-daily downpours drenching much of the country.

Meteorologists predicted more heavy rain coming in late Tuesday, especially in the northeast, which includes Venice, as well as in Sicily and elsewhere in the south.

***

A picture taken from the International Space Station shows smoke stretching from the edge of Eastern Australia over the Pacific Ocean.

About 60 fires were burning around New South Wales on the morning of November 13th, with 27 uncontained while being battled by more than 1,000 firefighters, the Rural Fire Service said.

A body was found late on November 13th in a scorched forest near the town of Kempsey in northeast New South Wales, police said.

He is suspected to be a 58-year-old man who lived in a nearby shed and had not been seen since Friday when ferocious wildfires across New South Wales killed three other people and destroyed at least 150 homes.

***

Students in Berlin, Germany marched in support of the global climate strike on November 29th, joining 3,000 protests across the world.

Seventeen-year-old protester, Robin Ebelt said "the generation before us messed it up" and that he wanted to live "for another 60 years."

Fridays for Future activist, Quang Paasch said protesters needed to continue to "take to the streets" to defend the Paris Climate Agreement.

The Fridays for Future protests were originally started by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg in 2018 who was outraged by the lack of government action on climate change.

The worldwide student climate marches come a few days before the 2019 UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP 25, begins on December 2nd in Madrid.

***

World leaders were arriving on December 2nd for the start of a two-week international climate conference in Madrid that seeks to step up efforts to stop global warming.

The UN is warning that the efforts so far are insufficient to overcome the “point of no return” in climate change.

The summit, which moved to the Spanish capital after Chile had to pull out amid anti-government protests, aims to put the finishing touches to the rules governing the 2015 Paris accord.

That involves creating a functioning international emissions-trading system and compensating poor countries for losses they suffer from rising sea levels and other consequences of climate change.

***

Spain's Energy and Environment Minister Teresa Ribera visited an art installation in Madrid on December 4th, which simulates pollution levels of some of the world's biggest cities.

Ribera and the Director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health at the World Health Organisation, Maria Neira, walked around the "Pollution Pods" created by British artist Michael Pinsky on the sidelines of the COP25 climate change meeting.

Safe perfume blends and fog machines inside the geodesic domes imitate the air quality of some of the world's most polluted cities - London, Beijing, Sao Paulo, New Delhi - as well as one of the most pristine environments on earth, Tautra in Norway.

Ribera said experiencing the simulated environments was "impressive" and helps understand how pollution affects people's health.

***

Climate activist Greta Thunberg arrived in Madrid on December 6th to join thousands of other young people in a march to demand world leaders take real action against climate change.

Ahead of the march, Thunberg joined a sit-in protest at the conference venue in the Spanish capital.

Madrid is hosting a two-week, United Nations-sponsored talks aimed at streamlining the rules on global carbon markets and agreeing on how poor countries should be compensated for destruction largely caused by emissions from rich nations.

The talks come as scientific evidence mounts about disasters that could ensue from further global warming, including a study commissioned by 14 seafaring nations due to be published Friday that predicts that unchecked climate change could devastate fishery industries and coral reef tourism.

That could cause hundreds of billions of dollars in losses by 2050, says the report, adding that limiting global warming would lessen the economic impact for coastal countries, but that they also need to adapt to ocean changes.

The presence in Madrid of Thunberg was expected to shift the attention to demands for greater action by non-governmental organizations and a whole new generation of environment-minded activists.

Past appearances by the 16-year-old have won her plaudits from some leaders - and criticism from others who’ve taken offence at the angry tone of her speeches.

An advocate for carbon-free transportation, Thunberg travelled by train overnight from the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, where she arrived earlier this week after sailing across the Atlantic Ocean from the United States by catamaran.

That became necessary after a sudden change of venue for the COP25 summit following a wave of anti-government protests that hit Chile, the original host.

***

Climate activist Greta Thunberg said on December 6th that calls for real action against climate change were still being ignored by political leaders, despite their continuous praise of the global environmental youth movement she helped create.

The Swedish teenager was in Madrid, where United Nations-sponsored talks on climate change are underway, to join fellow young climate activists, representatives of Latin America's indigenous peoples and thousands of other protesters.

Before marching, Thunberg said at a press conference that she hoped the COP25 summit would lead to "something concrete" and "increasing awareness among people in general".

Surrounded by three other activists from Spain and Uganda, she added: "The climate crisis is still being ignored by those in power."

The 16-year-old was followed by a swarm of cameras and reporters from the very first step she took out of an overnight train from Lisbon.

The advocate of carbon-free transportation arrived in the Portuguese capital earlier this week after sailing across the Atlantic Ocean from the United States by catamaran.

During the December 2-13 talks, nearly 200 countries are meant to streamline the rules on global carbon markets and agree on how poor countries should be compensated for destruction largely caused by emissions from rich nations.

"We are tired of the praises that you keep giving the activists," she said. "We want you to act."

***

Swedish teen Greta Thunberg joined fellow young climate activists, representatives of Latin America's indigenous peoples, and thousands of other protesters in a climate march on the streets of Madrid on December 6th.

Thunberg was in Madrid, where United Nations-sponsored talks on climate change are underway.

She said that calls for real action against climate change are still being “ignored" by political leaders despite their continuous praise of the global environmental youth movement she helped create.

Amid an overwhelming level of attention from cameras and other protesters she left the march shortly after it began, getting in a red car that she's been using to move around the city.

During the Dec. 2-13 talks, nearly 200 countries are meant to streamline the rules on global carbon markets and agree on how poor countries should be compensated for destruction largely caused by emissions from rich nations.

An official directly involved in the negotiations said that despite a few setbacks, the technical negotiations were progressing, although many issues were being left for ministerial-level meetings in the summit's second and final week.

The official, who asked to remain anonymous given the sensitivity of the discussions, added that a political declaration on greater “ambition" - a buzzword at the summit - was shaping to be “difficult to achieve.”

***

Sweish climate activist Greta Thunberg says she was "very surprised" to be named Time's “person of the year”, despite becoming the figurehead of a global youth movement pressing for faster action climate change.

Leaving a UN climate conference in Madrid, Thunberg told The Associated Press on Wednesday that she wanted to dedicate the award to all young activists.

"I should not be the one to be person of the year, it should be everyone in the Fridays for Future movement because what we have done, we have done together," she told the AP by phone interview.

She is now planning to head home to Sweden for some rest during the holidays.

Thunberg said she was hopeful that the message being pushed by her and other activists - that governments need to drastically increase their efforts to combat climate change - is finally getting through.

***

Marathon international climate talks ended on December 15th with negotiators postponing until next year a key decision on how to regulate global carbon markets.

After two weeks of negotiations in Madrid on tackling global warming, delegates from almost 200 nations passed declarations calling for greater ambition in cutting planet-heating greenhouse gases and in helping poor countries that are suffering the effects of climate change.

But despite holding the longest climate talks ever in 25 nearly annual editions they left one of the thorniest issues for the next summit in Glasgow, in a year's time.

Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace Germany said in the meantime he hoped the European Union's 'Green Deal,' which proposes a net-zero emmisions target by 2050, would be implemented to "set a precedence for other economic regions" of the world.

02:57:20

00:00:00

Climate protests, arrests, in NLands, France, Germany

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Paris - 7 October 2019

1. Members of Extinction Rebellion with flags walking on bridge

2. Pan from riot police to demonstrators, UPSOUND (French) "We are Extinction Rebellion"

00:11:22

Firefighters battle southern California blaze

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Porter Ranch, California - 11 October 2019

3. Various of firefighters spraying water on flames near homes and helicopter dropping water near homes

00:23:22

New wildfire scorches area north of Los Angeles

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Simi Valley, California - 30 October 2019

4. Medium view of smoke blowing across roadway

5. Fire burning along hillside near buildings

6. Fire burning trees and brush

00:35:22

Wildfire east of Los Angeles destroys homes

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

San Bernardino, California - 31 October 2019

7. Various night views of homes burning

8. Dayside views of smoldering remains of a house

00:47:22

Hundreds battle new Southern California wildfire

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Somis, California - 31 October 2019

9. Firefighters spraying fire on mountainside

10. Fire truck next to burning mountainside

11. Fire amid trees, grass

00:59:22

St Mark's Square in Venice flooded

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Restrictions: Part must credit Gaetano Guzzardi; Part must not obscure logo

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Central Venice, Italy - 12 November 2019

12. Wide of San Marco Square flooded

13. Tourists carrying luggage through flood waters

14. Tourist wading through flood waters

15. Various of tourists walking through flooded area

01:15:22

Smoke from Australia fires visible from Space

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NASA

International Space Station - 13 November 2019

16. STILL: smoke from edge of Australia stretches over Pacific Ocean, red dots on picture indicate actively burning fires.

01:20:22

German climate activists rally at Brandenburg Gate

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Berlin - 29 November 2019

17. Various of protesters in front of Brandenburg Gate

01:31:22

Leaders arrive in Madrid as climate summit begins

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Madrid - 2 December 2019

18. New European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arriving

01:37:21

Spanish art installation recreates air pollution

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Madrid - 4 December 2019

19. Spanish Energy and Environment Minister Teresa Ribera (black coat) and Director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, at the World Health Organization, Maria Neira (with a scarf) entering cell recreating the air pollution in Beijing

20. Ribera and Neira entering cell recreating the air pollution in New Delhi

21. Banner with COP25 logo and slogan (Spanish) "#TiempoDeActuar" ("Time to act")

01:50:03

Thunberg joins sit-in protest at COP25 summit

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Madrid - 6 December 2019

22. Various of Thunberg joining sit-in protest against the lack of government action to tackle climate change

01:57:24

Thunberg calls for 'real action' on climate change

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Madrid - 6 December 2019

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate activist

" The world leaders, the people in power, grasp the urgency of the climate crisis because right now it doesn't seem like they are."

02:10:07

Thousands join Thunberg in Madrid climate march

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Madrid - 6 December 2019

++NIGHT SHOTS++

24. Various top shots of thousands of protesters marching in Madrid near Cibeles Fountain

02:18:07

Thungberg 'very surprised' about Time award

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Location unknown - 11 December 2019

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate activist

" I should not be the one to be person of the year, it should be everyone in the Fridays for Future movement because what we have done, we have done together."

02:31:16

Frustration as COP25 ends without carbon deal

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Madrid - 15 December 2019

26. COP25 venue, sign

27. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Kaiser, Greenpeace Germany:

"US President (Donald) Trump and President (Jair) Bolsonaro from Brazil have undermined these negotiations here and if they are going to continue so next year, we need a different answer from strong economies like the European Union, together with China, together with India, to come up with a new narrative of hope for the young people out there."

THUNBERG: MOVEMENT'S SUCCESS IS RAISING AWARENESS

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was named Time's “person of the year” Wednesday, becoming at age 16 the youngest person to whom the US magazine has given the title.

Thunberg emerged as the face of the youth climate movement after she started skipping school once a week to protest outside her country's parliament

In the past year and a half, she has drawn large crowds at international conferences and demonstrations outside Sweden.

Some have welcomed Thunberg's environmental activism, including her speeches challenging world leaders to do more to stop global warming.

But others have criticized the teenager's sometimes combative tone.

"For sounding the alarm about humanity’s predatory relationship with the only home we have, for bringing to a fragmented world a voice that transcends backgrounds and borders, for showing us all what it might look like when a new generation leads, Greta Thunberg is TIME’s 2019 Person of the Year,” the media franchise said Wednesday on its website.

Leaving a United Nations climate conference in Madrid where she addressed negotiators on Wednesday, Thunberg told The Associated Press she was “a bit surprised” by Time's recognition, which she dedicated to all young activists.

Thunberg said she was hopeful the message of urgency she and other activists are communicating - that governments need to drastically increase their efforts to combat climate change - is finally getting through.

She said the experience of the past 15 months, going from solo-protester outside the Swedish parliament to addressing world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, had changed her.

She said she felt she was being heard "but it is the people's voices who who are not being heard, they are the ones who need to be heard, it is this people, especially from the global south and indigenous people who need to be heard," Thunberg said in a phone interview.

She plans to head home to Sweden for some rest during the holidays.

Last year’s Time winners included slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi; the staff of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, where five people were shot to death; Philippine journalist Maria Ressa; and two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.

Location unknown - 11 December 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate activist ++OVERLAID BY STILL IN SHOT 2++:

"I think my voice is being heard enough so that I can't complain about it, but it is the people's voices who who are not being heard, they are the ones who need to be heard, it is this people, especially from the global south and indigenous people who need to be heard. They are the ones who will be hit harder or hit hardest by the climate and environmental crisis. They are the ones who need to be heard and also the science needs to be heard. The science needs to be communicated. And that is what I'm trying to do, to use my platform to do."

Madrid - 11 December 2019

++OVERLAYS AUDIO IN SHOT 1++

2. STILL of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addresses plenary of U.N. climate conference during with a meeting with leading climate scientists at the COP25 summit in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. Thunberg is in Madrid where a global U.N.-sponsored climate change conference is taking place. (AP Photo/Paul White)

++BLACK FRAMES++

Location unknown - 11 December 2019

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate activist ++OVERLAID BY STILL IN SHOT 4 ++:

"I think the biggest success this movement has had is to to spread awareness and to be able to move the debate to get in a sense of urgency and

the conversation that is vert needed right now to be able to move forward. So that I think is our biggest success, but also that we have been mobilizing millions of people all around the world."

Madrid - 10 December 2019

++OVERLAYS AUDIO IN SHOT 3++

4. STILL of climate activist Greta Thunberg arrives for a meeting with leading climate scientists at the COP25 summit in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. Thunberg is in Madrid where a global U.N.-sponsored climate change conference is taking place. (AP Photo/Paul White)

++BLACK FRAMES++

Location unknown - 11 December 2019

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate activist ++OVERLAID BY STILL IN SHOT 6++:

"They say they listen and they say they understand but it sure doesn't seem like it. So if they really would listen and understand then I think they need to prove that by translating that into action."

Madrid - 11 December 2019

++OVERLAYS AUDIO IN SHOT 5++

6. STILL of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addresses plenary of U.N. climate conference during with a meeting with leading climate scientists at the COP25 summit in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. Thunberg is in Madrid where a global U.N.-sponsored climate change conference is taking place. (AP Photo/Paul White)

++BLACK FRAMES++

Location unknown - 11 December 2019

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate activist ++OVERLAID BY STILL IN SHOT 8++:

SOUNDBITE (English)

"After the COP I am heading home for Christmas and taking time off which I am looking forward to. And after that, I have no school to return to until August because I have taken a gap year, so I don't know what I will be doing. I will probably keep doing, continue a bit like now traveling around and if I get invitations to come and just try everything I can from my point of view, what's effective."

Madrid - 6 December 2019

++OVERLAYS AUDIO IN SHOT 7++

8. STILL Climate activist Greta Thunberg attends a news conference in Madrid, Friday Dec. 6, 2019. Thunberg arrived in Madrid Friday to join thousands of other young people in a march to demand world leaders take real action against climate change. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was named Time's “person of the year” Wednesday, becoming at age 16 the youngest person to whom the US magazine has given the title.

Thunberg emerged as the face of the youth climate movement after she started skipping school once a week to protest outside her country's parliament

In the past year and a half, she has drawn large crowds at international conferences and demonstrations outside Sweden.

Some have welcomed Thunberg's environmental activism, including her speeches challenging world leaders to do more to stop global warming.

But others have criticized the teenager's sometimes combative tone.

"For sounding the alarm about humanity’s predatory relationship with the only home we have, for bringing to a fragmented world a voice that transcends backgrounds and borders, for showing us all what it might look like when a new generation leads, Greta Thunberg is TIME’s 2019 Person of the Year,” the media franchise said Wednesday on its website.

Leaving a United Nations climate conference in Madrid where she addressed negotiators on Wednesday, Thunberg told The Associated Press she was “a bit surprised” by Time's recognition, which she dedicated to all young activists.

Thunberg said she was hopeful the message of urgency she and other activists are communicating - that governments need to drastically increase their efforts to combat climate change - is finally getting through.

She said the experience of the past 15 months, going from solo-protester outside the Swedish parliament to addressing world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, had changed her.

She said she felt she was being heard "but it is the people's voices who who are not being heard, they are the ones who need to be heard, it is this people, especially from the global south and indigenous people who need to be heard," Thunberg said in a phone interview.

She plans to head home to Sweden for some rest during the holidays.

Last year’s Time winners included slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi; the staff of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, where five people were shot to death; Philippine journalist Maria Ressa; and two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.

Location unknown - 11 December 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate activist ++OVERLAID BY STILL IN SHOT 2++:

"I think my voice is being heard enough so that I can't complain about it, but it is the people's voices who who are not being heard, they are the ones who need to be heard, it is this people, especially from the global south and indigenous people who need to be heard. They are the ones who will be hit harder or hit hardest by the climate and environmental crisis. They are the ones who need to be heard and also the science needs to be heard. The science needs to be communicated. And that is what I'm trying to do, to use my platform to do."

Madrid - 11 December 2019

++OVERLAYS AUDIO IN SHOT 1++

2. STILL of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addresses plenary of U.N. climate conference during with a meeting with leading climate scientists at the COP25 summit in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. Thunberg is in Madrid where a global U.N.-sponsored climate change conference is taking place. (AP Photo/Paul White)

++BLACK FRAMES++

Location unknown - 11 December 2019

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate activist ++OVERLAID BY STILL IN SHOT 4 ++:

"I think the biggest success this movement has had is to to spread awareness and to be able to move the debate to get in a sense of urgency and

the conversation that is vert needed right now to be able to move forward. So that I think is our biggest success, but also that we have been mobilizing millions of people all around the world."

Madrid - 10 December 2019

++OVERLAYS AUDIO IN SHOT 3++

4. STILL of climate activist Greta Thunberg arrives for a meeting with leading climate scientists at the COP25 summit in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. Thunberg is in Madrid where a global U.N.-sponsored climate change conference is taking place. (AP Photo/Paul White)

++BLACK FRAMES++

Location unknown - 11 December 2019

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate activist ++OVERLAID BY STILL IN SHOT 6++:

"They say they listen and they say they understand but it sure doesn't seem like it. So if they really would listen and understand then I think they need to prove that by translating that into action."

Madrid - 11 December 2019

++OVERLAYS AUDIO IN SHOT 5++

6. STILL of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addresses plenary of U.N. climate conference during with a meeting with leading climate scientists at the COP25 summit in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. Thunberg is in Madrid where a global U.N.-sponsored climate change conference is taking place. (AP Photo/Paul White)

++BLACK FRAMES++

Location unknown - 11 December 2019

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate activist ++OVERLAID BY STILL IN SHOT 8++:

SOUNDBITE (English)

"After the COP I am heading home for Christmas and taking time off which I am looking forward to. And after that, I have no school to return to until August because I have taken a gap year, so I don't know what I will be doing. I will probably keep doing, continue a bit like now traveling around and if I get invitations to come and just try everything I can from my point of view, what's effective."

Madrid - 6 December 2019

++OVERLAYS AUDIO IN SHOT 7++

8. STILL Climate activist Greta Thunberg attends a news conference in Madrid, Friday Dec. 6, 2019. Thunberg arrived in Madrid Friday to join thousands of other young people in a march to demand world leaders take real action against climate change. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

American billionaire and Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg was joined by American actor Harrison Ford to present a report at the UN global climate conference in Madrid analyzing progress made by the US businesses in tackling climate change.

Bloomberg, who launched his campaign less than three weeks ago, was sharing the results of his private push to organize thousands of US cities and businesses to abide by the terms of Paris global climate treaty that the Trump administration is working to abandon.

The Democrat has vowed to rejoin the Paris climate agreement if he's elected as president. He recently stepped down as the U.N.'s special envoy for climate action.

Unlike at many past climate summits, few heads of government are joining the talks in Madrid.

The US has sent a career diplomat, Ambassador Marcia Bernicat, as head of its delegation.

John Kerry, the former Secretary of State under the last Democrat administration, is also attending events on the sidelines of the Madrid conference, and said the absence of any representative from the White House at the talks "speaks for itself."

"None of the 20 nations that are privileged to belong to the G20, the principal emitters of the world - 85 plus per cent of all the emissions - 20 nations and they are all going up on their emissions: China is going up, India is going up, US is going up, Europe is going up," Kerry said.

"Are you kidding me? We pretend we are serious?"

Scientists say emissions worldwide need to start falling sharply from next year if there is to be any hope of achieving the Paris climate accord's goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit).

Madrid - 10 December 2019

1. Former mayor of New York and US Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg and American actor Harrison Ford arriving

2. Ford getting on stage

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Harrison Ford, actor:

"We know what to do. We know the facts. What we need now is the courage to act. In 2017 my country's federal government demonstrated a lack of courage threatening to pull out of the Paris agreement. And if we don't elect new leadership they're gonna continue to do that."

4. Photographer

5. Bloomberg getting on stage

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Bloomberg, US Democratic presidential contender :

"The reason that I am here in Madrid is really, very simple. I am here because no one from the White House is here."

7. Crowd looking through glass wall into venue

8. Media

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Bloomberg, US Democratic presidential contender :

"So today I ask that regardless of what you hear out of Washington, you should know that the American people support our Paris goals. We continue to work to meet them. We're making encouraging progress. We're looking forward to this November's election and a new president in 2020. We have to have America as part of the solution. And I'm determent to try to make that happen."

10. Bloomberg and UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa

11. America's pledge report held by Bloomberg

12. Various of Espinosa on stage

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Patricia Espinosa, UN climate chief:

"At this time when we know that we are going in the wrong direction, that we are really far from where we need to be, that we, if we continue to do business as we have done until now – we will just not be able to reach the goals of the Paris agreement."

14. Ford leaving

15. Wide of officials holding signs with young activists

16. People taking pictures

17. Various of room

18. Former US Secretary of State John Kerry approaching podium

19. SOUNDBITE (English) John Kerry, former US Secretary of State:

"So here we are in Spain, a year before we go to Glasgow hopefully to raise ambitions, here we are and no country in the world is getting the job done. None of the 20 nations that are privileged to belong to the G20, the principal emitters of the world - 85 plus per cent of all the emissions - 20 nations and they are all going up on their emissions: China is going up, India is going up, US is going up, Europe is going up. Are you kidding me? We pretend we are serious?"

20. Close of conference logo

Climate activist Greta Thunberg said Tuesday she hoped the COP25 climate summit in Madrid would finally bring some good news after so many meetings.

Speaking to reporters after a press conference to mark her arrival in Lisbon, the teenage activist said she hoped that whoever won the next US election would think in the long term and not just the short term.

Thunberg is on her way to the UN Climate Change Conference in the Spanish capital.

She said she planned to keep pressing political leaders to make climate change their top priority.

Thunberg wants senior officials gathered in Madrid to "finally understand the urgency" of climate change and cooperate internationally.

The 16-year-old says "people are underestimating the force of angry kids".

Thunberg arrived in Portugal after sailing across the Atlantic.

She said she travelled by catamaran instead of plane to send a message that it is possible to live a sustainable lifestyle.

Thunberg will spend a few days in Lisbon catching up on news before attending a march on Friday in Madrid.

Lisbon - 3 December 2019

1. Various of climate activist Greta Thunberg at dockside

2. Thunberg arriving for interview

3. Cutaway Lisbon City Hall

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Climate activist: (on extinction rebellion actions planned for Madrid)

"As you know, I'm not very much updated but if it's peaceful and if no one gets harmed then I think I support it. I have no idea what I will do in Madrid yet so this is what I will try to work out now."

5. Cutaway of climate activists after press conference

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Climate activist:

"The message for COP25 will be that basically you have had so many meetings by now that you must get something good out of this, otherwise we are running out of time and we are watching you, the younger generation, and we will make sure that you actually must do something."

7. Wide of interview

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Climate activist: (on American elections if Trump is re-elected)

"I don't know what will help. Maybe that will cause more people to wake up to the reality if he wins again. You can never predict those kinds of things, but I just hope that someone wins who can think in the long term, not just the short term."

9. Cutaway photographer

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Greta Thunberg, Climate activist:

"I feel strange when I get applauded by people in power and those who just want everything to continue like now, because it's obvious that it's them I'm criticising, but they can't show that in front of the camera. They cannot show any defeat, they don't want to be criticised in front of the camera, so they just play along with it. It's quite funny sometimes."

11. Pan from cameras to Thunberg

12. Thunberg leaving surrounded by people

Acting Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, on Saturday visited the site of this year's COP25 climate change conference.

The conference was meant to have been held in Santiago de Chile, but weeks of violent street protests forced the Chile government to cancel.

Spain has organised the conference in Madrid's IFEMA (Institución Ferial de Madrid - Fair Institution of Madrid) exhibition centre in less that three weeks.

Energy and Environment Minister, Teresa Ribera, said the venue was no longer to be considered "Spanish territory, this is now multilateral United Nations."

Delegates from almost 200 countries had hoped to put the finishing touches to the rules governing the 2015 Paris accord, ironing out a few wrinkles left over from last year’s conference in Katowice, Poland, and setting the scene for a major review of their efforts in 2020.

But Brazil pulled its offer of hosting the talks and stand-in Chile, rattled by anti-government protests, cancelled five weeks before the meeting.

Next, US President Donald Trump served formal notice the United States was quitting the Paris accord, delivering a symbolic blow to one of his predecessor’s signature achievements.

And with scientists issuing dire warnings about the pace of global warming and the need to urgently cut greenhouse gas emissions, officials are under pressure to send a message they are serious about combating climate change

Against that backdrop, the December 2-13 meeting in Madrid has gained fresh impetus.

Organisers expect around 25,000 visitors, including heads of state, scientists, seasoned negotiators and activists to attend.

Madrid – 30 November 2019

1. Acting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visiting UN area of COP25 (2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference) with the Spanish Energy and Environment Minister, Teresa Ribera

2. Sanchez and Ribera posing for pictures

3. Sanchez entering heads of state meeting room

4. Sanchez, Ribera and COP25 volunteers posing for pictures

5. Wide of COP25 conference room

6. Wide of Ribera, Chilean Environment Minister Carolina Schmidt, and United Nations Executive Secretary for Climate Convention Patricia Espinosa being introduced on stage

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Carolina Schmidt, Chilean Environment Minister:

"Today we will open the COP.... COP25, a claim for urgency and ambition to really reach the goal to stop the climate change in the world."

8. Chilean, United Nations and Spanish flags

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Teresa Ribera, Spanish Energy and Environment Minister:

"From now onwards this is not anymore Spanish territory. This is now multilateral United Nations, the Chilean space for climate action. The flags are there. The flag of the United Nations together with the Chilean and the Spanish ones, meaning how much we can do when we work together."

10. Various of Ribera, Schmidt and Espinosa posing for pictures

REAX FROM COP25 TO THUNBERG'S TIME AWARD

Participants in the UN's COP25 climate talks on Wednesday welcomed the decision to name teenage Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg the Time's youngest "person of the year".

Michael Northrop, an observer at COP25 praised Thunberg's work, saying that he hoped the young climate activist could push climate change progress if governments are not willing to.

Meanwhile, Carlotta Martinez, a 21-year-old staff member at COP25 said Thunberg is doing "very great work and it's a work that everybody needs to appreciate."

Thunberg, 16, has become the face of the youth climate movement, drawing large crowds with her appearances at protests and conferences over the past year and a half.

She spent three weeks at sea to cross the Atlantic for the Madrid climate change conference, hoping to draw attention on low-carbon form of transport.

Madrid,  11 December 2019

1. Conference sign reading (Spanish/English) "#Time for Action"

2. Participants walking across conference venue

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Carlotta Martinez, 21-year-old staff at COP25 who lives in Madrid:

"She's doing a very great work and it's a work that everybody needs to appreciate. And also, I think that if you take into account the age of Greta (Thunberg, teenage climate activist), I think that she is like, she's a crack for me. She's a crack. And I hope that she work. She's (her) work will have a great impact in the future."

4. Logo of conference

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Carlotta Martinez, 21-year-old staff at COP25 who lives in Madrid:

"She has to have attention, but not like she was a celebrity because she is not a celebrity. She's an activist, a very good activist."

6. Conference booth inside conference venue

7. Posters of activist groups displayed inside conference venue

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Northrop, observer from New York City:

"Well, we're not seeing enough progress at the governmental level, so having citizens stand tall is important. Having a representative of citizens standing tall, having Greta (Thunberg) kind of provoke the reaction of moral necessity and responsibility is critical. And she's doing an amazing job at it. And, you know, everybody needs to listen, the banks, the fossil fuel developers. These are the folks that are taking us across the 2 degree (Celsius climate change) threshold. So we really need them to move. And maybe Greta can get them to move if governments can't."

9. Pacific Pavilion at conference

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Sydney Welter, 23-year-old NGO worker from Columbus, Ohio in the US:

"I'm really glad attention is being brought to the issue of climate change, but I also think it's really important that other marginalized voices are also elevated. So I can't speak to who is most deserving of that, but you definitely need to elevate marginalized voices."

11. Participants passing "Time for action" logo

12. Participants inside conference venue

Brazil can't stop deforestation without the help of rich countries, Brazil's environment minister Ricardo Salles said in Madrid at the UN's two-week climate change conference.

Salles, who declined to set a deforestation target for the coming year, said in an interview with the Associated Presson Saturday that his country was committed to reducing illegal activity, but needs the back-up of developed nations.

"We are willing to do whatever is necessary to do so, but we need that back-up," Salles said. "That back-up was promised many years ago and we're still expecting the rich countries to participate in a proper way. Proportional funds are really are what is going to be necessary for that task."

While participating in the climate change conference known as COP25, Salles is working to shed light on the environmental policies of Jair Bolsonaro's government.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly taken aim at the country's environmental regulator and called for development of the Amazon forest.

Deforestation in the 12 months through July reached the highest annual rate in 11 years, and Bolsonaro accused NGOs, without evidence, of having set blazes to undermine his administration.

Salles said developed nations should help Brazil on the basis of Article 6 in the Paris Agreement, signed in 2015 to prevent the effects of climate change.

The article says monetary compensation mechanisms must be created to help developing countries.

Brazil already receives money from wealthy nations, namely Germany and Norway, to fight deforestation in the vast rainforest.

Norway alone has donated 1.2 billion US dollars to Brazil's Amazon Fund since its creation in 2008.

However, both European nations have suspended contributions, citing continued deforestation and that Brazil doesn't want to stop it.

The fund also appears stalled, with local paper O Globo reporting this week that this year's disbursements were the least since 2013 and zero projects were approved, despite the fact that the fund has 2.2 billion Brazilian real (530 million US dollars) available.

Salles in the past has questioned the fund's effectiveness.

He said in the interview that Brazil is negotiating with the two countries to restart the programme.

They exchanged draft documents, and he expects them to meet next week to discuss new terms of the fund.

Brazil now has "an appropriate approach on the problem of deforestation,'' Salles said, pointing to a new emphasis on adopting a bio-economy agenda and the government's effort to boost local economic activity.

"If we don't solve the economic development for more than 20 million Brazilians who live there and people who need to have this sustainable, from both a financial and environmental perspective, they will be easily coopted by illegal activities," Salles said.

"It is a huge effort to attract private sector to participate."

Brazil's annual deforestation report released in November showed a nearly 30% jump from the prior year in the Amazon, which lost an area of 3,769 square miles of forest.

Madrid – 7 December 2019

1. Close of detail of pavilion at COP25 conference reading (English/Spanish) "It's time for action"

2. Brazil's environment minister Ricardo Salles leaving delegation office and talking to aide

3. Close of Brazilian flag at delegation office reading (Portuguese) "Order and Progress"

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Salles, Brazil's Environment Minister:

"Brazil is committed to reduce the illegal deforestation in the territory, we are willing to do whatever is necessary to do so, but we need that back-up. That back-up was promised many years ago and we're still expecting the rich countries to participate in a proper way. Proportional funds are really what is going to be necessary for that task."

5. Tilt down from Italian pavilion sign to participants talking in conference hall

6. Close of posters of climate activists' groups displayed in conference hall, reading (English) "Act" and "Climate Action Now"

7. Tilt up from sign reading (Spanish) "COP25 Chile. Madrid 2019. United Nations Climate Change Conference" to COP25 logo reading (Spanish) "Time for Action"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Salles, Brazil's Environment Minister:

"Brazil is now having an appropriate approach on the problem of deforestation, which is: if we don't solve the economic development for more than 20 million Brazilians who live there and people who need to have this sustainable, and from both financial and environmental perspective – if we are not able to do that, then these people will be easily coopted by illegal activities. So, it is a huge effort to attract private sector to participate."

9. Pan from participants walking to sign on the wall reading (English) "Brazil Climate Action hub"

10. Close of logo of "Brazil Climate Action hub" of Brazilian civil societies and subnational governments

11. Woman listening to speaker at hub event

12. Audience at event inside "Brazil Climate Action hub"

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Salles, Brazil's Environment Minister:

"We need rich countries to participate with that effort in a significant amount of money, not only for a small proportion, but (an) amount that is proportional to the size of the problem that all developing countries (have), especially those that are based in the Amazon, who have the forest to take care about, and we need to have that sort of support from the rich countries."

14. Salles talking to participants outside delegation office, then walking inside

15. Close of sign of Brazil's delegation office

16. COP25 logos outside entrance conference venue "IFEMA" (Feria de Madrid)

17. Entrance to conference venue with huge display showing COP25 logo reading (Spanish/English) "#TimeForAction"

18. Close of display at entrance to venue showing conference hashtag (English/Spanish) "#TimeForAction" and COP25 logo

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus131141

As the Democratic presidential candidates hit the debate stage in Nevada Wednesday night, they'll be joined for the first time by billionaire Mike Bloomberg.

Bloomberg has up until now avoided any face to face conflicts with his rivals by by bypassing the early voting states and using his personal fortune to define himself through television ads.

AP's Washington bureau chief Julie Pace says the Nevada debate will be a "game changer" for the contest.

"Bloomberg has been running in this sort of parallel universe. He's been doing his own thing, not competing in the early states, waiting till the Super Tuesday states until he's on the ballot and really defining his own narrative," Pace says.  

But not any longer. The prime-time event will be a stark departure from Bloomberg's highly choreographed campaign.

He's poured more than $300 million into television advertising, a way to define himself for voters without facing criticism. While he's campaigned in more than two dozen states, he does not take questions from voters and delivers a standard stump speech that lasts less than 15 minutes, often reading from a teleprompter.

"He hasn't had that direct criticism that the other candidates have had to go through... and so I think there's a real question of how Bloomberg will hold up in that environment," Pace says.

The former New York City mayor has not debated in more than a decade and as Pace says, "he's not known as a particularly strong debater. He can be a little thin skinned and he's going to have a real pile on."

Despite participating in the Nevada debate, Bloomberg is not competing in the Nevada caucuses on Saturday.  He decided to skip the first four voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina in favor of focusing on the 14 states that vote on March 3 and the contests that come afterward.

New York - 15 January 2020

1. Mid shot of Mike Bloomberg walking to podium at rally

Washington, DC - 18 February 2020

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, AP Washington Bureau Chief:

"Michael Bloomberg is going to be on the debate stage for the first time on Wednesday night in the final debate before the Nevada caucuses, and this is really a game changer in terms of the dynamics in this race because Bloomberg has been running in this sort of parallel universe. He's been doing his own thing, not competing in the early states, waiting till the Super Tuesday states until he's on the ballot and really defining his own narrative. He's got hundreds of millions of dollars in ads where he is shaping the way that a lot of Americans perceive him. He is now, because his standing in the polls is going up, he is now starting to get some criticism, pretty intense criticism, from some of his rivals, but he hasn't had to take them on face to face. He hasn't had that direct criticism that the other candidates have had to go through in the many debates that we've had leading up until this point. And so I think there's a real question of how Bloomberg will hold up in that environment. He has not debated in more than a decade since his last run for New York City mayor. He's not known as a particularly strong debater. He can be a little thin-skinned and he's going to have a real pile on. All of the candidates see an incentive to take him on, either if you're Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, because millionaires and billionaires and people who they say kind of buy their way into politics have been the core of their message for so long, or because you're an ideological counterpart to Bloomberg - a Joe Biden, an Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, who are really looking to, to break out of that moderate lane, he's actually making that lane much more crowded by getting in the race at this stage."

New York - 15 January 2020

3. Mike Bloomberg speaking to a crowd on women's issues

Madrid - 10 December 2019

4. Mike Bloomberg high fiving a girl during the climate conference in Madrid

Des Moines, Iowa - 14 January 2020

5. STILL photo of candidates on debate stage

Manchester, New Hampshire - 7 February 2020

6. STILL photo of Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar on debate stage

Madrid - 10 December 2019

7. Mike Bloomberg walking during climate conference

Detroit - 30 July 2019

8. STILL photo of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren at Michigan debate

Des Moines, Iowa - 14 January 2020

9. STILL photo of Pete Buttigieg talking to Amy Klobuchar at Iowa debate

Ankeny - 4 December 2018

10. Bloomberg standing with people at an Iowa Wind Technology plant

Environmental groups staged protests outside the climate summit venue in Madrid to express their frustration at the slow pace of the talks.

Around 100 people from the Fridays for Future movement were joined by some dozens of protesters from climate activists groups, including Extinction Rebellion, to demonstrate outside the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25).  

The main roundabout outside the COP25 venue where the UN talks took place was blocked off by protesters.

Officials from almost 200 countries scrambled to reach an agreement at the climate meeting amid growing concerns that key issues may be postponed for another year.

Madrid - 13 December 2019

1. Fridays for Future protesters walking outside COP 25 venue in Madrid (French) "We sing for the climate"

2. Protesters chanting (English) "Save the climate"

3. Pan of protesters in sit down blocking road outside COP25 venue

4. Protester holding sign (English) "Don't wait until it's too late"

5. Various of protest

6. Extinction Rebellion protesters joining Fridays for Future movement in yellow boat

7. Various of protesters holding Chile flags with venue in the background

8. Wide of protest

9. Various of protester wearing dinosaur head, sign reads (Spanish) "Climate justice, now"

MOFA Briefing

Spokesperson: Geng Shuang

Date: 16 December 2019

Duration: 05:28

1. Regarding the text of the phase 1 deal which is reportedly being translated, when and where will it be signed?

The text is currently undergoing legal review and being translated by both countries. Once this finish, the two will discuss where and when, and in what format this deal will be concluded.

At present, the two sides maintain working-level communication in this regard. We will let you know timely if there is an update.

2. Any comment on the media report saying that the US expelled two Chinese diplomats this fall who entered sensitive military zone.

The US accusation against relevant Chinese diplomats is seriously contrary to the fact. China has lodged solemn complaints and protests with the US. We strongly urge the US to correct mistakes, withdraw the decision and protect the legitimate rights and interests that relevant Chinese diplomats are entitled under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

In addition, I would like to remind the US again that countries should facilitate and secure diplomats' works in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and it is reciprocal.

3. UN Secretary General Guterres was disappointed about the concluded climate conference, saying countries participating were just at odds with each other and blamed countries like China and India for not improving their climate commitment. What's your comment? (3 and 4 answer the same question)

The relevant parties failed to reach a consensus on the core topic because there are still disputes on key issues. We regret that. Meanwhile, I would like to point out that under the situation that the US withdrew from the Paris Agreement, the conference passed more than more than 30 resolutions regarding implementation of the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol, including the Chile Madrid Time for Action that upholds multilateralism and represents all parties' consensus on climate governance. Also, the Conference made systematic arrangement on how to implement the Article 6 in Paris Agreement, market mechanisms and other issues.

We believe that outcomes of this conference have certain distance from the international community's expectation. But it does lay the foundation for relevant parties to reach a substantial consensus next.

4. UN Secretary General Guterres was disappointed about the concluded climate conference, saying countries participating were just at odds with each other and blamed countries like China and India for not improving their climate commitment. What's your comment? (3 and 4 answer the same question)

China has participated in the conference in Madrid with a positive and constructive attitude and made positive contributions to pushing the conference to reach aforementioned outcomes. I would like to stress that what is pressing to tackle climate change now is to hold high the flag of multilateralism, implement the Paris agreement based on the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities. We will work together with other parties to push forward with the negotiation on the last page of implementation of the agreement, further improve the fair, rational, cooperative and win-win global governance system, and make unremitting efforts to build the community of shared future for mankind.

5. The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a report about China's influence in Hong Kong and Taiwan, saying China used its commercial power and visa denials to wield its influence. What's your response?

It's not the first time for such organizations to releases this kind of reports. What it talks about is totally unfounded and not worth refuting. How is the freedom of press in China, anyone upholding an objective and fair principle will have a wise judgement.

6. What's your comment on German football player Mesut Özil's tweet on Xinjiang? (6 and 7 answer the same question)

Chinese Football Association (CFA) has issued the statement. As a journalist based in China for long, you should have known very well about the ordinary Chinese peoples' response to the matter. Xinjiang is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. In history, we have never called Xinjiang East Turkestan, still less the so-called the State of East Turkestan.

I don't know if Mr. Mesut Özil has ever visited Xinjiang. It seems that he is blinded and misled by some false reports and untrue words.

7. What's your comment on German football player Mesut Özil's tweet on Xinjiang? (6 and 7 answer the same question)

I would like to tell him that Xinjiang now enjoys political stability, economic development and social harmony where people all live and work in peace. We welcome Mr. Özil to visit Xinjiang to look around. As long as he has conscience, can distinguish right from wrong and uphold objective and impartial principles, he will see a different Xinjiang.

As negotiations at the United Nations climate talks in Madrid continued into the night on Saturday, activists staged a protest outside the COP25 venue.

Standing on melting ice-blocks with nooses around their necks, protesters associated with the Extinction Rebellion movement demanded tangible resolutions from the negotiators inside.

"We cannot support more of this inaction. So that's why we are here in the streets," Extinction Rebellion Spain's Candela Fernandes said.

Senior European officials, including ministers from Spain, Germany and the EU's top climate official, Frans Timmermans, were engaged in last-minute negotiations to prevent the talks from collapsing.

But among the countries pushing back against agreeing new measures to help poor countries and set new emissions cutting targets was the United States, which under President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 Paris accord.

Among the main issues at stake are rules for international carbon markets and a system for channelling money to help poor countries cope with the economic impact of climate change.

Madrid - 14 December 2019

++EVENING SHOTS++

1. Various of protesters with nooses hanging around their necks, standing on ice-blocks, singing

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Candela Fernandes, Extinction Rebellion Spain member:

"They (political leaders) have 12 more months until Glasgow COP26. They need to be solving problems by then. And we cannot support more of this inaction, political inaction. So that's why we are here in the streets. And we're doing civil disobedience, peaceful civil disobedience."

3. Protester playing the drums, protesters chanting (English) "Extinction Rebellion"

4. Close of protester's feet standing on ice block, pan up to woman with child singing

5. Close of protester dressed as 'Sustaina-Claus' singing, noose hanging around his neck

6. Wide of protesters with nooses hanging around their necks, standing on ice-blocks, singing

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Philip McMaster aka Sustaina-Claus, climate activist:

"This is Santa's problem – is that consumption is killing us. The noose of consumption is catching around our neck. Sustaina-Claus is trying to illustrate this – that common consumers, stay home! Look after your children. This holiday season is the time, it's an emergency, it's a climate emergency. It's the time to treat your children like the precious things that they are."

8. Protesters gathered outside climate talks venue

LEAD IN:

At the U.N.'s COP25 climate talks in Madrid world leaders revealed ambitious plans to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Foresters, in Scotland, are already fighting climate change by planting millions of trees a year in order to remove more carbon from the atmosphere.

Last year the country reached its target by planting 22 million saplings on more than 10-thousand hectares of land.

STORY-LINE:

Bruce Spalding, who grew up in the highlands of Scotland, has been a forester all his life.

He says professionals like him can plant up to 2,000 trees a day.

By his own estimation, it takes him just 10 seconds to plant a tree.

To maximise his efficiency, he uses a special pouch to hold the tools of his trade.

"This is called a Canadian planting harness and basically it allows the planter to have different species of trees. We've got three pouches, one either side and one on the back and also it can double up as a bag for holding fertiliser for putting some fertiliser on the young trees as well," Spalding says.

Although planting season is usually in the winter, foresters have to keep a close watch on saplings and young trees as they are the most vulnerable in the first years after planting and sometimes have to be replaced.

Spalding is doing just that by planting trees in areas where the last season's saplings did not survive.

"I'm replacing dead trees for the last time. This particular part of the plantation is five years old and every year after planting you walk every row basically and replace the dead trees, so this is the last time I'm doing that."

Scotland exceeded its planting target of 10-thousand hectares for the first time this year (2019).

One hectare is about the size of a rugby or American football field.

The Scottish Government's Minister for Rural Affairs and Natural Environment Mairi Gougeon says they plan to increase this target in the coming years.

"We've made this a massive focus for the government because obviously we're facing a climate emergency and we have to try and do everything we can to try and tackle that and a huge part of that is tree planting because there's so many benefits that come from that."

"There's the huge amounts of carbon that trees store, but as well as the knock on benefits that that has for the economy. So we've set really ambitious targets for the next few years so our targets right now are to plant 10,000 hectares a year. Last year we beat that target. We planted 11,200 hectares and to try and put that in context that is about 22 million trees and that stores about nine and a half tonnes of carbon out of the atmosphere so it's absolutely incredible but we don't think that that's good enough and we've increased those targets so that by 2025 we hope to be planting 15,000 hectares of new trees every year."

According to Scotland's Forestry Strategy, 100 years ago only 5 percent of Scotland's land was covered in trees.

The country's trees were removed to make way for agriculture and infrastructure.

The Forestry Act of 1919 was introduced to tackle the problem and by 2019 19 percent of the country is now covered in woodlands.

The government aims to increase this to 21 percent of tree coverage by 2032.

With the help from Scottish Government grant schemes, the majority of those planting Scotland's new woodlands are private companies.

Stuart Goodall is the CEO of Confor, an organisation that represents commercial forestry and the wood processing sector.

Goodall says part of the initiative to up the scale of tree planting is due to a projected shortfall in timber in the coming years.

"For us tree planting is an extremely important thing. We've got a number of drivers for that. As forestry people we love the idea of there being more forests with the benefits that they provide, but we've also got a challenge wherein about 20 to 50 years time we've got a shortfall in timber and we know we need to be planting more trees now in order to provide those increased supplies to help fill that falling away of availability."

"So we've been working with the Scottish Government for some years now to put in place a scheme which pays people who wish to plant trees and to make sure that's attractive and it also operates efficiently and as a result we've seen a significant increase in tree planting in recent years."

According to the Environment Agency, flooding in the UK has increased over the last decade due to an increase in extreme weather events.

As global temperatures and sea levels rise, intense storms are becoming more prevalent.

Goodall says for Scotland, a country with heavy rainfall that is prone to flooding especially in the summer months, trees can act as a flood defence as they soak up so much water.

"It means that we're planting in some cases for flood prevention. A lot of the land, the hills, were denuded of trees hundreds of years ago when we introduced sheep. So now by putting trees back into the landscape we're starting to protect areas in a natural way from flooding," he says.

The Woodland Trust, a charity which focuses on planting trees native to Scotland and restoring existing woodlands, manages the Kinclaven Bluebell Wood.

Here the charity is working with volunteers from the community in planting 34-thousand trees over a two-year period.

The saplings on the edge of the forest are protectively covered to make it difficult for deer to get to them.

One of the big challenges for young trees in Scotland in their first years is shielding them from being eaten by hungry animals.

George Anderson, a spokesman for the Woodland Trust, says the country could do even better and plant more trees each year.

"We think that the 10,000-hectare target was quite a modest one so we need to at least keep that going but with climate change breathing down our necks we have to do a lot better. And literally every tree is a soldier in the battle against climate change. Every tree we can get in the ground is going to soak up carbon."

Anderson says part of Scotland's success in reforestation lies in cooperation between the government, those who work in commercial forestry and those in conservation.

"We are now all singing from the same hymn sheet really and the Scottish Government has played a role in that. The government listens to us as they listen to the commercial sector."

"And they see forestry as an important part of our country so I think that has been the reason. It's got a higher profile here than it has in other parts of the UK and it's seen as being important so I think a lot of the problems we used to have, they still have elsewhere, but because we're in a smaller unit we can speak to each other. We understand each other more and there's a common purpose. I think climate change gives us a common purpose."

The Scottish Government intends to increase the number of trees it plants year on year and by 2024/2025 it aims to be planting 15-thousand hectares a year.

In Madrid, climate talks entered uncharted waters with ministers trying to agree on rules for a global carbon market and possible ways to compensate vulnerable countries for disasters caused by global warming.

World leaders agreed in Paris four years ago to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), ideally no more than 1.5 C (2.7 F) by the end of the century.

Scientists say countries will miss both of those goals by a wide margin unless drastic steps are taken to begin cutting greenhouse gas emissions next year.

The U.N.'s COP25 climate conference ends December 13th 2019.

Warroch Hill forest, Scotland, UK - 7 August 2019

1. Wide of forester Bruce Spalding planting a tree

2. Mid of Spalding removing tree from satchel

3. Close of Spalding planting sapling

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Bruce Spalding, forester:

"This is called a Canadian planting harness and basically it allows the planter to have different species of trees. We've got three pouches, one either side and one on the back, and also it can double up as a bag for holding fertiliser, for putting some fertiliser on the young trees as well."

5. Various of Spalding planting a tree

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Bruce Spalding, forester:

"I'm replacing dead trees for the last time. This particular part of the plantation is five years old and every year after planting you walk every row basically and replace the dead trees, so this is the last time I'm doing that."

7. Various of Spalding planting trees

8. Various of saplings

9. Wide of Spalding walking past a sapling

10. Wide of Spalding planting a tree

11. Wide of Spalding in field

Pendreich Forest, Stirling, Scotland, UK - 7 August 2019

12. Various of Mairi Gougeon, Scottish Government's Minister for Rural Affairs and Natural Environment, having photograph taken

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Mairi Gougeon, Scottish Government's Minister for Rural Affairs and Natural Environment:

"We've made this a massive focus for the government because obviously we're facing a climate emergency and we have to try and do everything we can to try and tackle that. And a huge part of that is tree planting because there's so many benefits that come from that. There's the huge amounts of carbon that trees store, but as well as the knock on benefits that that has for the economy. So we've set really ambitious targets over the next few years. So our targets right now are to plant 10,000 hectares a year. Last year we beat that target. We planted 11,200 hectares and to try and put that in context, that is about 22 million trees and that stores about nine and a half tonnes of carbon out of the atmosphere, so it's absolutely incredible but we don't think that that's good enough and we've increased those targets so that by 2025 we hope to be planting 15,000 hectares of new trees every year."

Warroch Hill Forest, Scotland, UK - 7 August 2019

14. Wide of forest

15. Close of trees

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - 6 August 2019

16. Wide of Stuart Goodall, chief executive of Confor forestry organisation, walking

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Stuart Goodall, chief executive of Confor forestry organisation:

"For us tree planting is an extremely important thing. We've got a number of drivers for that. One is, obviously, as forestry people we love the idea of there being more forests with the benefits that they provide. But we've also got a challenge wherein about 20 to 50 years time we've got a shortfall in timber and we know we need to be planting more trees now in order to provide those increased supplies to help fill that falling away of availability. So we've been working with the Scottish Government for some years now to put in place a scheme which pays people who wish to plant trees and to make sure that's attractive and it also operates efficiently. And as a result we've seen a significant increase in tree planting in recent years."

Warroch Hill Forest, Scotland, UK - 7 August 2019

18. Pan of forest

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - 6 August 2019

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Stuart Goodall, chief executive of Confor forestry organisation:

"It's interesting that with climate change, and Scotland is a wet country and in summer we can suffer from floods, and trees because they soak up water, basically they intercept water. It means that we're planting them in some cases for flood prevention. A lot of the land, the hills, were denuded of trees hundreds of years ago when we introduced sheep. So now by putting trees back into the landscape we're starting to protect areas in a natural way from flooding."

Kinclaven Bluebell Forest, Scotland, UK - 7 August 2019

20. Wide of The Woodland Trust Bluebell Wood sign

21. Various of newly planted trees in tubes

22. Wide of George Anderson, spokesman for The Woodland Trust, checking a newly planted tree, UPSOUND (English): "Yip, that's a nice little guy in here."

23. Close of Anderson checking newly planted tree

24. SOUNDBITE (English) George Anderson, spokesman for The Woodland Trust:

"We think that the 10,000-hectare target was quite a modest one. So we need to at least keep that going. But with climate change breathing down our necks we have to do a lot better. And literally every tree is a soldier in the battle against climate change. Every tree we can get in the ground is going to soak up carbon."

25. Various of trees in Kinclaven Bluebell Forest

26. SOUNDBITE (English) George Anderson, spokesman for The Woodland Trust:

"We are now all singing from the same hymn sheet really and the Scottish Government has played a role in that. And the government listens to us as they listen to the commercial sector. And they see forestry as an important part of our country so I think that has been the reason. It's got a higher profile here than it has in other parts of the UK and it's seen as being more important. So I think a lot of the problems that we used to have, they still have elsewhere. But because we're in a smaller unit we can speak to each other, we understand each other more and there's a common purpose. I think climate change gives us a common purpose."

Warroch Hill Forest, Scotland, UK - 7 August 2019

27. Close of sapling being planted

28. Various of newly planted trees

Kinclaven Bluebell Forest, Scotland, UK - 7 August 2019

29. Wide of tree in Bluebell Forest

Philip McMaster, an advocate of more sustainable life clad in Santa Claus clothing, spread his message at the UN climate conference in Madrid on Thursday.  

"SustainaClaus", as he calls himself, made a plea to parents around the world to try to become more sustainable and caring in the coming holiday seasons, and to step up action.

He echoes climate activist Greta Thunberg's message that adults and world governments are not doing enough to mitigate climate change.  

The 16-year-old Swedish teenager has become the face of a new generation of environmental activists, drawing large crowds with her appearances at protests and conferences over the past year and a half.

"SustainaClaus" is asking parents to make and share their own gifts by hand, eliminate packaging and invest in time with their children.

Parents around the world need to minimize consumption and stress, he said.

Madrid – 12 December 2019

1. "SustainaClaus" Philip McMaster addressing participants in conference hall of the UN climate conference, holding up sign with symbol for "caring currency" and stuffed animals

2. "SustainaClaus" talking in conference hall, with activist holding poster with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

3. Activists holding SDG poster

4. Participants listening to "SustainaClaus"

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Philip McMaster, advocate of more sustainable life:

"Greta's (Thunberg) message of the adults are not stepping up to the plate, adults are not doing what they are supposed to do, is absolutely true. Look at here at COP25, we've got the same problem. Year after year after year, these countries and their representatives – the representatives are only representatives of the countries – but their countries, their political systems are resisting the absolutely necessary change, the emergency footing we're in."

6. Pins on Santa Claus clothing reading "All I want for Xmas is Article 6" and "All I want for Xmas is the Paris Rulebook"

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Philip McMaster, advocate of more sustainable life:

"Have joy in the season, not this stress and pressure to buy a lot of stuff in a shopping mall. And then you get home and people don't even appreciate it. So let's stop that, let's have people have fun this holiday season, and be part of the solution."

8. Poster with lyrics of "The Panic Song"

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Philip McMaster, advocate of more sustainable life:

"(holding soft toy Panda into camera) So, the Panda is asking you to do three things: number one - smile and make other people happy, number two - change something about yourself because you can't change others, stop a bad habit and start a good habit, and number three – unplug."

10. "SustainaClaus" campaigning at UN climate conference

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said a just transition on climate must secure decent and inclusive jobs for all workers.

Speaking at conference on climate action for jobs on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Conference, Guterres called on workers from traditional energy industries to not see climate advocates as adversaries, but rather as partners.

The COP25 climate talks are reaching the end of their second week in Madrid, Spain.  

The talks, which are officially due to end on Friday, appear to be heading for overtime amid disagreements over rules for international carbon markets and help for poor countries affected by climate change.

Madrid, 12 December 2019

1. Wide of conference room

2. Close of conference sign

3. Guterres approaching podium

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General:

"It is essential that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past, when great transitions have left people, communities and entire nations falling by the wayside. We must ensure the transition to a low-carbon future is fair and inclusive. That means a future of green and decent jobs. A future of thriving, resilient communities, cities and countries. A future where developing nations are not raided for resources and human capital but are treated as equal partners."

5. Cutaway cameraman

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General:

"To workers in the traditional energy industries, I have a clear message. Those of us leading on climate action are not adversaries. We want the same thing as you; decent jobs in a cleaner, healthier world."

7. Cutaway audience

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General:

"We need to be innovative, we need to be determined and we need to be entirely coherent with the perspective that this transition needs to be done to benefit everybody and not doing this transition will only allow, as I said, the survival of the richest. Thank you very much."

9. Close of screen reading climate jobs

10. End of press conference

11. Various of panel

The "European Green Deal" has been welcomed by experts attending the United Nations climate conference in Madrid for its holistic approach, but for some it did not go far enough in tackling the climate crisis.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has pledged to make the European Union the world's first carbon-neutral continent by 2050, as part of the European Green Deal she presented on Wednesday.

Managing Director of Greenpeace Germany Martin Kaiser applauded the comprehensive nature of the plan, linking the financial, economic and environmental sectors, but warned it was "too little too late."

Kaiser said it was time the European Council began making courageous decisions and pushed for carbon neutrality by 2040.

Professor Richard J.T. Klein from the Stockholm Environment Institute meanwhile said it was "a very, very strong plan", but "still needs to be implemented, still needs to be approved first by the various countries."

The net-zero emissions goal will be discussed on Thursday during a meeting of EU heads of state and government in Brussels.

Von der Leyen, who took office this month at the helm of the European Union's powerful executive arm, has made the fight against climate change the top priority of her five-year mandate.

In her bid to lead the EU toward climate neutrality, Von der Leyen wants to put up 100 billion euros (130 billion US dollars) to help member countries that still heavily rely on fossil fuels transition to lower emissions.

Among them, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland, which rely heavily on coal-fired power plants, have yet to commit to the EU's goal of having net zero emissions of CO2 by 2050.

The net-zero emissions goal will be discussed Thursday during a meeting of EU heads of state and government in Brussels.

Madrid –  11 December 2019

1. Close of logo reading "European Union at COP25"

2. Participants leaving "Room Brussels"

3. Participants talking outside European Union Pavilion

4. Managing Director of Greenpeace Germany Martin Kaiser walking through conference hall

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Kaiser, Managing Director Greenpeace Germany:

"The Green Deal starts a process which is quite comprehensive, which links to the financial sector, to the economic sector and the environmental sector, and tries to integrate it in a way that it is supposed to help us out of the climate crisis. But it is too little and too late, and it's up to the (European) Council tomorrow to start with courage decisions on the carbon neutrality by 2040 and give it a clear direction for the (European) Commission."

6. Close of pin in on suit reading "We're angry but you can change that"

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Kaiser, Managing Director Greenpeace Germany:

"Member states are under high pressure, also from the youth movement, to address climate crisis. But what is on the table is by far not enough to limit global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius, and that's the challenge the head of states have tomorrow, to link the proposal of the Commission with the science."

8. Participants walking by conference logo

9. Professor Richard J.T. Klein walking through conference hall

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Professor Richard J.T. Klein, Stockholm Environment Institute:

"Well, it's very impressive, it really responds to the urgency that is so clear now. That's good. At the same time, we shouldn't get too excited yet, it's a plan, still needs to be implemented, still needs to be approved first by the various countries. We need to make sure that the legislation that is suggested in the plan actually materialises. But it's a very, very strong plan."

11. Participants sitting in conference hall

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Professor Richard J.T. Klein, Stockholm Environment Institute:

"Well, I think we have to be fair, this is really ambitious what the EU (European Union) is proposing at the moment. I think it will have a real impact on these negotiations here at the COP. Of course, it still needs to be implemented, there's a lot of work to be done until March, and then after that by the various member states, but I think this is very good."

13. Participants passing EU pavilion at UN climate conference