11 June 2015, Common Dreams: As Bonn Climate Talks Conclude, Another Failure for Planet Earth, Humanity. Developed countries criticized for being unwilling to buck fossil fuel industry and make necessary transition to renewable energy sources. As ten days of UN-sponsored climate talks came to end in Bonn, Germany on Thursday morning, global campaigners demanding far-reaching solutions to the crisis of a warming planet expressed dissatisfaction on multiple levels, charging that the continued foot-dragging of governments is sentencing future generations to unparalleled catastrophe even as scientists issue grave new warnings about the dangers of inaction. Speaking on behalf of Friends of the Earth, Lucy Cadena, the group’s climate justice and energy coordinator, said the among the deepest frustrations is that while solutions are available to stave off the worst impacts of climate change, Bonn has once again proven that leaders from the most developed countries are unwilling to buck the fossil fuel industry and make the urgent transition to renewable energy sources. Read More here
Tag Archives: UNFCCC
11 June 2015, Carbon Brief, In depth: Trust high but progress slow at UN climate talks in Bonn: Diplomats have completed the latest round of UN talks on climate change, intended to whittle down a draft text into something that could form the basis of a UN climate agreement this December. Negotiators managed to cut down the sprawling text, which they agreed in Geneva earlier this year – a 90-page document containing all the views of all countries. After two weeks of negotiations, the text now stands at 85 pages, or 2,730 words shorter than before. The final deal signed in Paris is expected to come in at around 15 pages, which gives some indication of the scale of work needed over the next six months, if the summit is to be a success…. Nonetheless, the rush of nationally determined pledges that many expected would be offered in Bonn failed to emerge, with just Morocco and Ethiopia coming forward with new targets to cut their emissions after 2020. Bonn also finalised rules on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), preparing the way for progress on the ground. The conclusion was one of the few landmark moments to emerge during the session: discussions on deforestation have stretched on for the past ten years…. Read More here
4 June 2015, RTCC, Oil giants support for UN climate pact signals change in strategy. Top hydrocarbon producers seem to accept a global deal will be done in Paris – the question is can they limit its damage? It’s unprecedented for the UN’s climate chief to receive a letter from six oil companies offering help. More likely Sepp Blatter resigning in the wake of FIFA’s corruption scandal, Tony Blair making a speech at a hunger summit for free. But that’s what happened on Friday when the heads of BP, Shell, BG Group, Statoil, Eni and Total wrote to Christiana Figueres. “Climate change is a critical challenge for our world,” they said. “We stand ready to play our part.” The chief executives emphasised the importance of a global price on carbon, and their willingness to work with the UN to make this happen….
But why now, and why this letter? Tom Burke, advisor to BP from 1999-2001 and chair of environmental think tank E3G is in no doubt. It’s fear. “They are getting worried. They are beginning to think governments will bend to respond on pressure on climate change more than they thought they would,” he says.“They assumed governments would not do enough to stay below 2C [a temperature level the UN agreed to avoid in 2010]. It’s unprecedented and a sign they are nervous.” The letter is a sign, argues Burke that work exposing the risk of “stranded assets” as a result of climate policies that make fossil fuels unusable is starting to hit home. Read more here
11 May 2015, INSIDER, WRI: A Unique Proposal for a Successful Outcome in Paris: Four years ago, countries around the world committed to strike a new international climate agreement this December. The Paris climate summit comes in a year where the impacts of climate change are experienced, understood and acknowledged more than ever before. Governments, the public, investors and businesses are increasingly recognizing the economic and social consequences of climate change, from heat waves and stronger storms to forest fires and sea level rise. Meanwhile, adoption of renewable energy is growing rapidly while costs are plummeting, providing evidence that the global shift to a low-carbon economy is only a matter of time. But questions remain: Can the world form a pact in Paris this December that will accelerate the low-carbon transition at a speed and scale required to avoid the worst climate impacts? How would the different priorities and circumstances among nearly 200 countries be addressed? And just what might this historic agreement look like? Read More here