You may well have decided to stay in, feet up with remote control in hand, but while you do, the 195 governments that make up the Conference of Parties (COP), plus international charities and organisations will be meeting to discuss the problem of climate change of our planet.

It’s that time of year again and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) prepares to hold its 17th annual Conference of Parties (COP17).  This year COP17 delegates are heading to the coastal city of Durban, in South Africa, an apt location, considering this city is itself suffering the ill-effects of the rapid changes in our climate and has become increasingly vulnerable to the treat of rising sea levels in that region.

Nearly two whole decades ago, the UNFCCC countries recognised that climate change was becoming a persistent problem and decided to cooperate with each other.  They come together yearly, to consider what has to be done to limit average global temperature increases and shape ways to cope with the impacts resulting from this climate change.

According to the UN, the ultimate objective of the convention is “to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system”.

In 2010, COP governments agreed that this stability can be achieved if emissions are reduced so that any global temperature rises are kept below 2 degrees Celsius.    In that way, natural ecosystem and habitats, including those on which we rely for agriculture and clean water supply will have the chance to adapt naturally and, most importantly, sustainably.

Things you should know about the annual UNFCCC Conference: Most of the onus is placed on developing countries to lead by example.  Since our industrialised countries are the source of the majority of past and present CO2 emissions, more pressure should be placed on them, to cut these emissions within their own countries. The Kyoto Protocol, put into force in 2005, is a legally binding agreement between developed countries to drive them to meet emission reduction targets.  The first 5 year commitment period ends in 2012. New funds are being created and directed towards developing countries to assist and support them in financing their own climate change activities.  For example, the Green Climate Fund intends to raise $100bn(£64bn) by 2020 to protect poor nations against climate impacts and develop low- carbon infrastructure. A close eye is being kept on the agreements and targets that have been established, as well as the Kyoto agreement, these also include the Bali Action Plan (a post-2012 road map) and the Cancun Agreement from last year’s COP16 conference.

So what can you do?

We're supporting our partners Stop Climate Chaos and the UKYCC to ensure that goals and targets that are being promised at these conferences, are reached and to schedule.  Also, that no single community, country, corporation or government is allowed to shirk its responsibility towards maintaining the future of our planet.  To ensure that momentum and progress continues long beyond 2012.

• Thursday 1 December @ 7pm - Join the online debate with Chris Huhne, the Energy & Climate Change Minister

• Follow the progress of the UKYCC Youth Delegation who are in Durban for the talks here!

So for those of you that didn’t know, now you do!

By Abi Lee-Carter