Media Advisory       Worldwatch Institute Travels to Doha, Qatar for COP18         The Worldwatch Institute's Alexander Ochs sits on  panels and roundtables which will address the state of global climate negotiations and the development of renewable energies; solutions to increase global energy access; creating low-emission economies; and sustainable energy roadmaps in small island nations   Contact: Supriya Kumar, skumar@worldwatch.org, (+1) 202-745-8092, ext. 510.  Government provided incentives for transitioning to a low-carbon economy- trade implications When:          Saturday, December 1 - 9.00-11.30 a.m. Where:         Retral Al Rayyan Hotel, Dafna, Diplomatic District, Doha, Qatar Who:            Alexander Ochs, Climate and Energy Director, Worldwatch Institute Organizers: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (RSVP required) *** Developing Building Blocks of a Global Mitigation Architecture When:            Saturday, December 1- 14:00 - 18:30 Where:           Hotel InterContinental Doha (room "Al-Diwan") on Al Istiqlal Street, Doha, Qatar Who:              Alexander Ochs, Climate and Energy Director, Worldwatch Institute Organizer:      International Climate Initiative of the German Ministry of the Environment (RSVP required) *** What: Sustainable Energy for Island Economies - A High Impact Opportunity When:              Wednesday, December 5 - 11:30 - 13:00 Where:             Side Event Room 8, Qatar National Convention Center, Doha, Qatar Who:                Alexander Ochs, Climate and Energy Director, Worldwatch Institute Organizers:      Vision 20/30, in partnership with Sustainable Energy For All (SE4ALL), United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, the Worldwatch Institute, and others.       ***  The Conference of Parties At the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, informally known as the Earth Summit, 154 countries signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). By ratifying this treaty, these signatories demonstrated their commitment to stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. As of May 2011, the treaty had an additional 194 parties.  Since 1995, the parties to the convention have met annually in Conferences of the Parties (COP) to evaluate their progress in combating climate change. This year's event, COP18, will bring government representatives, international organizations, and civil society leaders to Doha, Qatar. Here, attendees will work to advance the mandates of the original Convention, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the 2011 Durban Platform, and further develop various COP action plans implemented in previous years.  Worldwatch Climate and Energy Director Alexander Ochs and members of his team will participate in several events at the conference. They will offer insights from their experiences advising governments around the world in their transitions to sustainable economies. Their upcoming work will take them to countries throughout Africa, the Caribbean, Central America, China, Europe, India and North America where they will help key policymakers identify feasible low-emissions development strategies.  On Saturday, December 1, the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development will host a Roundtable Discussion addressing government policies which provide incentives for a shift towards a low-carbon economy, and the possible trade- and trade policy implications thereof. Panelists will discuss whether the current rules provide the flexibility countries need so as to design effective policies for climate change action. Worldwatch's Alexander Ochs will draw upon the recent REN21 Renewables Global Status Report 2012 and share insights from policy assessment work that Worldwatch has conducted with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as well as individual countries when working with them on their energy strategies. Also on Saturday, December 1, the International Climate Initiative (ICI) will host a networking and knowledge sharing workshop bringing together representatives of projects financed by ICI that supports climate mitigation around the world. Participants will share experiences among the ICI project community, discuss ideas, approaches and open questions, reflect on challenges and technical developments as well as identify good practices and recommendations. Ochs will share lessons learned from Worldwatch's Sustainable Energy Roadmap projects in the Caribbean. On Wednesday, December 5, the Climate Institute, along with other partner organizations including the UN Foundation, the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, the World Bank, and the Worldwatch Institute, will host a panel to showcase some of the leadership initiatives by island nations, and programs by the international and regional organizations in support of these island economies. Ochs will share insights from Worldwatch's Sustainable Energy Roadmap work in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica, as well as for Caribbean Community and Common Market. Ochs will also be taking part in meetings hosted by the International Climate Initiative where he is a member of the International Advisory Committee, the Low Emissions Development Global Partnership (LEDS-GP) where chairs the Energy Platform, as well as the Climate Knowledge Development Network and the International Council for Sustainable Energy.  Visit the  Worldwatch website for more information about its Climate and Energy Program.  ***  Note to Journalists: For more information on these events or any other interviews relating to COP18, please contact Supriya Kumar at skumar@worldwatch.org or at +1 (202)745-8092, ext. 510. Or you can contact Alexander Ochs directly in Doha (UTC+3) at +1 (646) 812 6252. About the Worldwatch Institute: Worldwatch is an independent research organization based in Washington, D.C., that works on energy, resource, and environmental issues. The Institute's State of the World report is published annually in more than 18 languages. For more information, visit www.worldwatch.org. Worldwatch's Climate and Energy Program aims to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy based on sustainable use of renewable energy sources in concert with major energy-efficiency gains, sustainable agricultural practices, and low-emissions transportation. The group reports regularly on its work on the Institute's Re|Volt blog at www.blogs.worldwatch.org/revolt.