This week, representatives from over 150 countries around the world are meeting in Montreal, Canada to discuss the United Nations' Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Following Russia's ratification of the treaty late last year, the Kyoto Protocol entered into force in February 2005 and is now binding for those countries that have signed and ratified it. Most developed nations are parties to the Kyoto Protocol; the United States and Australia are notable exceptions.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) and EarthTrends are exceptional resources for understanding climate change and how it will affect the planet. Two recent publications are especially worth mentioning. On December 5th, WRI released "Growing in the Greenhouse," a report which highlights policies and practices in Brazil, China, India and South Africa to limit emissions sustainably . The report helps to dispel the notion that developing nations are not contributing to greenhouse gas reductions. "Navigating the Numbers" digests the reams of regional and national empirical data and forecasts available on climate change into a useful input for decisionmaking. A journalists' guide is also available. EarthTrends users that are interested in climate change should take a look at the Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT), an information and analysis tool on global climate change. CAIT 3.0, with graphing and mapping features, was just released.

EarthTrends contains scores of climate variables as well as data tables, maps, and feature articles on climate change science and policy. (See our users guide for a primer). Today we have posted a new feature article, entitled "Mobilizing an Investment Framework for Clean Energy", which recommends that the World Bank and other institutions to integrate climate change considerations into lending decisions.

Additionally, extensive information (including webcasts) is available at the UNFCCC central website.