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by Mark Kenber, Policy Director, The Climate Group
Yesterday in Singapore, Danish PM Lars Rasmussen joined President Obama and APEC heads of states for a quickly-arranged breakfast focused on climate change.
At the meeting PM Rasmussen told assembled leaders that Copenhagen should be viewed as the first step toward the international binding climate agreement that many had hoped would be achieved at COP15. The PM said that he would seek at Copenhagen a political agreement covering all major elements of negotiations. President Obama is said to have voiced support for this approach.
The press is now portraying this as a “major blow” that puts a global deal on climate change in jeopardy.
But all hope is not lost.
What was discussed in Singapore was not necessarily a race to the bottom, but a realistic assessment of why we won’t see a legal agreement finalized in Copenhagen.
Focusing on the core elements of a global, countries are already closing in on agreement on key issue, such as targets, financing and technology.
We remain positive and optimistic that constructive discussion in Copenhagen will, because it must, lead to a strong global deal on climate change.
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ADELAIDE: In an Australian first, State Premiers joined with business leaders on Thursday 5 November to explore accelerating the development of low carbon, energy efficient smart cities across Australia.
Convened by The Climate Group and chaired by its CEO Steve Howard, the meeting focused on what the building blocks of new smarter, low carbon communities will be. Attendees discussed the ways in which governments and business might work together to achieve this vision sooner and more effectively.
Among the specific topics discussed were electric vehicles deployment and the benefits this provides to power supply and renewable energy generation; the power of the internet and IT to drive energy efficiency; and proposals for lowering barriers to wide-scale retrofit of the existing building stock. Attendees also underlined the importance of developing replicable and scalable pilot projects that could be taken up by all states, rather than adopting an experimental, state by state approach to smart city development.
A key outcome of the meeting was agreement for a further workshop to define how state governments can move ahead on low-carbon cities with the support of business. The workshop will aim to provide specific recommendations to government, based on a clear and shared vision that, among other aims will avoid duplication of effort and provide the right level of standardisation to encourage innovation.
Speaking after the meeting, Steve Howard said, “This meeting is a useful step on the road towards building communities that are more efficient in their use of resources, smarter in their use of technology and resilient in their response to the impacts of climate change.”
The meeting immediately preceded the first Council of The Australian Federation (CAF) meeting to focus climate change. It was chaired by New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees, hosted by South Australian Premier Mike Rann and attended by the First Minister from each state government in Australia. First Ministers emphasised the continued importance of working with, and learning from, sub-national governments around the world on climate change policy.
To that end Premier Rann will table a joint Statement of Commitment on behalf of all Australian States at The Climate Group’s Climate Leaders Summit at COP15 in December. Queensland’s Minster for Climate Change, Kate Jones, said she will also attend the meeting in Copenhagen. Read the CAF communique
Businesses that attended the Roundtable were: Alstom, ARUP, Better Place, BP, Bunnings, CISCO Systems, GE, IBM, Lend Lease, Macquarie Bank, Origin Energy, Swiss Reinsurance and Santos.
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BRISBANE - Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and The Climate Group CEO Steve Howard hosted more than 100 business, scientist, government and think tank leader for a focused discussion on how the state can lead in the low carbon economy.
The Queensland Climate Summit focused on how the policies that will ensure continued economic competitiveness and growth as it strives to make long-term cuts in its greenhouse emission. Topics covered inlcuded: how the state can make investment in the low carbon economy more attractive; planning for new low carbon cities and infrastructure; maximising green jobs growth; and exploring opportunities for mitigation and adaption in rural Queensland.
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, in a video message, urged attendees to look at the economic opportunities in tackling climate change.
Mr Blair said, “By focusing on practical solutions, Queensland can be at the forefront of the green economic revolution.
“We can ensure that progress towards a new low carbon future means economic growth and prosperity as well as a safer climate.”
The Climate Group’s CEO Steve Howard pointed to the state’s natural advantages in the low carbon economy: “Queensland has huge potential in areas such as renewable and solar energy and as these sectors develop, they will stimulate the creation of new jobs and economic growth.”
Speakers also emphasied the crucial importance of business and government working together to develop low carbon opportunities. Tim Flannery, Former Australian of the Year and Australian Deputy Chair of The Climate Group, spoke of the ‘critical importance’ of public-private dialogue and partnerships on climate change.
Premier Anna Bligh, who opened the conference, said that Queensland would continue to lead on the low carbon economy and called for private-public sector partnerships and collaborations.
Premier Bligh said “If we are to get the best result for this state, government cannot just act on its own. We need the help and support of businesses.“
At the end of the Summit, Rupert Posner, Australia Director of The Climate Group said the Summit offered a strong foundation for future such collaborations.
“The enthusiasm and support from so many government ministers and business leaders means that there are some exciting opportunities for Queensland. And we look forward to working with them to help make them a reality.”
The Business Guide to the Low Carbon Economy: Queensland
Earlier in the day, the Queensland Government and The Climate Group launched the The Business Guide to the Low Carbon Economy: Queensland.
Commissioned by the Queensland Government, and prepared by The Climate Group in partnership with Arup, the new guide provides practical steps for businesses to get on top of measuring and curbing their emissions. It also provides an overview of Queensland’s climate change policies and programs, with a view to helping companies develop strategies that suit their individual situations.
In doing so, it will help businesses reduce costs and unlock new opportunities for growth.
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Nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of people across the globe believe a new international deal to cut emissions is ‘very important’, according to the 2009 annual Climate Confidence Monitor research released today. The 12 country study, commissioned by the HSBC Climate Partnership, sends a clear message to governments preparing to attend the UN climate change summit in December to agree a policy framework to tackle climate change.
The third Climate Confidence Monitor (view interactive results or read the full report) also reveals that 79 per cent want to see a commitment from their governments to ‘meet or significantly exceed’ a 50-80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050 – the global reduction recommended in the IPCC’s 2007 report to avoid dangerous climate change.
Despite the deepening of the global recession since last year’s survey was conducted, seven in 10 people (69 per cent) agreed that prioritizing public spending to address climate change is at least as important, if not more important than supporting their national economy during the downturn.
Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, said: “World leaders must agree a deal in Copenhagen that unlocks low carbon jobs and growth, and enables the rest of us to make smarter, greener choices about the ways we heat our homes, fuel our cars and power our businesses.”
Other trends revealed by the Climate Confidence Monitor 2009
• Stronger desire for action in emerging economies
For the third year running, the Climate Confidence Monitor shows that there is a stronger desire for action in emerging economies than in the developed world. In Brazil, 86 per cent and in Mexico, 83 per cent believe it is very important that a deal in Copenhagen is reached. Globally, only two per cent of people feel a new climate deal isn’t important at all.
• Climate Change ranks alongside other issues of global concern
Despite media headlines around pandemic flu and economic meltdown, a third of all respondents (34 per cent) say climate change is one of the biggest issues they worry about today. In Mexico, 22 per cent of respondents ranked climate change as the number one issue.
• Personal commitment to low carbon choices remains high
Commitment to reduce personal impact on climate change by adapting lifestyle choices rose four percentage points from 2008 to 36 per cent this year. The most popular steps people are taking to reduce their carbon footprint are recycling, turning off electronic equipment and using energy-saving light bulbs.
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The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is the latest European member to join The Climate Group. NRW’s Minister Christa Thoben and Environment Minister Eckhard Uhlenbergn joined Climate Group COO Jim Walker to sign The Climate Group’s Member Principles in Duesseldorf on Tuesday.
North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is a leading industrial center of Germany and ranks among Europe’s largest energy producers; as such, the region’s emissions exceed those of many countries. But the government of NRW has shown that it is committed to lead in the new low carbon economy.
Since early 2007, NRW has played a key role in The Climate Group’s international network of state and regional climate leaders.
Leading by example, the region’s climate commitments include ambitious increases in energy efficiencies and renewable across its economy. The government has also pledged to support and foster the development and international transfer of new clean technologies, such as electric vehicles. The government recently announced its aim to be a model region for “electromobility”, by putting over 250,000 electric vehicles in use by 2020.
As a member of The Climate Group, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) will work with The Climate Group’s network of world-leading business and governments to continue progressing and scaling up EVs and other low carbon technologies.
“The world’s regional governments play a crucial role in the implementation of ambitious climate protection targets. We therefore look forward to work with The Climate Group and its partner regions that are actively involved in climate change solutions and with whom we can engage in a constructive dialogue,” said Minister Thoben.
“We are pleased to cooperate closely with North Rhine-Westphalia, a very important economy and region, particularly in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy and low carbon technologies” said Jim Walker, COO of The Climate Group.
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THE QUEENSLAND CLIMATE SUMMIT
4 November 2009
Parliament House, Brisbane
The Queensland Climate Summit, co-organised by The Climate Group and the Queensland Government, will be a leadership platform for senior business executives, policy leaders and stakeholders to discuss the emerging low carbon economy. Business leaders and experts will present their insights on a range of relevant themes through a series of moderated panel discussions with the Queensland Premier and key Ministers.
With the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen only a month away, the Summit will provide a timely focus on the imminent changes that may arise from a new Global Deal on greenhouse emissions reductions, what it will mean for Queensland and how the State can take advantage of business opportunities and continue to play a leadership role.
The event will be preceded by a reception on the 3rd of November to launch The Business Guide to the Low Carbon Economy: Queensland, a joint publication of ARUP and The Climate Group. Results of Carbon Outlook, a study into the preparedness of Queensland businesses to climate change, by KPMG, will also be launched.
Attendance at the Summit is by invitation only.
Speakers to date include:
Hon Anna Bligh MP, Premier of Queensland
Hon Kate Jones MP, Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability
Hon Andrew Fraser MP, Treasurer and Minister for Employment and Economic Development
Hon Stirling Hinchliffe MP, Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
Hon Tim Mulherin MP, Treasurer and Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Rural and Regional Queensland
Prof Tim Flannery, Macquarie University
Steve Howard, CEO, The Climate Group
David Beards, Company Secretary, Bunnings
Robert Hill, Chair, Carbon Trust
Susan Johnston, Special Advisor on Climate Change, Anglo Coal Australia
Peter Hanley, Division Director, Utilities & Climate Change, Macquarie Capital Advisers
Nathan Fabian, CEO, Investor Group on Climate Change
Doug McTaggart, CEO, Queensland Investment Corp
Michael Gill, Director of Internet Services Group, CISCO
Ben Keneally, Head of External Affairs, Better Place Australia
Rick Humphries, Director, Carbon Greening Australia
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ZARAGOSA - High-level stakeholders met with the Government of Aragon and The Climate Group this week to discuss opportunities for regional low carbon development in Spain and Europe.
Government representatives from North-Rhein-Westfalia Scotland, Jamtland (Sweden),and the Spanish National Ministry of Science and Technology, among others, met with representatives of businesses including Iberdrola, Endesa, TAIM Weser, and Bosch/Siemens.
The meeting was convened as part of the on-going preparations of regional governments and businesses on supporting and implementing a global deal on climate change. Discussion covered energy efficiency, green buildings, lighting and electric vehicles, and carbon capture and storage in the region and across Spain. Renewable energy - both photovoltaic and concentrated solar energy, as well as wind energy – was also on the agenda.
Aragon’s Minister for the Environment, Alfredo Boné, opened the event. Aragon is already a leader in renewable energy in Spain and now plans to step forward as a global leader, he said. The region, which aims to generate 40% of its electricity from renewables by 2012, is looking to tap deeper into its opportunities in wind and solar power.
Investment in renewable and energy efficiency is essential to economic recovery and job creation, he emphasized.
Professor Anil Markandya of the IPCC; Alicia Montalvo, Director of the Spanish Office for Climate Change in the National Ministry of Environment; and Jim Walker, Co-founder and COO of The Climate Group also spoke at the event.
In December, The Climate Group will convene government and business leaders for a climate leaders summit in Copenhagen. Confirmed attendees from the EU region will include ministers and presidents of Scotland, Ile de France, Catalonia, Brittany, Aragon, Bavaria, North-Rhein-Westfalia and Wales.
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The region of Ile-de-France, which contains the Paris metropolitan area, has signed on to the The Climate Group as its first full French-European member.
Jean Paul Huchon, President of Ile-de-France, officially signed The Climate Group’s principles earlier this week.
The regional council aims to turn Ile-de-France into Europe’s leading “eco-region”. The region is joining the likes of California, Quebec, and Catalonia, whose economies are globally significant in their own right and who are leading on climate change.
States and regions are already advancing practical policy development on climate change through the exchange of knowledge and technology - and serving as a compelling model for their national counterparts.
Climate-friendly transport policies are just one area where the Paris region is taking a lead. Plans include the deployment a fleet of 2,000 electric cars that customers can pick up and drop off throughout the city of Paris. Another 2,000 vehicles will be offered in two dozen surrounding cities. The green scheme, dubbed Autolib (short for “automobile” and “liberté"), will be launched as early as the end of 2010, aims to cut {Co2} emissions by 22,000 tons a year while improving traffic congestion.
Ile-de-France began working with The Climate Group earlier this year, when it signed up to the Montreal Declaration - the basis for ou international alliance of States and Regions. The region has been actively supporting efforts to recognize the important role of regions in the global fight against climate change, participating in Climate Week NY°C and at events across Europe in the last months.
Ile-de-France has also signed on to the UNDP’s program on direct region-to- region North-South collaboration on climate change. President Huchon has also confirmed that he will attend the Climate Leader’s Summit in Copenhagen this December.
Jean Paul Huchon, President of Ile-de-France, says: “Thanks to these agreements signed today with UNDP and The Climate Group, the Ile-de-France region asserts itself as one of the major regions which work in favour of a green economy at European and global levels.
“I hope that cooperation with these networks and intergovernmental agencies engaged in the fight against climate change will continue in the following months.”
Luc Bas, Head of Government Relations Europe, The Climate Group says: “We are delighted to welcome Ile-de-France as our first French regional member and look forward to a close collaboration on low carbon development for which the ‘Greater Paris region’ is already showing a clear lead on climate change solutions.”
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OCT 7-9, HONG KONG - The Second International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC2009), organized by The Climate Group and Hong Kong Climate Change Forum, saw top government officials, business and community leaders, scientists and academics assemble for three days of intensive discussions on the challenges and opportunities of climate change.
Topics covered included: policy-related issues, business risks and realities, strategies for pursuing low carbon opportunities, and regional implications of mitigating and adapting to the climate challenge.
“ICCC2009 united leaders from business, government and civil society in Hong Kong and the region to focus on the urgent need for action on climate change,” said Steve Howard, The Climate Group’s CEO.
“At this critical moment in time, we must summon the collective will and urge our community leaders to continue building momentum towards a fair, ambitious and binding global climate deal. People are expecting to see their leaders move from talk into action.”
Strategies for confronting climate risks and opportunities
The first two days of the conference saw active panels on the topics of financing, clean technologies, business best practice, green supply chains and business risks.
The opening keynote speakers focused on the challenges and opportunities that climate change poses to regulators, businesses and other stakeholders in the region.
Professor Yanhua Liu, Vice Minister of Science and Technology of China, reiterated China’s position that its future growth lay within the low-carbon development model.
Edward Yau, Secretary for the Environment of HKSAR, emphasized Hong Kong’s commitment to reducing emissions, calling it “an obligation and a must.”
Business leaders shared how they too are rising to the challenges of climate change.
Yue Zhang, Chairman and CEO of Broad Air Conditioning China, and Sandy Flockhart, CEO of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, both spoke of their commitments. Mr. Zhang pointed out that Hong Kong could improve its performance with better technology and the right approach. Mr. Flockhart said that while corporations could do their part in going carbon neutral, which HSBC has achieved since 2005, society needs to do its part to incentivise low carbon investments. He said, “Consumers have to accept higher costs and consumer habits have to change.”
Looking toward a global deal on climate change
On the final day, the focus turned to the Pearl River Delta (PRD) Region, the realities of a low carbon economy, and the expectations for Copenhagen.
The PRD Region is playing a leading role in China’s development of the low carbon economy in manufacturing, financing, R&D and business innovation. It is creating new business opportunities and growing low carbon sectors, and also increasing the pressure for inefficient or carbon intensive businesses to reform.
Business leaders from HSBC, CLP and Cathay Pacific Airways shared views on implications of the COP-15 for Hong Kong and the region.
HSBC’s Teresa Au expected that a global deal would provide guidelines for the territory and send signals to business that will facilitate the financing and development of low carbon solutions. Cathay Pacific Airways’ Tony Tyler and Hong Kong Shipowners Association’s Arthur Bowring called for a single, global standard to monitor them.
From the host country of COP-15, Dr. Ole Odgaard of Denmark’s Ministry of Climate and Energy emphasized the opportunities of a low-carbon economy, explaining how Denmark’s transition from fossil fuel to renewable energies had strengthened economic growth.
There was common consensus throughout the meeting that climate change must be addressed – and that it requires a combined efforts from political and business leaders. Likewise, participants throughout the sessions agreed that clear policy framework and action plans are crucial for businesses and for investors to assess opportunities and risks.
There was hope across the board that COP15 would yield results, though many felt they would fall short of being substantial.
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Seizing the moment for cleantech in the UK
Monday 23 November 2009
At a time when the UK is at risk of being left behind in a market that could be worth $2 trillion by 2030, the Guardian brings the brightest, most innovative entrepreneurs, corporate, policy makers and investors together in a forum to explore the broader contexts that impact on cleantech in the UK.
What to expect:
• Keynote addresses delivered by the community’s brightest minds, complimented by in-depth panel discussions exploring how sectors can work together to develop a thriving clean technology sector in the UK
• Leading politicians interviewed on their plans to foster cleantech innovation
• Sector-specific breakout sessions that ask a panel of experts to discuss the future opportunities, risks and regulatory forces needed to drive cleantech in transport, energy transmission, energy generation and energy efficiency forward
• Leading UK cleantech companies, profiled in the Guardian Global Cleantech 100, discussing their successes, the challenges they face and ideas for fostering the further fostering of cleantech innovation and deployment
• Networking with leading investors, entrepreneurs, corporates and policy makers
This one day conference will include contributions from the investment communities’ leading minds, key voices from the corporate world, insights from policy makers ad sessions that showcase the very best business leaders from the Global Cleantech 100.
Confirmed speakers include:
Greg Barker, Shadow Minister for the Environment
Louise Bell, Head of Environment and Energy, Eurostar
David Blood, Senior partner, Generation Asset Management
Michael Liebreich, Chairman & CEO, New Energy Finance
For more information and to book your delegate place, visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/cleantechsummit
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LONDON - The Climate Group’s CEO Steve Howard has been named the Ernst & Young UK Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2009. He was named the London and South regional winner earlier this year.
Host Joanna Lumley presented the award to Jim Walker, The Climate Group’s COO and co-founder, on Steve’s behalf at this week’s national awards ceremony.
The judges said: “Steve and Jim have made an impressive global impact in a niche market in only a short period of time, They have succeeded in making the company high profile, straddling both the commercial and political markets.”
The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs.
Winners are recognised through regional, national and global awards programmes in more than 135 cities across 50 countries. They are selected by independent panels of distinguished business and socal entrepreneurs, on the basis of a number of qualities including: entrepreneurial spirit; national and global impact; and individual and corporate social responsibility.
Past winners of the UK Social Entrepreneur of the Year award include John Bird and Ian MacArthur of The Big Issue Company Limited (2009) and Camila Batmanghelidjh of Kids Company (2005), among others.
Delighted by news of the award, Steve Howard said: “We have come a long way in the last five years, both as an organisation and as a coalition of business and government leaders. There is much work still to do. But we are delighted to be recognised with a prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and alongside such distinguished company.”
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Evan Juska, Senior Policy Manager for The Climate Group North America, comments on the release on the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act
The climate debate in the US Senate officially started today, with the release of a new climate and energy bill co-sponsored by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA). The bill, modeled closely after the Waxman-Markey bill that passed in the US House of Representatives in June, is intended to be the starting point for a laborious Senate debate, and will need to overcome significant obstacles before it has a chance to pass.
The most significant change in the new bill is an increase in the short-term emission reductions target from 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 to 20% below 2005 levels by 2020.
In light of US Special Envoy Todd Stern’s recent comments that the US would not commit to targets more stringent than those laid out in Congress, the new Senate target creates the possibility of a stronger US commitment at Copenhagen. However, it has already met with concern from key US Senators, like Kent Conrad (D-ND) who called the target “problematic.”
Many other controversial issues, like emission allowance allocation and carbon tariffs, were left largely unaddressed in the bill. Details on these and other key provisions are expected to emerge over the next couple of months, as the bill’s sponsors begin to negotiate with undecided Senators in an attempt to gain their support.
Proponents of the bill estimate that about 45 of the 60 votes needed to pass the bill are secured. The additional 15 votes will need to come from a pool of only about 20 potential supporters - meaning that every vote is going to count.
The scarcity of potential votes in the Senate means that the concerns of each individual Senator will have significant influence, elevating a new group of issues, most of which played a marginal role in the House, to the forefront of the Senate debate, including nuclear power, natural gas and a potential price cap on allowances (safety valve).
The success or failure of these negotiations will determine the likelihood of the bill passing before Copenhagen. And while Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) remains optimistic about a floor vote before Copenhagen, he recently acknowledged that the Senate may not pass the bill this year, as previously hoped, due to delays in the healthcare reform debate. A more likely scenario is that the climate bill will progress through key Senate Committees this Fall, providing the Administration with a strong position from which to negotiate an ‘outline agreement’ that serves as a marker for further progress next year.
It seems that President Obama was correct in that, “As we head towards Copenhagen, there should be no illusions that the hardest part of our journey is in front of us.”
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New alliance will foster further collaboration, innovation
The Climate Group announced last week that it will work with Cisco to build on the success of its Connected Urban Development (CUD) initiative by bringing together additional cities and business partners around the world in a new CUD Alliance.
The new Alliance will tackle urban emissions where they are highest—in buildings, transport and power consumption. Research by The Climate Group (www.smart2020.org) last year indicated the vital role of information communication technology (ICT) can play in addressing urban climate change and energy challenges. The research found that re-thinking the way we use technology at home and across industry could cut global emissions by 15 per cent by 2020.
Over the coming months, The Climate Group will reach out to its extensive global network of corporate partners, cities and states to develop the CUD Alliance and scope a new program to further advance its existing cities-focused work it currently delivers under the five-year HSBC Climate Partnership. Once the Alliance is in place, a new program - to be formally launched next year - will deploy urban demonstration projects in transformational technical areas such as smart connected buildings, smart transportation and smart grid.
John Chambers, chairman and CEO, Cisco says: “With urban areas contributing at least 60 percent of global carbon emissions, cities are ground zero for addressing climate change and environmental issues. The Connected Urban Development global community has successfully collaborated to test how innovative ICT solutions can manage environmental challenges. Cisco is committed to furthering this progress and asks other public and private sector partners to join us in this effort.”
Steve Howard, CEO, The Climate Group says: “Deploying smart low carbon technologies within world cities is central to unlocking energy efficiency at scale, and the transformation to a cleaner, greener, and more prosperous society and economy. The new CUD Alliance will align a global armoury of innovators, policy-makers, financiers and businesses necessary to pilot and scale carbon resilient systems, policies and practices for millions of citizens.”
Under Cisco’s leadership, the Connected Urban Development program has enabled eight unique and innovative pilots with seven cities around the world over the last three years.
Smart Transportation Pricing (STP): Currently being run as a technical pilot in Seoul, STP encompasses a set of technology-based pricing reforms to encourage more efficient travel behavior and demand management solutions.
Urban EcoMap: A co-developed pilot with the City and County of San Francisco, the Urban EcoMap provides cities with relevant data regarding primary GHG contributors - transportation, waste, and energy - to help city residents take action to reduce their emissions. The forthcoming development of the Amsterdam Urban EcoMap scales the application globally.
Personal Travel Assistant (PTA): The PTA is a web-based service that allows residents in Seoul and Amsterdam to make on-the-go travel decisions based on time, cost, and carbon impact. The PTA offers “virtual assistant” features that provide transit guidance based on user preferences via any Web-enabled device, from any location.
Smart UrbanEnergy for Schools: Through partnership with the city of Lisbon and the Portuguese Ministry of Education, this project aims to showcase how technology can improve global energy efficiency in both the built environment and energy networks. Energy savings of 33.4 percent were achieved during the first few months of the pilot.
UrbanEnergy Management: This pilot with the city of Madrid explores how energy is generated, managed, and consumed. A 33-apartment building is being outfitted with bioclimatic design and design innovations based on a broadband infrastructure that shares information about energy generation, consumption, and usage. These innovations can deliver estimated energy savings of 75 and 85 percent.
Smart Work Centers (SWC): Currently in pilot in Almere and Amsterdam, the SWC is a regional network of neighborhood professional work and community centers supporting travel virtualization and enabling mobile working practices. Integrating Cisco TelePresence with virtual office solutions, the SWC offers a professional work environment near residential areas to lower energy use and carbon emissions. Thus far, users have saved an average of 66 minutes of commute time per day.
The Connected Bus: In the City and County of San Francisco, The Connected Bus pilot is a landmark public transportation innovation aimed at enabling people, traffic, and public transit vehicles to flow more efficiently.
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NEW YORK, September 21
The Climate Group kicked off Climate Week NY˚C with an opening ceremony at the New York Public Library to an audience of business, international government leaders and over 100 press attendees.
Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group opened the ceremony followed by actor Hugh Jackman. UN Secretary-Gerenal Ban Ki-moon then gave in his keynote speech that “Climate Week NY˚C was a welcome addition to our calendars and I hope it is repeated in years to come” and that the week “has done a great deal to raise awareness of the need for broad action.”
Regarding an international treaty in Copenhagen, Tony Blair stated in his keynote address “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good” and that an agreement is “the only way to provide long term sustainable development, protect the environment, safeguard the planet, and pass on to future generations a world hopefully better, or at least not worse, than what we have today.”
Following this were remarks from Demark, U.S., China and Indian lead Copenhagen negotiators.
Connie Hedegaard, Minister of Climate and Energy for Denmark and host of the Copenhagen Conference, said: “The longer we postpone decisions, the more severe the consequences ” and “It is not cost to invest in the climate, it is an investment. An investment in a safer and less energy consuming future, in new infrastructure and millions of new jobs.”
Todd Stern, Special Envoy for Climate Change, United States said: “If we are honest about it, progress in the negotiations has been slower then we would have liked” and “Our mission has to be in the next 77 days to go full speed ahead to Copenhagen. To be pragmatic, flexible, respect each others legitimate constraints and get started”
Su Wei, Director-General of the Climate Change Department of the National Development and Reform Commission for China said: “I firmly believe that Climate Week NYC will further deepen our understanding of the climate issue, enhance public awareness and nurture the spirit of responsibility of solidarity to fight climate change and to secure the future of mankind.”
Jairam Ramesh, Honorable Minister of State for Environment and Forests of India said: “We are in the process in formulating domestic legislation, we are going to get parliaments approval, we will have a domestic law, which will embody in it specific mitigation targets and this will be a form of ensuring accountability and credibility”
“India will not be found wanting in joining the international consensus on working towards a solution that will limit temp increase to 2 degrees centigrade by 2050”
Following remarks from Premier Jean Charest, Quebec, the event followed with a panel of leaders from business and civil society, including Kumi Naidoo, Chair of the TckTckTck Campaign, a Climate Week NY˚C Partner; Shane Robison, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer, HP, the Climate Week NY˚C Premier Sponsor and Pierre Ozendo, CEO, Swiss Re America, the Climate Week NY˚C Founding Sponsor.
In his closing remarks, Steve Howard said that “If we get the next few weeks and months right, we’ll unlock a clean, green future. We at The Climate Group are ready to do our part.”
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NEW YORK, 21 September 2009
The Climate Group today hosted a high-level meeting on how collaboration between the world’s two largest emitters – the US and China – was required to unlock a prosperous low carbon economy.
The meeting – addressed by Massachusetts Senator John Kerry – was attended by US and China business leaders already pioneering the financing, development and manufacture of new clean energy technologies.
Senator Kerry emphasized the significant economic opportunity that would be unlocked by a global climate deal in Copenhagen.
Senator Kerry said: “A global deal on climate change is the best bottom line opportunity we have for our economy and our world. Now the question is: who will create the fuels, energies and low-carbon solutions of the future?”
Kerry warned that the US needed to get in the game and implement climate policies that would see the US matching China’s current economic progress in this new “race for the swift and the smart”. He warned, US policy-makers and business leaders must act now on this huge opportunity for collaboration with China in order to secure the wins the world needs in Copenhagen and beyond.
He added climate policy would have multiple domestic benefits: it would not only improve health and national security, but decrease poverty, create jobs and boost the economy. States with abundant alternative energy sources such as wind in North Dakota would see tangible economic benefits.
Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, said that the outcome from political negotiations in Copenhagen must be a New Green Deal that was “fit for purpose, fair, ambitious and binding”. However, he said that key economic benefits will only be unlocked if the deal has all the major world economies squarely behind it.
Giving Duke Energy’s recent partnership with the Huaneng Group as an example of this type of critical US-China clean energy collaboration, Jim Rogers, Chairman CEO of Duke Energy, said: “It’s only smart partnerships between implementers with ‘can-do’ attitudes that can create scalable clean coal sequestration technologies that will set us on track towards a lower carbon future”.
Tracey R. Wolstencraft, Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, said: “This future – with a 50% reduction goal – will take over $40 trillion in capital. How and where that capital flows – with Chinese companies coming to the US to raise capital and later to sell those products – will define the breadth of solutions across the spectrum that we have to meet our climate action goals”.
Juliet Jiang, CEO of Broad (a leading Chinese manufacturer of non-electric air conditioning units) joined executives from China’s leading solar manufacturer, Suntech Power Holdings and Bloomberg L.P. who hosted the event.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theclimategroup/~3/F7ULheQALoo/
Tony Blair and Jet Li today launched the 1000-Village Solar LED Initiative in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou Province.
Baigongcun, a Miao group inhabited village to Huaxi District of Guiyang city, has become a pilot site of the demonstration project.
The 5-year project, which is a joint initiative between The Climate Group and the Jet Li One Foundation, will engage 400 villages in China in the first two years, and 600 villages in China, India and African countries on the second stage.
Talking about the idea of installing LED lights in villages, Wang Chengbo, Director of City Programs for The Climate Group in China, said: “Due to the current constraints of getting villages connected to grid, alternative technologies, such as solar LED, have become a preferred choice for many villages in China. Such alternatives have succeeded in improving the living quality for local residents and also avoiding greenhouse gas emissions.”
At the start, the major funding is from the Jet Li One Foundation. However, as the project goes on, it aims to develop a financing mechanism, supported by government’s policy incentives, to drive rural lighting towards a low carbon future, according to Wang.
“The LED project will involve key stakeholders such as local governments, technology providers related to LED industry and authoritative research institutes that work on LED performance standards.” Wang said.
This is the first joint project of the two organizations since Tony Blair and Jet Li signed a strategic partnership in March this year for The Climate Group and the Jet Li One Foundation.
Jet Li, the founder of the Jet Li One Foundation, said: “Environment protection has always been a priority for One Foundation. I’m very excited to see that the LED project has finally landed in villages in China. We will continue to work with The Climate Group to look for low carbon lighting solutions in countryside.”
Changhua Wu, Greater China Director of The Climate Group, said, “This demonstration project will help us identify technical obstacles of LED solar lighting, and then solutions to it. The villages in our list should meet certain criteria, such as, imperative demand for road lighting, applicable natural condition including rich solar energy to guarantee normal operation of the lighting facility.”
Tony Blair said: “We have the green technology solutions to help tackle the threat of climate change. And these technologies bring economic and social opportunities too.
“What projects will do is demonstrate the effectiveness of these green solutions so that we can generate the scale of change needed. There is a credible, practical, realistic as well as radical way to act. We can set the world on a new path to a low carbon future. But we need to start making these decisions now which is why I am delighted to be supporting this initiative with Jet Li today.”
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Together, subnational, municipal and business leaders will take the actions needed to make a global deal a reality. The 2009 Climate Leaders Summit will inspire climate talks at Copenhagen by bringing these leaders together to advance low carbon solutions and forge new partnerships with developing country regions.
Already leaders from around the world have committed to be part of this important event including:
Premier Mike Rann, (South Australia) 2009 Chair of The Climate Group’s States & Regions Network
Premier Gary Doer (Manitoba)
Premier Jean Charest (Quebec)
President Jean-Yves Le Drian (Brittany)
President Claudio Martini (Tuscany)
First Minister Rhodri Morgan (Wales)
President Ségolène Royal (Region of Poitou Charente)
President Jean-Paul Huchon (Ile-de-France)
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Between 30 to 57% of car buyers across five countries are interested in purchasing an electric vehicle, says a recent study from leading EV service provider Better Place and the global market research firm Ipsos.
Over 8,000 drivers in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Israel, and the US were surveyed on their interest in electric, hybrid, and gas-only vehicles. (Pointedly, the survey was conducted between March and April 2009, when gas prices were near a 52-week low.) The results revealed interest in EVs spans demographics and driving habits, counter to previous assumptions. Younger drivers (18-34) showed particularly strong interest in purchasing EVs.
“The survey reflects the future of transportation, which is electric,” said Shai Agassi, Founder and CEO of Better Place, which is a member of The Climate Group.
Meanwhile, new research from the University of California, Berkeley addresses current barriers to wide-spread EV uptake in the US. The study from the Center for Technology and Entrepreneurship indicates that separating the car purchase from battery ownership can quickly make EVs market-competitive, by lowering the purchase price while increasing the range and reliability of EVs comparable to gas-powered vehicles.
The UC Berkeley study also predicts EV uptake by 2030 will add over a quarter million net jobs to the US economy.
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Premier Jean Charest of Quebec and Premier Gary Doer of Manitoba together with The Climate Group, hosted the Minister of Environment for Catalonia and the Vice Presidnet of the Assembly of European Regions (AER) in a state-regions breakfast event at the end of Green Week in Brussels.
The event marked a first formal relationship between North American and European regional leaders. It came on the heels of a Scottish state-regional event earlier in the week and a Midwest state officials visit to Germany - all clearly marking ever increasing international cooperation at the state and regional level.
The Premiers, as the founders of The Climate Group’s states and regions initiative in 2005, made it clear that they are continuing to advance leading actions in wind power, geothermal power, hybrid buses and cleaner cars, energy efficiency, clean energy grids and low carbon technology on the road to copenhagen.
International states and Regions Director at The Climate Group, Jane Gray noted that “Premier Doer and Premier Charest together with their European counterparts, agreed that it is federated states and regional governments that will do the “heavy lifting” to implement a new global climate change deal. They agreed that they would be ready, willing and able to cooperate across continents to get the job done.”
As a concrete example of their commitment, the two Canadian Premiers signed Letters of Intent with the United Nations Development Program to partner with developing country regions on climate action.
“This shows that in a time of economic storm these leaders are not only working to help their citizens through green economic development- they are reaching out to developing country regions to help them weather the longer term storms of climate change”, Ms. Gray concluded.
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The Climate Group, in partnership with NRG4SD and several state governments, has submitted language to the UNFCCC that would formally recognize the role of Subnational governments in the Long-Term Cooperative Action Agreement In Bonn this week. These amendments, along with the amendments of local governments, are being tabled by supporting national delegations as they make their way towards an international agreement in Copenhagen.
Recognizing that local and subnational governments are and will continue to be responsible for implementing up to 80% of mitigation and adaptation actions, the initiative in Bonn this week will go a long way to ensuring the road after Copenhagen will be a success.
The language is based on a previous submission tabled in April by the national delegations of Senegal and Uruguay, that was a collaborative effort with NRG4SD, California, Quebec, Catalonia and South Australia. This submission garnered the support of international networks from around the world - including FOGAR, the European Assembly of European Regions, Northern Forum and US State voices, amongst others - with a collective reach of hundreds of states and regions world-wide, as well as from subnational leaders who responded to a call for support from TCG’s States & Regions Chair, Premier Mike Rann.
Premier Gary Doer of Manitoba: “The States and Regions Network has played a crucial leadership role in engaging sub-national governments in international efforts to address climate change. Recognition of the role Subnational governments have played and will play in meeting the challenges of climate change will create an important connection between the UNFCCC and real, on-the-ground actions that state and regional governments around the world are taking.”
Rt. Hon. Alex Salmond MSP, First Minister of Scotland: “As you know, Scotland is also taking part in international collaboration through our active involvement in The Climate Group’s States and Regions Alliance. Scottish Ministers are therefore delighted to support your calls for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to recognise the important commitment and work of state and regional governments on climate change.”
Mr Jan Franssen, Queen’s Commissioner, Province of South Holland: “We strongly support the States and Regions network’s mission to obtain recognition of the role of states and regions in the UNFCCC Long-Term Cooperative Agreement on Climate Change.”
JUNE 10TH SIDE EVENT
Several members of The Climate Group’s States & Regions Network joined a side-event in Bonn to profile this initiative and to emphasize the importance – and success - of sub-national action in tackling climate change.
Michele Fournier, representing Quebec, noted that concrete actions at the subnational level are critical to implementing a global deal post-Copenhagen. Between 2003 and 2006, Quebec has reduced its emissions by 5% . The province’s climate action plan aims to reduce GHG emissions 6% under 1990 levels by 2012. Moreover, Quebec has joined 11 North American states and provinces aiming to implement a cap-and-trade system by 2012 at the subnational level and Quebec also seeks to expand markets for alternative technologies such as the electric vehicle.
California Secretary for Environmental Protection Linda Adams (by video) outlined California’s pioneering policies on cleaner cars, alternative fuels and energy efficiency.
Rainer van Loon, of North-Rhine Westphalia described his region’s innovative action on energy efficiency, biomass, alternative energy sources, co-generation plants, and carbon capture and storage.
Luc Bas, The Climate Group’s European Director, stressed the importance of securing UNFCCC recognition of sub-national actions and noted that panellists provided concrete examples of what policies will be needed to implement a global deal coming out of Copenhagen later this year.
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Agriculture is key both to securing a global deal and to helping reduce US emissions, writes Midwest Regional Manager Alison Hannon.
In a recent op-ed Robert Carlson, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union, writes: “The time is now to enact an effective and intelligent climate change policy. Agriculture needs to be an integral component of the policy solutions we already have at hand.” What’s more, he states, agriculture already “is well positioned to play an instrumental role in securing [those] solutions”.
Agriculture, which contributes around 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions, has always been important to solving climate change. The sector has a clear role to play in mitigating emissions.
But agriculture is also important because of its political and economic implications in US climate debates.
The political balance of power on national climate and energy issues lies in the Midwest, home to some 37% of US farmland. As Carlson notes, this farmland has a promising and profitable role to play as a solution provider to the rest of the country’s efforts to curb CO2 emissions.
Through carbon sequestration, soil and land-use management, and biomass production, Midwestern farmland could generate potential revenue streams from low-cost forest and land-use offsets.
What’s more, such high-quality carbon offsets serve as an agreeable solution for both environmentalists and business, as they help achieve to emission reduction goals while keeping costs manageable.
This is yet another reason why the Midwestern US states are critical to securing a successful global climate agreement.
On June 29-30,The °Climate Group in partnership with the Great Plains Institute, the Prairie Climate Stewardship Network, the Great Plains Energy Corridor and Bismarck State College will hold the International Climate Stewardship Solutions Conference. This event will increase public understanding in the Northern Plains region about of the opportunities and benefits of addressing climate change. The gathering will focus on international examples of strategies, policies and technologies in other countries that have been effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions AND achieving real benefits to key economic sectors.
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LED lighting can help us achieve deep emissions reductions, writesThe Climate Group’s Cities and Technologies Programme Director Phil Jessup. But it is up to city, state, and provincial governments to ensure their policies and regulations are able to take advantage of it.
A recent New York Times article identifies LED technology as one of the “stopgap measures that could limit global warming.” The article shows how city governments are leading the way in switching to LED lighting, with cities in China, the US, Europe and Canada all exploring - and in some cases, already using - the technology for outdoor spaces and indoor parking garages.
There is a huge opportunity to use LEDs in these applications to achieve the deep emissions reductions cities and corporations need. If we could cut electricity use for outdoor lighting globally by 1/3 we would free up enough electrons to charge roughly 25 million electric vehicles without adding any new power plants to the grid.
However, for significant scale up to occur in municipal outdoor applications, state and provincial regulations governing luminance levels will need to be changed to allow the light wavelengths that LEDs produce to be better recognized in our statutes.
Roadway and parking area lighting, which specifically account for 93% of outdoor lighting, serve as example. At present, roadway lighting standards are based on how the eye sees during the day, rather than at night. Updating the standards alone will realize additional energy savings of 25–35% because objects illuminated with LEDs at night actually appear brighter than when they are lit with conventional lamps, energy consumption being equal.
With the policies, LED lighting can help cities and corporations cut emissions greatly. If all of the world’s light bulbs were replaced with energy-efficient LEDs for a period of 10 years, researchers say it would reduce global oil consumption by 962 million barrels, reduce the need for 280 global power plants, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10.68 gigatons, and ultimately result in financial savings of $1.83 trillion.
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Global business leaders will gather today at the final session of the World Business Summit on Climate Change to present the “Copenhagen Call” to the Danish hosts of COP15.
Watch the live webcast at May 26th, 12:30pm BST.
Video highlights from the three day Summit will also be available on the site.
About the WBSCC
The World Business Summit on Climate Change brings together global business leaders with the world’s top scientists, economists, civil society, media leaders, government representatives and other leading thinkers to put forward recommendations for the next international framework on climate change.
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Day 2 of the World Business Summit on Climate Change – a gathering of top business leaders, policy makers, negotiators, experts and scientists – was dominated by the working group sessions focusing on the means to achieve a rapid transition to a low carbon economy.
The carbon markets work stream, developed by The Climate Group with the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and the Carbon Markets and Investors Association (CMIA) drew high level participation. Expert speakers included policy-makers such as Jos Delbeke, Deputy Director-General for the Environment at the European Commission; financiers such as Caio Koch-Weser, Vice Chairman, Deutsche Bank and; CEOs such as Jim Rogers of Duke Energy and Zhengrong Shi of Suntech Power.
The discussions began with the good, the bad and the ugly of current carbon market regimes: carbon markets have resulted in quantifiable emissions reductions in the EU, and a price on carbon has induced a change in corporate boardroom decision-making processes. Carbon markets have been successful for the deployment of existing technology but less effective at stimulating innovation and capacity constraints in the Clean Development Mechanism have hindered projects coming on line.
Looking forward, robust emissions data is essential to set stringent caps and create scarcity of allowances in the market. Businesses require more predictability and transparency of future carbon market arrangements, with clarity on auctioning, offsetting and institutional arrangements. This will allow them to make longer term decisions on investment. An aim for the next UN Climate Change Conference in December will be to set a framework to enable regional emissions trading schemes to link and create a global carbon market.
The discussions from the work streams helped inform the Copenhagen Call – a statement by the global business community on the elements business believe are required for an effective new global climate treaty. The recommendations from the working groups will also be fed in to the next round of UN climate change talks starting on 1 June in Bonn.
The speakers for the carbon markets working group were:
Abyd Karmali, Global Head of Carbon Markets, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Jos Delbeke, Deputy Director-General for the Environment, European Commission
Koen Coppenholle, Head of European Affairs, ArcelorMittal
Mahesh Babu, CEO, IL&FS Ecosmart
Tracy Wolstencroft, Global Head, Centre for Environmental Markets, Goldman Sachs
Henry Derwent, President and CEO, International Emissions Trading Association
Ian Marchant, CEO, Scottish and Southern Energy
James E. Rogers, Chairman, President and CEO, Duke Energy
Zhengrong Shi, CEO, Suntech Power
Caio Koch-Weser, Vice Chairman, Deutsche Bank
Samuel A. DiPiazza, CEO PricewaterhouseCoopers chaired the sessions and Mark Kenber, Policy Director, The Climate Group, was rapporteur.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theclimategroup/~3/z6Akzlzc-vY/
All sessions held in the main plenary hall will be streamed live online, beginning Sunday, 24th May.
The World Business Summit on Climate Change brings together global business leaders with the world’s top scientists, economists, civil society, media leaders, government representatives and other leading thinkers to put forward recommendations for the next international framework on climate change.
Click here to view the three-day event programme.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theclimategroup/~3/FoGO2gAX_oE/
“The bill’s passage in the face of significant opposition represents a major milestone for US climate policy,” writes The Climate Group’s Evan Juska.
A US climate bill came one step closer to becoming law on Thursday, as it passed through the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a vote of 33-25. This is the first step in a process that still includes a vote in the entire House of Representatives and a similar procedure in the Senate. However, this first step was one of the most difficult, and the bill’s passage in the face of significant opposition represents a major milestone for US climate policy.
To secure the amount of votes needed to pass the bill through the Committee, the bill’s authors, Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey (D-MA) had to make significant compromises. Among the main changes to the original bill are decreases in the US interim emission reduction target, from 20% below 2005 levels by 2020 to 17% below 2005 levels, as well as a reduction in the US Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), from 25% by 2025 to 15% by 2020 (with another 5% coming from energy efficiency improvements).
These changes have led some environmental groups to withdraw their support from the bill, arguing that it is no longer stringent enough to achieve the emission reductions scientists say are needed to avoid “dangerous interference” with the climate system. In addition, international observers note that the new interim target, equal to about a 3% reduction from 1990 levels, is a far cry from the EU target of a 30% reduction from 1990 levels, and could lead to difficulty in international negotiations.
However, the bill’s passage, during a time when the future of US climate policy is anything but certain, is a significant achievement, and should not be taken for granted.
Climate policy in the US still faces serious challenges. While Republicans are now in near unanimous opposition to any climate bill, an even bigger challenge is posed by moderate Democrats, mostly from the Midwest and the South, who have serious concerns about the impact a cap on emissions will have on their states’ already struggling economies.
This opposition was evident throughout the recent Committee debate, when, at times, it seemed as if a compromise was out of reach, and that the entire climate issue could be postponed until after the US dealt first with reforming its healthcare system. Further opposition heightened only a couple of days ago when the Chair of the House Agriculture Committee, Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN), announced that if Chairman Markey did not hand the bill over to the Agriculture Committee for significant changes to the bill’s agricultural provisions, he would lose every Democratic vote on the Agriculture Committee when the bill went to the House floor.
In light of these political realities, the compromise bill that was passed Thursday was a major step in the right direction for both US and international climate policy. Due to the size and geographic diversity of the Energy and Commerce Committee, the bill’s passage demonstrates its ability to appeal to multiple constituencies, indicating that it has a good chance to pass through the entire House. And if that were to happen this year, as planned, the Obama Administration would have a domestically valid basis from which to negotiate international reduction targets in Copenhagen this December - something the Clinton Administration lacked in Kyoto.
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US President Barack Obama yesterday unveiled his plan to increase US auto efficiency standards.
New rules on emission and mileage would require five percent increases in fuel efficiency each year from 2012 through 2016. By 2016, average fuel economy would be 35.5 miles per gallon – or 39mpg for cars and 30mpg for trucks.
The current average is 27.5mpg for cars and 24mpg for trucks.
Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, welcomed the announcement: “This is a constructive step forwards and begins to close the gap between the US and Europe and Japan. However there may yet be more transformational moves that the administration can make towards shifting automotives away from fossil fuels and towards electrification.”
In his remarks yesterday, President Barack Obama said the plan would benefit consumers, the economy, and the environment alike: “The fact is, everyone wins: Consumers pay less for fuel, which means less money going overseas and more money to save or spend here at home. The economy as a whole runs more efficiently by using less oil and producing less pollution. And companies like those here today have new incentives to create the technologies and the jobs that will provide smarter ways to power our vehicles.”
State leaders welcome the plan
The plan is a big win for state governments, like California and Michigan, which have been spearheading climate leadership at the sub-national level and whose governors were both at the White House to welcome the announcement.
California, a longstanding member of The Climate Group, has long pushed for more stringent climate policy, including fuel efficiency standards. The Obama Administration earlier this year ordered a review of the state’s request to set its own tailpipe emissions standard, which the previous administration denied.
While the California waiver request remains under consideration by the EPA, California has already agreed to defer to the proposed national standard. This would mean automakers would have to contend with a clear single standard, rather than a patchwork of state-led regulations.
Michigan’s Governor Jennifer Granholm has been working closely with The Climate Group to bring green jobs to the American mid-west. Speaking at an event organised by The Climate Group in April, Governor Granholm said: “Building a low carbon economy that reduces our nation’s dependence on foreign oil can be a source of increased innovation and can mean thousands and thousands of new energy jobs for Michigan and the Midwest.”
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UK consumers have achieved a saving of a million tonnes of CO2 whilst cutting household bills by £200 million, reports the Together campaign today.
The Together campaign makes it easier for consumers to fight climate change in their daily lives by providing affordable products and services in partnership with some of the biggest names on the UK high street. Launched two years ago by independent NGO The Climate Group, Together is the UK’s leading climate campaign, run in partnership with well known brands including B&Q, Barclaycard, British Gas, Coca-Cola, M&S, More Th>n, National Express, O2, Sky and Tesco.
The million tonne saving – equivalent to taking 390,000 cars off the road for a year - has been achieved through millions of small, individual actions by people across the UK including insulating lofts, changing light bulbs and washing clothes at lower temperatures. The savings achieved are explained in a short viral film How to Save A Million Tonnes of CO2.
At a time when many UK consumers are feeling the pinch, these actions have also helped households save money: £11 a year by washing clothes at lower temperatures, £49 from using energy efficient light bulbs and over £200 from insulating lofts.
Welcoming the milestone, Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change said: “The Together campaign has demonstrated the vital role that UK businesses can play in helping build public awareness of climate change and in encouraging their customers to cut their emissions while saving money. Efforts to build on this momentum will be vital if we are to achieve a successful global climate deal at Copenhagen, and build a truly low-carbon Britain in the longer-term.”
Ian Cheshire, CEO of Kingfisher, owners of B&Q said: “Helping our customers save money and fight climate change is a core part of our business and we’ve been working hard with the Together campaign to help households across the country insulate their homes.”
David Hall, Campaign Director of Together, said: “In the current recession, greener choices are helping people save money and carbon. Lots of small actions add up to make a big difference both for the planet and for British pockets.”
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theclimategroup/~3/cSEgYwsuFkU/
The Climate Group’s Damandeep Singh reports
The world’s biggest democracy, India is in the throes of a mammoth exercise to elect representatives that will govern its one billion plus populace for the next five years. Beyond the heated political exchanges, environmentalists are raising concerns over the candidates’ green credentials.
Many have asked: Do environmental issues matter in Indian elections? There are encouraging signs.
“For the first time perhaps climate change has been explicitly mentioned in election manifestos,” notes Preeti Malhotra, India Director of The Climate Group. “This clearly shows that, irrespective of which political parties form the government at the centre, there is now a strong recognition that climate change is one of the core issues that the government will need to address, both domestically and internationally.
“This also demonstrates a clear recognition that energy security while safeguarding the environment is on the voters agenda and deserves attention at the highest political level. No longer can the issue be relegated to a single department or Ministry.”
The 15th national election since India’s independence in 1947 will take place over five phases, spread over a month starting on April 16th with the results to be declared on May 16th.
The major contenders in the race are the United Progressive Alliance, the current ruling coalition led by the Congress party; the opposition National Democratic Alliance, led by the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); along with the Third Front and even a Fourth Front, led by the smaller regional, left-wing and some caste-based parties.
The Indian National Congress, the BJP and the CPI (M) (communists) are all promising to check river pollution, protect the environment, and invest in renewable energy systems for a low-carbon economy.
Discussing energy security needs, Congress has announced plans to add at least 12,000-15,000 megawatts of capacity each year through a mix of sources, including coal, hydroelectricity, nuclear power, and renewable energy, although the pace of oil and gas exploration will also be intensified.
Not to be outdone, the BJP has stated that it will “pursue national growth objectives through an ecologically sustainable pathway that leads to mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, recognising that containing global warming is essential to protecting [the] life and security of people and [the] environment.” The party also notes that “mitigating this threat by building a low carbon economy is the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st century”.
To boost India’s energy infrastructure, the BJP proposes investing heavily in non-fossil fuel clean energy sources. Their stated goal is to add at least 120,000 megawatts of power over the next five years, with 20 per cent of this coming from renewable sources. The BJP manifesto also includes measures to create incentives for afforestation, wildlife conservation, environmental education, energy efficiency, low-water, low-chemical, and high-diversity agriculture.
The current government has taken some steady, if slow, steps with its National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). Will the next government continue to deliver on this, and on campaign pledges? It is one thing to make impressive election pledges and another to put them into practice; like elsewhere in the world Indian electoral history is strewn with high-minded promises that have been quietly forgotten once the victors take office.
The world will be watching. India is one of the world’s fastest growing economies. It is also a region likely to face some of the worst impacts of climate change, according to the IPCC. By making climate change a clear priority in its domestic agenda, the Government of India would send a clear and positive signal to world leaders striving to achieve an ambitious global deal on climate change this December.
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Initial comments by ministers and special envoys attending the 1st meeting of the Major Economies Forum (MEF) in Washington DC earlier this week suggest that, while there is still much headway to be made on a range of key issues, the Forum is serving its primary purpose of building trust and confidence between the major protagonists on the road to the major UN Climate Summit in December.
The MEF, established by US President Obama as a successor to the MEM process set up by his predecessor George Bush, brings together seventeen of the world’s largest economies responsible for nearly 85% of global GHG emissions.
Explicitly designed to complement rather than replace the ongoing UN negotiations, the MEF offers countries an opportunity away from the haggling over specific text to understand each other’s positions, identify areas of common ground and build bridges and explore innovative solutions. Key issues include targets for industrialized countries, the role of developing nations in cutting emissions, financing and technology transfer.
Mark Kenber, The Climate Group’s Policy Director, said: “Countries need to avoid a scenario in which they only put their cards on the table in the final hours of the Copenhagen negotiations in an atmosphere of distrust; this will only lead to poor decisions unlikely to rise sufficiently to the climate challenge. If the MEF can create a sorely needed atmosphere of confidence and willingness to raise the collective level of ambition so as to put the world firmly on the path to a climate resilient low carbon economy and so lead to world-changing deal in Copenhagen, the MEF will have more than served its purpose.”
Further minster and envoy level meetings of the MEF are expected to be held in May and June with a Heads of Government meeting scheduled as part of the G8 summit in Italy in July.
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Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Wouter Bos will join leading low carbon innovators for a roundtable discussion on designing our low carbon transition, and fast tracking low-carbon technology development.
The Dutch Postcode Lottery and its beneficiary The Climate Group will host this international meeting.
Discussion will center on scaling up clean energy and technologies. There will be a particular focus on electric vehicles, lighting, wind and solar power.
The event will highlight what leading entrepreneurs and businesses are doing to scale up clean tech solutions - and to help break the climate deadlock.
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Mark Kenber, Policy Director of The Climate Group, welcomes the UK’s first low carbon budget
The Climate Group welcomes the UK’s first low carbon Budget and congratulates the government for adopting an ambitious emissions target for 2020. The 2009 Budget and the subsequent clean coal announcement this week lay important foundations for a prosperous low carbon economy. However, funding pledges will need to be sustained over time and backed by coherent policy if this goal and long-term targets are to be met.
The Climate Group has been a keen advocate and supporter of the UK’s Climate Change Bill, the world’s first legally binding national climate legislation, pledging to cut UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 against 1990 levels.
We welcome the UK’s midterm target of cutting emissions by 34 per cent by 2020. It is a bold national target that supports the EU position and gives much needed impetus to the international process in the run-up to the UN Climate Summit Copenhagen in December. We also look forward to this target rising to 42 per cent if a new global climate deal is struck later this year, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee (CCC). The Government is to be applauded for adopting the CCC’s recommendations; if achieved, these targets will make the UK a – if not ‘the’ – world leader in cutting GHG emissions.
Yesterday’s first ever ‘low carbon’ Budget presented an important first step towards achieving this target although many details have yet to be made clear in the summer when the Government publishes a more detailed energy and climate change strategy.
Though greener than many expected, the 2009 Budget leaves much heavy lifting to be done: The CCC recognizes that the EU and UK have agreed in principle the policies necessary to achieve the Extended Ambition scenario needed to meet the 34% and 42% targets but that both more definition and implementation are needed, saying “To deliver feasible emissions reductions, strengthening of existing policies and development of new policies – at the EU, UK and national [within UK] levels – will be required.”
Of the various measures in the Budget 2009, particularly welcome was the additional boost for renewables supported by the uplift in Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) and new investment from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to ease project finance. The extra £4bn is a ‘shot in the arm’ for the UK’s offshore wind industry. However, unless such financial support is accompanied by policies to improve the planning system and, most importantly, to the grid the UK is unlikely to reach its renewable energy goals of 15 per cent by 2020.
While CCS will play little or no role in achieving the 2020 targets, it will play a crucial one in the decades that follow, both in the UK and around the world. The funding for up to four CCS demonstration plants is therefore also welcome as is the Government’s pledge announced by Ed Miliband this week that no new coal-fired power plants will be built without a binding commitment to a full-scale CCS retro-fit guaranteed to capture 100 per cent of emissions within five years of the technology being technically and commercially proven. This could be the case as early at 2020 and will give much-needed certainty to investors. We welcome the Government’s bold policy leadership, but to ensure the UK can be a global leader in this important technology, we urge them to move quickly to address delays to the CCS competition, first announced in May 2007, and to award a contract so development can get underway and the effectiveness of CCS in cutting emissions can be tested.
We welcome the Government’s extension to the climate levy exemption for combined heat and power (CHP) technology beyond 2013 to 2023, subject to state aid approval. This should create long-term certainty to increase capacity to 7GW and enable confident investment.
While many of the measures announced in the Budget point in the right direction they don’t yet go far enough to achieve the announced 34 per cent greenhouse gas reduction target by 2020. The new policies the CCC says are needed for renewable heat and micro-generation are still not in place and far greater funding is needed to make this really viable for households and small businesses.
Energy efficiency is clearly the big short-term opportunity for the UK to reduce emissions but the Budget’s additional support is insufficient especially in the absence of tighter fuel efficiency standards for vehicles and appliances.
While the fuel escalator will offset lower oil prices, we would have preferred the new ‘cash for clunkers’ scrappage scheme to place greater incentives on electric or plug-in hybrid technologies to make a real difference to the environment. However, we welcome previously announced Government support for electric and plug-in hybrids. Home to many Formula 1 teams and some of the world’s leading engineering firms, the UK has the skills to be at the forefront of a motor technology revolution and there is scope for bold UK leadership here.
The UK has a remarkable opportunity to be a world leader in low carbon technologies such as wind, tidal, CCS and clean vehicles but British business needs clearer, stronger and longer-term signals from Government to support an integrated and effective low carbon industrial strategy.
We await further sign-posted Government announcements in the summer outlining in more detail broader policy implications of this low carbon Budget. These must continue to build on the Government’s bold intentions to cement the UK’s commitment to lead a prosperous low carbon economy.
Announcements this week are a good start but this is no time to rest on our laurels. Public finances are undoubtedly tight, yet it is widely recognised that investing in the green economy is an effective way to stimulate economic recovery, boost investment and create jobs and thereby start redressing the imbalances in the public budget. The UK Government must not take its foot off the low carbon pedal.
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Six months before the UN climate conference (COP15) in Copenhagen, the World Business Summit on Climate Change will bring together business with the world’s top scientists, economists, civil society, media leaders, government representatives and other leading thinkers to put forward recommendations for the next international framework on climate change.
The event is convened by the Copenhagen Climate Council in close collaboration with the Danish government, The °Climate Group, the World Economic Forum, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the UN Global Compact and the 3C Initiative. As a co-organizer and member of the Steering Committee, The °Climate Group is actively involved in the official agenda. Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, will chair one of the plenary sessions on Day Two of the event. The Climate Group is also facilitating the working stream on carbon markets.
The summit is one of the biggest events focusing on the post-2012 international climate agreement to be decided on in Copenhagen in December this year. It is expected to send a strong message from the business community to the world (in particular political decision makers) in favour of an ambitious agreement. The summit is being organized in close collaboration with the Danish government – host of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2009.
The results of the World Business Summit on Climate Change will be presented to the Danish government, host of COP15, and to world leaders negotiating the terms of the next international climate treaty.
Attendance to the WBSCC is upon invitation only. The chief executives of all Caring for Climate companies are invited to attend the World Business Summit on Climate Change.
For further information, please visit the event website.
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What role might banks play in supporting a low carbon economy in India? The Climate Group’s Rajeev Palakshappa and Damandeep Singh write in the The Times of India....
Money is in tight supply these days. Despite bail-out packages running into hundreds of billions of dollars banks are still reluctant to lend. What does business as usual look like in this brave new world and are we bold enough to look at innovative solutions to chart a path to a low carbon future?
CleanTech group, a research and data firm, estimates that in the last quarter of 2008 clean technology firms in India received in the vicinity of $6.3 million from venture capitalists investing across India, China, America and Europe. With growing government focus on climate change it is logical that this number will grow – as will the opportunities for banks to act as enablers of low carbon solutions. Indian companies have been actively pursuing energy efficiency and clean energy projects particularly where they generate additional revenue streams through earning carbon credits.
Carbon markets too have not been able to escape the turmoil seen in the international finance markets. The price of a carbon credit generated under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) now being worth somewhere in the vicinity of 8 Euros from previous highs of around 20 Euros. This fall in price is also played out against the backdrop of some uncertainty as to what a successor international agreement might look like beyond 2012, when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol comes to an end. While the carbon markets will continue to be an important part of action on climate change, banks in the near term need to ensure that business cases for innovative low carbon solutions requiring financial support are not solely judged on the ability to generate revenue through a price on carbon.
Building engagement
It is clear that finance institutions have an important role to play in supporting and enabling innovative approaches and technologies that combat climate change. The Climate Group, an international not-for-profit group that aims to build leadership amongst companies to accelerate low carbon solutions, recently launched ‘The Climate Principles’ with a group of leading financial institutions that recognize their role and are committed to addressing the challenge.
Two of the banks that have adopted the principles, HSBC and Standard Chartered, have significant operations in India. To find out more about the role banks could play in supporting a low carbon economy in India, The Climate Group organized a meeting with leading finance institutions including HSBC India; IDBI Bank, ILFS Ecosmart, Punjab National Bank and ABN-AMRO Bank. They met in January to explore the opportunity for low carbon development and to identify the barriers that need to be overcome.
All banks present at the initial meeting had in some way been involved in the nascent market for carbon credits, either through funding projects, developing projects themselves or using carbon credits for the purposes of carbon neutrality.
The banks identified a number of barriers and challenges for effectively invigorating investment in clean energy and energy efficiency beyond its current levels. Awareness and understanding will need to happen both at the banking level for staff as well as increasing understanding amongst companies to whom the banks lend that there are viable cleaner technologies that are able to be invested in when making capital investment decisions. Participants reiterated the need for both private and public banks to be able to work together to develop products and solutions that enable investment in lower carbon technologies as well as fostering greater understanding of the opportunities across sectors. Strong guidance and regulation from the RBI is also required.
There are a large number of innovative projects and programmes in the clean energy and energy efficiency space in India and a great opportunity for the financial community to play a more central role as markets for clean technologies develop. An attempt in this direction has been made by the India Banks Association who convened a working group to look at India specific issues relating to carbon credits. For a cohesive approach to develop and be successful there is a need for ongoing engagement at the highest levels from banks to understand and capitalize on the opportunities of moving towards a lower carbon economy.
The Climate Group’s policy initiative ‘Breaking the Climate Deadlock’ provides a platform for Indian financial institutions to factor in concerns during the discussions on a new international policy framework in the upcoming Conference of Parties in Copenhagen in December this year.
We are in a tumultuous time and leadership is required to invigorate and deliver on growth opportunities across various sectors. Finance institutions play a unique stewardship role in our economy and will need to be fully engaged to make a low carbon economy a reality. It is not only a sound business proposition to do so, but the need of the hour.
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It is time to act on climate change. The science is clear: greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by over 60% below current levels by 2050. And the reductions must start now. The greatest barriers to achieving this reduction are political.
This Thursday, world leaders from the G20 countries – representing 85% of the world’s economic output – will meet in London to address the global financial crisis.
With the summit’s stated aims of taking action to stabilise financial markets, strengthening the global economic system and putting the global economy on track for sustainable growth, this is a timely opportunity for governments to develop a shared vision on the world’s future.
The current financial crisis – the worst since the 1930s – is prompting government intervention to help stimulate economic growth. This represents a unique opportunity to invest in a sustainable future.
Recent analysis by HSBC of the economic stimulus packages that have passed or are pending in 15 nations found that these countries plan to invest more than $3tn to stimulate their economies over the next decade.
Suddenly, the amounts needed for combating climate change – in the order of tens of billions per annum over the next decade – don’t seem so large or unrealistic.
Last year, Lord Stern, author of the 2006 Stern Review, estimated that we could keep climate change in check at a cost of less than 2% of global GDP, compared to the 5-20% of global GDP that would be lost because of unabated global warming. This seems like a good investment on anyone’s terms.
And it seems that a number of governments are beginning to think so too as evidenced by the green components — defined as low carbon power, energy efficiency, water treatment and pollution control — of the various economic stimulus packages announced over the last few months. However, despite the wide range of this green content — ranging from 0% in Poland and 7% in the UK to 38% in China and 81% in South Korea — the average of 15% falls well short of what is needed.
According to the UN Environment Programme, 1% of global GDP, or approximately US$750bn, should be invested on greening the world economy to create momentum for real change.
And this is not just a long-term equation. Low-carbon policies and investment are a win-win situation in the short-term too. Almost a third of the 2020 greenhouse gas abatement required saves money through more efficient energy use.
The US stimulus packages promises to double clean energy capacity and are expected to create around 2.5 million green jobs.
In a report published last year by the Climate Group, China is showing some of the strongest growth rates in low-carbon industries in the world, with the country’s green investment package likely to give a further boost to its $17bn renewable energy sector which already employs around one million people.
In the UK, thousands of jobs could be created with green offshore initiatives.
Economic and environmental recovery must go hand-in-hand and – if well-designed –will be mutually reinforcing.
Halving global emissions by 2050 will require what’s been described as “an industrial revolution in a third of the time” of the last one. This goal is within reach. Current technologies can deliver and the economic and political backdrop has fundamentally shifted, opening up a new world of possibilities for a global deal and a global shift to a low-carbon economy.
Business leaders from around the world have stated their desire to work with governments to provide practical advice on how to best link the recovery and low-carbon agendas to exploit this huge growth potential.
We must take this opportunity. We simply cannot allow ourselves to fail. The G20 summit in London gives world leaders the chance to show us that we will not.
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Representative Henry Waxman, Chairman of the US House of Representatives Energy & Commerce Committee, has introduced a major piece of draft legislation to create a domestic cap-and-trade program. The climate change component of the bill would establish an economy-wide cap and trade program to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions to 3% below 2005 levels by 2012, 20% below 2005 levels by 2020, 42% below 2005 levels by 2030 and 83% below 2005 levels by 2050.
It is worth remembering, this is only the first step in a long process of passing domestic legislation. In short, this draft needs to pass the House Energy & Commerce Committee and then pass the full House of Representatives. At some point, similar legislation needs to be introduced in the Senate (where the politics are much more complex than in the House), pass through the respective committee(s), and eventually the full Senate. Differences between the House and Senate bills then need to be reconciled, and only then can the President consider the legislation. This morning’s action was in keeping with the timeline announced by the Chairman earlier this year.
“The domestic policy process has now started, but a long and arduous road remains ahead.” said Michael Allegretti, North American Director of Government Affairs, The Climate Group.
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A global agreement on climate change must not only set targets and commitments – it must come up with a means to finance its implementation. This will be a crucial, and complex, part of the negotiations at Copenhagen in December. The Climate Group recently spoke with Dr. Erik Haites to better understand the challenges of achieving and implementing a successful financial framework.
The good news, according to Dr Haites, is that creative options for funding do exist. It is now up to negotiators to employ them.
The founder of Margaree Consultants, Dr Haites has published extensively on issues related to the economics of climate change, emissions trading, and the Kyoto mechanisms. He has helped design greenhouse gas emissions trading programs for Australia, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. He has served as a lead author for both IPCC’s Second and Third Assessment Reports and since 1998 has assisted the UNFCCC Secretariat on issues related to the Kyoto mechanisms, especially the Clean Development Mechanism.
Adequate finance and investment will be crucial to achieving and implementing a global agreement. What would be the hallmarks of a successful financial framework?
A new agreement must mobilize enough resources to finance mitigation and adaptation measures, as well as technology development and transfer, on a predictable and sustainable basis to meet the global emissions target. A serious target, such as emissions peaking no later than 2020, will require substantially more financial resources than are currently available.
The financial resources will need to come from several sources and be mobilized in different ways. Domestic policies to meet developed country national commitments will stimulate private investment in mitigation and in technology development. Through international crediting mechanisms, developed countries will also support mitigation and technology transfer in developing countries.
International financial support for developing countries...is only a small part of the total financial resources required.Developed countries also are likely to increase government spending, and to implement policies that require private investment, to finance adaptation. Given a serious commitment, developed country governments are likely to increase funding for domestic research and development as well. That would yield both domestic and global benefits.
Actions by developed countries at home are important because they will account for well over half of global emission reductions. These countries will source over 75% of the necessary research and development. And developed country action on adaptation, mitigation and technology development will reduce the costs of many technologies for developing countries.
A new agreement must also provide developing countries significantly more international financial support for mitigation actions that do not respond to market incentives, as well as for adaptation and technology development and transfer.
This international financial support for developing countries - which is only a small part of the total financial resources required - will be the focus of most of the negotiating effort.
What issues must be addressed if we are to avoid an impasse at Copenhagen? And what can we learn from Kyoto in designing a new regime?
A new regime must raise substantially more resources for international financial support for developing countries. It must also agree on how these resources should be used.
Traditionally contributions by developed country governments have been the main source of international climate finance. The Kyoto Protocol established new sources for climate finance, including the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The CDM is probably the largest source of funding for mitigation in developing countries. The 2% levy on the CDM will be the largest source of international funding for their adaptation efforts over the next few years.
Numerous options for raising additional financial resources have been proposed. Only a few have the potential to generate funds on the scale likely to be needed, which is billions of dollars or euros per year.
The Norwegian option can be implemented easily as part of the climate negotiations. Norway, for instance, has proposed auctioning a small share of the allowances (AAUs) corresponding to each developed country’s commitment. Some proposals, such as the Swiss proposal for a carbon tax, suggest increasing direct contributions, mainly by developed countries. Other options would impose fees on or auction allowances for international aviation and shipping emissions.
New and revised crediting mechanisms will help scale up mitigation in developing countries. But the potential of such mechanisms is only as large as is the demand for credits; this depends on developed country commitments and the scale of their domestic actions.
The Guardian recently reported that, in the last seven years, developing economies have received less than 10% of the adaptation funds promised them. How can we ensure that governments live up to their financing commitments?
Promises of significantly increased developed country contributions will not be credible, predictable, or sustainable. Most of the extra funding will need to come from the other options.I haven’t seen the analysis that supports that claim, but the developed country track record of delivering promised financial resources is less than stellar. For example, only a few countries have met the promise to increase Official Development Assistance (ODA) to 0.7% of GDP. The trend over the past decade suggests that the prospects of it being met are slim. Due to rules governing national budgets, financial commitments can be made only for a few years into the future. Thus, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has a four year replenishment cycle.
This means that promises of significantly increased developed country contributions will not be credible, predictable, or sustainable. Most of the extra funding will need to come from the other options.
The Norwegian option can be implemented easily as part of the climate negotiations. It would require developed country governments to create a demand for the auctioned AAUs. They could allow entities covered by domestic emissions trading systems to use AAUs for compliance; something few systems currently allow. Or they could commit to buy the auctioned AAUs to meet their national commitments.
Emissions from international aviation and shipping are large and growing quite rapidly. These will need to be regulated if atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases are to be stabilized. Regulation in this area could generate substantial financial resources for the climate agreement. These costs would be borne mainly by developed country air travellers and consumers. But this will require cooperative action by the International Civil Aviation Organization and International Maritime Organization, which have stymied efforts to address these emissions for the past decade.
Despite the fact that promises of increased developed country contributions will not be credible, predictable or sustainable, developed countries will be expected to commit to increased funding in the coming negotations. This expectation will focus on higher contributions to international funds for adaptation, mitigation or technology. But if significant resources can be generated from other sources, commitments to increase domestic funds for adaptation, mitigation and research may be sufficient.
Either way, given the track record, promises of increased financial resources—international or domestic—may be subject to “measurable, reportable and verifiable” provisions.
How much funding will be required to help countries mitigate and adapt to climate impacts?
We don’t know how much international financial support will be needed to fund adaptation, mitigation and technology development and transfer. Estimates of adaptation costs alone in developing countries run to several tens of billions of dollars per year. But the fact is that we do not have good information on the specific measures that will require financial support, nor on the amount of support needed. In any case, the needs will change over time.
Will the private or public sector bear the financing costs? How can private financing be best leveraged?
Most of the costs of adaptation, mitigation and technology transfer probably need to be borne by the private sector.Most investment in new facilities is made by corporations (60%) and households (26%) - the private sector. Government is responsible for the remaining 14%. Thus, most of the costs of adaptation, mitigation and technology transfer probably need to be borne by the private sector.
Policies and financial incentives are effective ways to leverage private financing. Building codes and standards, for example, are effective ways to make facilities more climate-resilient. They can lead to lower insurance premiums and damages for the owners. Energy efficiency standards also help mitigate emission and typically provide a quick payback to the owner. Tax credits can stimulate private research and development. Policies for mitigation and adaptation will also create markets for improved technologies; these in turn will stimulate more private research and development in these areas.
But public spending will also be needed. Certain adaptation measures, such as coastal protection, are most likely to be provided by governments. Financial support, rather than market mechanisms, may also be more effective for some mitigation measures – those where the cost is well above or below the market price. And much technology development and transfer relies on government support.
What sort of institution(s) would be able to manage and deliver these financial flows effectively?
Currently a variety of organizations under and outside the Convention – including the World Bank and the GEF, which is housed at the World Bank - manage international financial support for adaptation, mitigation and technology development.
Which organizations should disburse funds for a particular purpose is contentious. With much larger financial resources, there will be more contentious negotiations over management and disbursement. Heavy reliance on contributions from developed country governments is likely to lead to use of institutions, such as the World Bank, where they have relatively more influence. However, if most of the new resources are to come from other sources, there may be greater willingness to use existing and new institutions under the Convention.
Countries will need to decide how to allocate available financial resources among the competing needs of adaptation, mitigation and technology development and transfer. This could be done by designating specific purposes for certain sources. The share of proceeds from the CDM might be dedicated to adaptation, for example. Alternatively, a body could be established to recommend, or make, these allocations.
Funds for specific purposes then need to be disbursed effectively and fairly. None of the institutions have as yet addressed the issues associated with disbursing adaptation funds on a large scale. These decisions will be highly contentious. They involve dividing funds among countries and require very difficult choices: for example, do they go to starving farmers in Africa or to the survival of Pacific island states?
In terms of mitigation, the GEF currently manages funding. Again, the availability of additional funds will raise issues around which measures to finance and at what level. For example, should more money go to reducing emissions from degradation and deforestation (REDD), or to developing carbon capture and storage (CCS)? Should countries that do not attract CDM projects receive financial support for mitigation measures? Several countries have proposed moving responsibility for providing financial support for mitigation measures from the GEF to a new institution under the Convention.
No specific body currently implements technology development and transfer of technologies for mitigation and adaptation, although the GEF is initiating a pilot programme. The mandate of the advisory body for technology—Expert Group on Technology Transfer (EGTT)—expires at the end of 2012. Should a new body be established with both advisory and operational responsibilities? Or should operational responsibilities be given to other institutions, perhaps the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol?
Many believe that Copenhagen is our last shot to achieve a successful global deal that will stave off the worst impacts of climate change. Financing issues could prove the deal-breaker in achieving agreement. What advice would you give to ministers preparing their positions for this crucial COP?
Creative options are available to meet the much larger needs for a future agreement. The total financial resources available internationally will need to be significantly higher than at present; several billions of US dollars or euros per year. And the sources of international financial resources need to be credible, predictable and sustainable. In addition, developed countries will need to commit to more domestic spending for specified purposes, such as research and development.
Developed country governments will need to decide on their preferred source of financial resources: their national budgets; their industries, under the Norwegian proposal; or the customers of the international aviation and shipping industries. They should consult their colleagues in the ministries of finance, industry and transport to find the most acceptable option(s).
Governance and disbursement of the additional resources will involve intense negotiations. Some will prefer to rely on existing institutions (and their established governance structures). Others will want to establish new mechanisms (with new governance structures) under the Convention. Although some proposals have been floated, alternative institutional structures are not yet available to facilitate the negotiations. These alternatives will need to be introduced into the negotiations soon.
Climate negotiators have demonstrated their ability to address financial issues creatively. Significant investment in mitigation has been generated in developing countries through the Clean Development Mechanism. And although tiny relative to the funding needed for adaptation, the share of proceeds levy on the CDM will be one of the largest sources of funds for this purpose. Creative options are available to meet the much larger needs for a future agreement. Negotiators need to agree on a creative option and avoid promising funds that will not be delivered.
The views presented in the Viewpoint Interview series are not necessarily representative of the views of The Climate Group.
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The proposed FITs will “help level the playing field between renewable and fossil fuel-based power”, writes The Climate Group’s Jane Gray
With its recent announcement on proposed feed-in tariffs (FITs), Ontario is showing that provinces, states and regions continue to bring in the policies needed to create pathways to the new low carbon economy, this time for renewable energy.
The feed-in tariff is part of Ontario’s new Green Energy Act tabled in February. Once passed, it will provide fixed pricing for wind, hydro-electric, solar, biogas and biomass energy flowing into the grid to help level the playing field between renewable and fossil fuel based power.
The move is right in line with what leading renewable energy companies say is needed. At the Climate Leaders Summit in Poznan, Poland this past December, Dr. Zhengrong Shi, CE0 of Suntech, said that his company grew over 100% every year for the last seven years (making them the largest solar manufacturer in the world) thanks to visionary government policy. He cited feed-in tariffs as a particularly important policy tool in growing the solar industry and estimated that, with enough of these kinds of policies in place, the price/kwh of energy from Solar PV technology could be on par with conventional grid power by 2012.
With its proposed FITs, Ontario is following the lead of European countries such as Germany where a feed-in tariff has spurred the growth of 40 solar system companies and employment for 20,000 people in the solar industry, an industry that now turns over €1.7 billion per year. The FIT is said to be the policy behind the 214,000 jobs in Germany’s renewables sector - more than the nuclear and brown coal industries combined.
Clearly the economic benefit is behind the Ontario government’s FIT policy and new Green Energy Act, which also includes a range of measures to increase energy efficiency. “The proposed feed-in tariff program would help spark new investment in renewable energy generation and create a new generation of green jobs,” said George Smitherman, Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. Indeed, fixed pricing for solar power has already prompted a deal with California based Opti-Solar to build four 10 MW plants in Sarnia, Ontario.
The government estimates that 50,000 new jobs will be created over the next three years as a result of passage of the Green Energy Act. In this time of economic downturn, congratulations to the Ontario government for shining a light on solar and forging a pathway forward to green jobs and a new low carbon economy.
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China’s once-mushrooming solar sector is feeling the pinch of the global economic downturn.
As demand falls and project funding dries up, Reuters reports that China’s industry is bound to consolidate and that only big players, such as Suntech Power Holdings (a Climate Group member), are likely to survive.
There may be a silver lining to this, says Changhua Wu, Greater China Director of The Climate Group:
“The current tough time presents an opportunity for Chinese solar PV sector to further consolidate and reduce the chaos and overcapacity that has been experienced in the last few years. I believe not only that leading solar industry companies will weather this storm, but that very soon, we can expect to see a stronger and more competitive solar industry in China, led by such leading companies like Suntech Power, Himin Group and others.
“To capture the opportunity, government has an important role to play. The approved stimulus package in China clearly states the importance of renewable energy, including solar energy. But more importantly, specific subsidies or incentives need to be clarified and put in place to give the solar industry a strong boost so that they would be able to reach the scale needed to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
“The opportunity could also come from cooperation among countries. For instance, US and China could work collaboratively to develop a solar program and even officially launch it at Copenhagen as a significant showcase of both willingness and leadership in addressing climate change issues.
“The size and scale of renewable energy needs in these two countries would literally decide the future market of solar energy globally.”
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A new report from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) says that China can successfully curb and cap emissions and develop a low carbon economy
The publication, which includes input from leading universities, think tanks, and NGOs in the region, offers a strong and positive assessment of China’s ability to decouple future economic growth from its emissions.
The Climate Group’s Greater China team contributed to two chapters, “International Experiences of Low Carbon Economy and Implications for China” and “Strategy of Low Carbon Pathway with Chinese Characteristics.”
Key findings of the report include:
• By 2020, China can reduce the energy intensity of GDP between 40 and 60% compared to 2005 levels, thereby reducing CO2 emission intensity of GDP by about 50%.
• With strict measures on energy conservation and emissions and emission controls in place, China can feasibly cap emissions between 2030 and 2040.
It is the first time that the Chinese Academy of Sciences has taken China’s low carbon development as the focus of its annual Sustainable Development Strategy Report.
The influential report, which will be distributed to delegates of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Committee (CPPCC), includes suggestions for a national low carbon development strategy. It explores the technologies, sectoral strategies, and policy instruments that would enable the achievement of these targets; it also considers prospects for developing low carbon cities in China.
Changhua Wu, Director of The Climate Group, Greater China, welcomed the publication. “By systematically articulating all aspects of the low carbon economy, including the science, policy, politics, technology, and by shaping China’s strategy and roadmap for a low carbon transition, the report will serve as a useful reference for key decision-makers to reshape China’s national development strategy.”
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North Rhine-Westphalia is leading the charge to scale up electric transport in Germany.
The Government of North Rhine-Westphalia has announced that it will support the Federal Government’s National Development Plan for Electric Mobility. This plan calls explicitly on states to provide ‘field trials’ to speed up research and production of electric transportation.
The NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy has agreed to earmark an additional €60 million to speed up the development of electrical transport, when the Federal Government launches its proposed electric mobility funding programmes.
The Ministry made the announcement after a February meeting attended by Ministers along with representatives of the business and research community.
Cornerstones of a state strategy to promote electrically-powered transportation, focussing on electricity storage, automotive engineering and network integration, were also discussed.
Economic Minister Christa Thoben said, “We believe it is vitally urgent that electric cars conquer our streets, and that everyone becomes aware of this new technology.“
NRW, she added, is “an ideal place to carry out field studies.” The state is a centre of German automotive production; it is also the nation’s largest producer of energy.
Environment Minister Eckhard Uhlenberg underscored the environmental benefits of electrically-powered transport: “Major population centres will benefit hugely from a reduction in particulate and nitrogen oxide emission.”
Luc Bas, The Climate Group’s Head of European Government Relations, welcomed the Government’s decision.
“The Climate Group is supportive of regional governments in their efforts to implement and deploy low carbon technologies.
“With this announcement, North Rhine-Westphalia is setting an example that will be an important impetus for other European regional governments to start scaling up action.”
North Rhine-Westphalia is a partner of The Climate Group’s States and Regions programme, which commits governments to lead the low carbon economy by example.
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The Climate Group hosted “The Gathering of One Hundred” at the US Botanic Garden Conservatory in Washington, DC on March 3, 2009.
The gathering brought together select top business executives and environmental policy makers. The theme was straightforward: The US Congress, Obama Administration, state Governors and corporate leaders across all industries have the historic opportunity to frame federal policy on climate change.
The evening’s speakers underlined the urgency to act now. Strong federal policy, supported by the states and by industry, is needed so that the US can join other nations in committing to meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions at the next international climate change conference in Copenhagen later this year.
Policy makers in attendance included Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Representative John Dingell (D-MI15), EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and Chair of the President’s Council on Environment Quality Nancy Sutley. The Rt. Honorable Tony Blair, a strong supporter of The Climate Group, joined the group to share an international perspective.
Neville Isdell, Chairman, The Coca-Cola Company and Blythe Masters, Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase provided corporate perspectives on climate change policy.
Isdell spoke of how business can tackle climate change and said, “The political climate has changed. There is a new urgency among governments to address climate change. Leading organizations like The Climate Group are helping bring stakeholders together to move the agenda forward toward Copenhagen and beyond.”
Achieving the scale and the speed to meet the climate change challenge demands new partnerships between business, government and civil society – what Isdell calls the “Triangle of Sustainability.”
Despite the daunting tasks ahead of business and government, Isdell was upbeat: “We have mountains to climb, but even more I feel that working together synergistically we can do what this moment requires of us.”
Joining Isdell and Masters were other top executives, including Lew Hay, Chairman & CEO of Florida Power & Light,, John Chambers, Chairman & CEO of Cisco and Jeff Swartz, Chairman & CEO of Timberland. Recognizing the crucial role for public-private partnership to address global climate change, the corporate leaders in attendance spoke eloquently about what is needed to move America into the new energy economy.
“The Climate Group is working with our international business and government members to accelerate the implementation of breakthrough technologies, supporting activities ranging from piloting to financing and policy support,” said Michael Allegretti, Director of Government Relations for The Climate Group. “I am truly humbled by the possibilities that this group of one hundred can achieve. You are the men and women who can steer us towards a clean, innovative and prosperous world.”
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theclimategroup/~3/4KQR1--7rsI/
Bold, new public-private partnership launches series of neighborhood environmental initiatives that help tackle climate change and offer quality of life benefits for the City of Chicago
The Climate Group, in collaboration with Chicago 2016 and the City of Chicago (a member of The Climate Group), today officially launches Forward Chicago, a unique public-private partnership that engages leading area businesses and local, non-profit organizations. By bringing together the resources and expertise of the public and private communities, Forward Chicago seeks to help the city achieve its greenhouse-gas emissions reduction targets, “green” the bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and leave an environmental legacy for all Chicago residents.
“Forward Chicago is a unique public-private partnership that brings together Chicago’s corporate and non-profit communities to support our Climate Action Plan, make our 2016 Olympic bid the greenest ever and help improve the quality of life for all Chicagoans,” said Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. “This effort seeks to help the city achieve its greenhouse-gas emissions reduction targets by combining the resources and expertise of leading Chicago-area businesses, non-profit organizations, the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee and the City of Chicago. I want to thank all of our partners who have helped us get Forward Chicago up and running. And I encourage other businesses to get active with this program.”
In June 2008, The Climate Group and Chicago 2016 introduced 21st Century Green Centers, geographically targeted areas surrounding proposed Olympic and Paralympic venues, a concept that was born out of Chicago 2016’s environmental advisory council. Forward Chicago furthers this initiative by providing an ongoing platform for the program’s partners and participating companies to work collaboratively to make Chicago the greenest, most environmentally friendly city in the country.
Companies that have signed on as Forward Chicago Founders include Motorola, Exelon, Allstate, Abbott, Baxter International Inc., HSBC-North America, ComEd, MWH and Corn Products International, Inc. Forward Chicago non-profit and government Partners include the City of Chicago, Chicago 2016, Chicago Public Schools, Center for Neighborhood Technology, Environmental Law & Policy Center, Friends of the Chicago River and ICLEI .
“The environment has always been a top priority for the City of Chicago, the bid committee and the Olympic Movement, and we want to continue to employ innovative programs and become a model for our country and beyond,” said Lori Healey, president of Chicago 2016. “The powerful combination of business, non-profit and government partners will heighten the development of 21st Century Green Centers around the proposed Olympic and Paralympic venues.”
“We are pleased to work with the City of Chicago, Chicago 2016 and our other Forward Chicago partners to advance the corporate community’s commitment to Chicago’s Climate Action Plan,” said Michael Allegretti, The Climate Group’s Head of Government Relations, North America. “Through this ongoing partnership, we look forward to helping Mayor Daley achieve his ambitious plans to reduce the city’s greenhouse emissions to 25 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2020, and to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.”
Based on existing research, Forward Chicago has identified the three major environmental challenges facing Chicago’s neighborhoods: urban heat island effect, open space and greening and flooding. Each 21st Century Green Center will feature business and non-profits working together, focusing on various sustainability initiatives that support Mayor Richard M. Daley’s ambitious plans to make Chicago the most environmentally friendly city in the country.
Forward Chicago’s Founding companies will be supporting the following initiatives in and around the 21st Century Green Centers:
Through Forward Chicago, Abbott is sponsoring the City of Chicago’s $800 Challenge, an environmental initiative that empowers Chicagoans to take ten easy steps to reduce emissions and save up to $800 or more at the same time.
Exelon volunteers will work with Friends of the Parks to plant trees in Washington Park that will displace nearly two metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Motorola will install solar panels on two public schools, supplying the schools with up to 3 Kilowatts of green energy per year. Information about these renewable energy systems will be incorporated into the students’ curriculum to provide hands-on, experiential learning opportunities.
Forward Chicago Founders including Allstate, Baxter, Corn Products International and ComEd will be supporting Chicago Public Schools by sponsoring student environmental clubs and working with students to build school “raingardens” that minimize flooding and provide green outdoor learning environments. In the Ryan Field 21st Century Green Center, HSBC’s employee volunteers will build a rain garden that employs native plant species to alleviate runoff into the Chicago River and reduce field maintenance costs. MWH will develop an implementation plan for new “stormwater landscapes”, which utilize vacant land to detain urban runoff and increase overall permeability to reduce the load on the city’s sewer system – the main cause of Chicagoan’s flooding complaints.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theclimategroup/~3/faVCgKtWUfs/
In the last seven years, developed countries have pledged $18 billion to help developing countries fight climate change. Only $.9 billion of this has been disbursed, reports The Guardian newspaper.
This is “worrying” news, says The Climate Group’s Mark Kenber:
“Financing for developing country actions – both adaptation and mitigation – will be a central piece of the new international climate change agreement to be negotiated in Copenhagen this year. The sums needed far exceed the amounts that have been pledged to date.
“Showing a real commitment to providing this financing in a long-term predictable way, either directly or by stimulating private sector investment, will be crucial in reaching a successful agreement.
“It is therefore doubly worrying that the funds pledged so far have been so meagre and that wealthy countries have been so slow to follow up on their commitments. Unless the situation changes, we will miss the opportunity to kickstart low-carbon, climate-resilient development and we will endanger the likelihood of a global agreement.
“It is not hard to imagine that developing countries will have little faith in further promises by developed countries as the negotiations gather pace.”
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theclimategroup/~3/xszK0Ww86PI/
BEIJING, CHINA – CEOs from some of China’s most innovative companies have called for national governments to work together to secure a new global climate deal at Copenhagen and build a low carbon economy.
Announcing that Chinese business is ready to play its part in the global effort to tackle climate change, over 20 Chinese business leaders signed an unprecedented climate change communiqué at the annual Yabuli Business Forum in northern China.
The business leaders – representing real estate, manufacturing, IT, finance and consulting industries – committed themselves to reducing emissions from their business operations, to spurring research and innovation in clean energy technologies, and to becoming role models for low-carbon action.
Speaking on behalf of the Chinese coalition, Yue Zhang, CEO of Broad Air Conditioning, said, “Global warming means business as usual is no longer an option. Top Chinese companies are ready to play their part in the global effort to tackle climate change and build a truly sustainable economy.”
Changhua Wu, China Director of The Climate Group, said: “Governments must not use the current financial crisis as an excuse for inaction or delay in addressing climate change. Green stimulus packages are needed to accelerate development of low carbon technologies and infrastructure. This will reduce emissions, boost the global economy, and create new jobs.”
Signatories to the communiqué included: Taikang Life, Broad Air Conditioning, Vanke, Vantone, Beijing Capital Group, Neusoft, Stone Group, Huayuan Group, Huatai Insurance, Tiptop Real Estate, Asia Business Corporation, China M&A Group, HY Brothers, JP Morgan, White Collar, Zendai Fund, China Chengxin Credit Management, Guandong Chant Group, Mtone Wireless, and Adfaith.
A recent report published by The Climate Group - China’s Clean Revolution - reveals that China is already the world’s leading renewable energy producer and is over-taking more developed economies in exploiting valuable economic opportunities, creating green-collar jobs and leading development of critical low carbon technologies.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theclimategroup/~3/8lj4IukDJJY/
BEIJING, CHINA – CEOs from some of China’s most innovative companies have called for national governments to work together to secure a new global climate deal at Copenhagen and build a low carbon economy.
Announcing that Chinese business is ready to play its part in the global effort to tackle climate change, over 20 Chinese business leaders signed an unprecedented climate change communiqué at the annual Yabuli Business Forum in northern China.
The business leaders – representing real estate, manufacturing, IT, finance and consulting industries – committed themselves to reducing emissions from their business operations, to spurring research and innovation in clean energy technologies, and to becoming role models for low-carbon action.
Speaking on behalf of the Chinese coalition, Yue Zhang, CEO of Broad Air Conditioning, said, “Global warming means business as usual is no longer an option. Top Chinese companies are ready to play their part in the global effort to tackle climate change and build a truly sustainable economy.”
Changhua Wu, China Director of The Climate Group, said: “Governments must not use the current financial crisis as an excuse for inaction or delay in addressing climate change. Green stimulus packages are needed to accelerate development of low carbon technologies and infrastructure. This will reduce emissions, boost the global economy, and create new jobs.”
Signatories to the communiqué included: Taikang Life, Broad Air Conditioning, Vanke, Vantone, Beijing Capital Group, Neusoft, Stone Group, Huayuan Group, Huatai Insurance, Tiptop Real Estate, Asia Business Corporation, China M&A Group, HY Brothers, JP Morgan, White Collar, Zendai Fund, China Chengxin Credit Management, Guandong Chant Group, Mtone Wireless, and Adfaith.
A recent report published by The Climate Group - China’s Clean Revolution - reveals that China is already the world’s leading renewable energy producer and is over-taking more developed economies in exploiting valuable economic opportunities, creating green-collar jobs and leading development of critical low carbon technologies.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/theclimategroup/~3/542368893/
As The New York Times reports, international oil executives are ready to work with US President Obama’s climate agenda. Read the full story.
The Climate Group’s Evan Juska comments:
“It is a very positive sign, and a definite shift for the better, that the oil industry is embracing climate policies for the United States. With 86% of US energy still coming from fossil fuels, there simply can be no solution without the constructive participation of this industry.
“It is important however that this participation builds on the progress that has already been made in the US Congress. The debate over the most suitable policy mechanism - cap and trade or carbon tax - began years ago. It has now progressed to detailed negotiations over a cap and trade program, e.g. emission reduction targets, allowance distributions and cost containment mechanisms.
“Given this momentum in favor of a cap and trade program, as well as the urgent need to begin reducing US emissions, continued debate over “cap and trade or carbon tax” must not delay US action.
“Emphasis now must be placed on getting the design of a US cap and trade program right, to ensure that it reduces emissions to the levels required by science in a way that enables continued economic growth.”
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theclimategroup/~3/JnTvDn8aKaM/
Four of the world’s leading airlines today called for CO2 emissions from international aviation to be included in a new global climate deal. The agreement will be negotiated by world leaders at the United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen in December.
Emissions from international aviation, which currently contribute around 2 per cent of global CO2 emissions (source: IPCC), were not included in the Kyoto Protocol commitments and are not currently managed under an international climate change treaty.
The new industry coalition, the Aviation Global Deal (AGD) Group, brings together Air France/KLM, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic and airport operator BAA. At its first Asia Pacific meeting in Hong Kong the Group published a communiqué calling for a pragmatic, fair and effective global policy solution for the sector, as a contribution to the UN International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) preparations for climate change negotiations in Copenhagen.
Signatories to the communiqué say that a new global climate deal for aviation must:
• offer genuine environmental benefits;
• be operationally and economically sound;
• maintain competitiveness between airlines and avoid market distortions;
• reflect the UN climate change principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’ between countries with different levels of development;
• balance the social and economic benefits of flying with the industry’s responsibility to cut global emissions and play its part in meeting tough climate change targets;
and
• reflect the work of ICAO’s Group on International Aviation and Climate Change (GIACC) and IATA’s strategy for reducing emissions.
Speaking on behalf of the AGD Group, Tony Tyler, Chief Executive of Cathay Pacific Airways said: “Aviation has a key part to play in reducing global emissions and for too long has been seen as part of the climate problem rather than part of the solution. We hope the work of our group will offer a practical industry-led solution that creates a level-playing field and appeal to policy-makers, environmental groups and businesses alike.”
The Group’s work is supported by The °Climate Group, an international NGO working with government and business to break political deadlock around a global climate deal.
Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, said: “Tackling climate change requires all sectors of the economy to contribute. The aviation industry has a major role to play in shaping a successful international climate policy and by making a fair and equitable contribution it must help provide finance for the reduction of emissions in other sectors, reduced emissions from deforestation and support for adaptation. The launch of the AGD Group is an important and welcome step towards helping countries to agree an environmentally robust approach to the sector’s international emissions.”
The AGD Group aims to build support from other international carriers, industry and environmental stakeholders, and complement the work of ICAO.
http://www.theclimategroup.org/news_and_events/aviation_global_deal_group/
Four of the world’s leading airlines today called for CO2 emissions from international aviation to be included in a new global climate deal. The agreement will be negotiated by world leaders at the United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen in December.
Emissions from international aviation, which currently contribute around 2 per cent of global CO2 emissions (source: IPCC), were not included in the Kyoto Protocol commitments and are not currently managed under an international climate change treaty.
The new industry coalition, the Aviation Global Deal (AGD) Group, brings together Air France/KLM, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic and airport operator BAA. At its first Asia Pacific meeting in Hong Kong the Group published a communiqué calling for a pragmatic, fair and effective global policy solution for the sector, as a contribution to the UN International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) preparations for climate change negotiations in Copenhagen.
Signatories to the communiqué say that a new global climate deal for aviation must:
• offer genuine environmental benefits;
• be operationally and economically sound;
• maintain competitiveness between airlines and avoid market distortions;
• reflect the UN climate change principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’ between countries with different levels of development;
• balance the social and economic benefits of flying with the industry’s responsibility to cut global emissions and play its part in meeting tough climate change targets;
and
• reflect the work of ICAO’s Group on International Aviation and Climate Change (GIACC) and IATA’s strategy for reducing emissions.
Speaking on behalf of the AGD Group, Tony Tyler, Chief Executive of Cathay Pacific Airways said: “Aviation has a key part to play in reducing global emissions and for too long has been seen as part of the climate problem rather than part of the solution. We hope the work of our group will offer a practical industry-led solution that creates a level-playing field and appeal to policy-makers, environmental groups and businesses alike.”
The Group’s work is supported by The °Climate Group, an international NGO working with government and business to break political deadlock around a global climate deal.
Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, said: “Tackling climate change requires all sectors of the economy to contribute. The aviation industry has a major role to play in shaping a successful international climate policy and by making a fair and equitable contribution it must help provide finance for the reduction of emissions in other sectors, reduced emissions from deforestation and support for adaptation. The launch of the AGD Group is an important and welcome step towards helping countries to agree an environmentally robust approach to the sector’s international emissions.”
The AGD Group aims to build support from other international carriers, industry and environmental stakeholders, and complement the work of ICAO.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theclimategroup/~3/TGPbHdmGyiM/
Google is making moves on the “smart grid.” The company this week announced its latest web service, PowerMeter, a tool which will show consumers their real-time electric consumption. (You can find out more on the Google website.)
“It’s no surprise that Google is yet again showing us the power of information,” says The Climate Group’s Molly Webb.
“We might have to mark this as the day Grid 2.0 was born.””Most people probably don’t even think about their energy consumption as information; instead they think of it as money out the door - a utility bill they have to pay at the end of the month. But PowerMeter makes energy visible – as information – and this in turn gives users more control.
“Ideally this puts us on a faster path to the time when utilities and consumers rise to the challenge to think differently about their energy consumption and demand the tools they need to manage it.
“We might have to mark this as the day Grid 2.0 was born.”
http://www.theclimategroup.org/news_and_events/comment_google_powermeter/
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