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Copenhagen Summit – Day 10 Summary

mark — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:08:14 +0000

A compromise proposal to be presented by the Danish presidency Wednesday was held up as the negotiating process, according to UN climate chief Yvo de Boer, was subject to an “unexpected stop”.

De Boer: “Unexpected stop” in negotiations - The negotiating process at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen was subject to an “unexpected stop” on Wednesday, according to Yvo de Boer, the UN’s top climate official.

New compromise proposal said to be on its way - Danish PM takes over the COP15 presidency, he will present a compromise on Wednesday afternoon, a Danish newspaper reports.

Climate talks deadlocked as clashes erupt outside – Danish police fired pepper spray outside the UN climate conference on Wednesday, as disputes inside left major issues unresolved just two days before world leaders hope to sign a historic agreement to fight global warming.

Africa shows a willingness to negotiate - African Union climate negotiator Meles Zenawi has scaled back the demands for climate finance from rich countries, signaling thaw under way in the deadlocked UN negotiations.

Countries pledge billions to protect rainforests - The US, Australia, France, Japan, Norway and Britain will make 3.5 billion US dollars available for developing countries that produce ambitious plans to slow and eventually reverse deforestation.

Japan: 15 billion dollars in climate aid - Japanese pledge outbids the EU’s funding for short-term climate aid in developing countries.

Kerry: US to pass “major” climate legislation - A successful deal in Copenhagen will lead the way for climate legislation in the US Congress, says Senator John Kerry.

India: Kyoto in intensive care if not dead - Whether the expiring Kyoto Protocol, which sets targets for greenhouse gas emissions from rich countries only, should be continued, expanded or replaced with an alternative agreement still splits the parties.

British PM warns of failure but brings hope - According to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the first sign of progress in the negotiations could be seen Wednesday with new proposals for climate change from African Union climate negotiator Meles Zenawi.

Hillary Clinton to attend COP15 - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Copenhagen this week, it emerged yesterday.

>>>Full in depth article visit COP15 and Act on Copenhagen

>>> View other MoreEco News & Views Summit Summary’s

Copenhagen Summit – Day 2 Summary

mark — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:08:23 +0000

Day 2 of the United Nations climate talks in Copehagen is underway. The UK continues to push for a global agreement that’s ambitious, effective and fair. Thanks for backing the bid and helping us secure the 2 degree deal.

US announcement - The US Government has declared carbon dioxide a ‘toxic’ gas that endangers public health in a judgement that gives the Obama administration a legal basis for capping harmful emissions.

The ruling will allow the agency to regulate planet-warming gases even without legislation in Congress. Under existing laws the agency could begin to make rules as soon as next year to regulate emissions from vehicle exhausts, power utilities and heavy industry.

Ed’s Copenhagen send-off - Ed Miliband is taking part in a public meeting today in Manchester, jointly organised with Manchester Friends of the Earth. This will be Ed’s last public event before he travels to Copenhagen.

Coinciding with the launch of Manchester’s climate change action plan, the event will include speakers such as The Guardian’s John Harris and Friends of the Earth’s Campaigns director Mike Childs.

EU committed to move to 30% - The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have made a public push for the European Union to commit to deeper cuts in carbon emissions in a bid to strike an ambitious deal on climate change in Copenhagen.

Gordon Brown urged EU leaders to raise its offer on cuts in carbon emissions to 30% by 2020 compared with 1990, compared with its current pledge of a 20% reduction.

DoThe GreenThings Video - As the Copenhagen Summit is our climate’s last chance saloon, it would help if we all understood what’s got to happen there. To make that simple, Green Thing has produced a Quick Recipe for a Successful Copenhagen with diplomacy illustrated through the medium of cookery. Watch it. Share it. Don’t try to cook it. And remember, as Chef says: “It does not have to be pretty, it just has to work.”

Last decade warmest on record, says Met Office – The last 10 years have been ‘by far’ the warmest decade the world has experienced since modern records began, the UK’s Met Office announced in Copenhagen on 8 December. It said the figures showed that the world continues to see global temperature rise most of which is due to increasing emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It added that the data clearly show that the argument that global warming has stopped is flawed.

Melting ice bear sculpture sends ‘powerful climate message’ – It is the powerful metaphor for man-made climate change. Artist Mark Coreth is sculpting a Polar bear out of ice which will slowly melt as negotiators work towards a global climate change deal in Copenhagen.

“Danish text” raises furore – According to The Guardian, developing countries “react furiously” after a draft text allegedly written by the UN conference’s host country was leaked Tuesday.

Top UN scientist: What Climategate? In harsh wording Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the IPCC, defends British colleagues whose hacked emails have ignited debate over the credibility of mainstream climate science.

The Road to Copenhagen: Less than 40 days to go

mark — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:10:18 +0000

Major global meetings have been taking place over the last month, in and outside the formal UN climate change process. But with less than 40 days to go now, the COP15 conference in Copenhagen this December is starting to come into view.

Last month’s climate change summit in New York showed some gain in political momentum, though a further preparatory UN meeting in Bangkok highlight the remaining presence of a gap between developed and developing countries, seemingly based above all on a mutual lack of trust. The main differences in thought are:

Should a new legal instrument be introduced to replace Kyoto and be the foundation for a binding and comprehensive international agreement on climate?
This is what the EU would like, primarily to bring the US into the new arrangements, but the proposal met with some resistance at Bangkok. The rest of the developing world is suspicious of developed countries aiming to dodge ambitious new post-2012 targets. The approach was further undermined by the US freely acknowledging that they will be in no position to commit to any binding agreement.
Unfortunately there has been little progress on agreeing mid-term targets for developed countries and commitments from developing countries. Norway brightened the political landscape by pledging an impressive 40% cut in 2020 compared with 1990 levels, but in general the impasse remains
Financing discussions for climate mitigation and adaptation, essentially the wealth transfer from the developed to the developing world to finance climate actions, are still focussed on the institutions necessary to administer funds rather than concrete pledges themselves.

What can we hope to see from Copenhagen?

We have reason for remaining optimistic: a “successful” Copenhagen declaration can still be made if the outcome were roughly as follows:

A strong political declaration is made to agree a way forward on how to address the post-2012 Kyoto period, which must include targets and actions
A process is agreed on management of climate adaptation funds
An agreement is made to continue existing and new financial market mechanisms post-2012
A process is discussed that sees common international standards for measuring, reporting and verifying emission reductions
An agreement is made to tackle deforestation through a global international mechanism

There is still time for significant and necessary breakthroughs to be made at a political level. It will require strong leadership and continued pressure from people across the world.

Best Pictures – International Day of Climate Action

Loz — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:04:37 +0000

As News & Views has posted previously, last Saturday marked the first International Day of Climate Action. In celebration of this, the team have scored the web for the best pictures, events and features of the day. Check out all the posts and enjoy!

Vancouver, British Columbia, North America. See the whole story here: 350.org

350 Bungee Jumps from the top of a defunct coal-fired power plant in Soweto. Read the whole story here: 350.org

Oman, The Persian Gulf. See the whole story here: 350.org

Santa Cruz, West Coast of North America. See the full story here: 350.org

Small part of the circle surrounding the White House. See the full story here: 350.org

See all the photos from all around the world at 350.org… congratulations everyone on such a fantastic effort on this day of awareness and change.

International Day of Climate Action

Loz — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:25:19 +0000

The 15th October saw a 500% increase in blogs about climate change – making it the largest co-ordinated communication about climate worries of all time. This just goes to show that people really do care and want to make a difference.

In light of this, 350.org have organised Blog Action Day – the International Day of Climate Action. This amazing event will take place tomorrow, Saturday 24th October, and hopes to be the largest day of environmental action on the planet. Already over 4000 creative events have been planned in over 170 countries and activists will be uploading pictures to their blogs, and the 350.org site, in real time for everyone to enjoy. These images will be broadcasted on the giant screens in Times Square and represent the inspirational work of so many climate activists around the world.

What can you do to help? – Check out 350.org for even more information and blog, post, comment, upload, twitter and facebook.

Don’t let change pass you by – make a difference by adding your voice and showing our leaders that we want to see them make a difference at Copenhagen this December.