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CDM Coal Power Projects Violate Kyoto Protocol

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ThinktoSustain
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Carbon Emissions

Bonn – A review of all coal projects under validation within the Clean Development Mechanism reveals that they do not actually reduce any emissions. The review also puts under question the methodology which provides the basis for the emission reduction calculation. Environmental groups are now pressuring the CDM Executive Board to put all CDM coal power projects on hold with immediate effect.
 
Despite heavy criticism, the first coal power plant by Adani Power Ltd was registered as a CDM project in December 2009. According to UN rules, two 660 MW units to be commissioned in 2010-11 in India will receive carbon credits for reducing emissions using a new, efficient coal-based technology compared to conventional coal-fired power plants
 
But a recent review raises serious concerns about whether the Adani plant would be built anyway, regardless of the CDM revenue. This essential CDM criterion is called “additionality” and ensures that carbon credits are only rewarded to projects that would not happen without the additional CDM support, and would, hence, not reduce any emissions. If built anyway, the 2 Mio expected annual emission reductions from the Adani plant would generate fake carbon credits that an Annex | country can use to avoid making real emission reductions domestically. This ultimately leads to an increase in global emissions.
 
Eva Filzmoser from CDM Watch lamented, “The United Nations Convention on Climate Change aims to promote a shift away from fossil fuels towards cleaner energy sources. Allowing coal power projects under the CDM completely undermines this objective.”
 
Wrong Signal to the Carbon Market
 
Previously, investors have shown little confidence for supercritical coal to get approval under the CDM. However, the registration of the first project by Adani Power Ltd has sent a signal to the carbon market which resulted in re-submission of three coal power projects and the recent registration request of the largest coal power project currently submitted, also by Adani Power Ltd. If registered, the Adani Power Ltd´s project in Mundra, India with a capacity of 4000 MW would be the third largest registered project amongst all currently registered CDM projects, excluding projects that reduce industrial gases HFC-23 and N2O. With a price of 12 € per tonne, the expected 2.831.000 annual emission reductions would generate about 34 Mio € per year.
 
No Real Emission Reductions from CDM Coal Projects in India & China
 
A recent analysis by CDM Watch and the Stanford Environmental Law Clinic reviewing the registered Adani Power Ltd project and all 13 coal projects currently pending validation is questioning whether these projects reduce any additional emissions. The review claims that the expected reductions of the 14 potential CDM coal projects, amounting to about 18 Mio annual emission reductions, would not be dependent on the additional CDM revenue. Instead, these projects, of which 6 are located in India and 8 in China, would be implemented anyway as part of national energy policies.
 
Deborah A. Sivas, Director of the Stanford Environmental Law Clinic, commented, “We have reviewed all coal projects ever submitted and concluded that all projects proposed to date fail in significant ways to comply with the core requirements of the CDM.” The review also reveals significant flaws of the methodology which provides the basis for calculating the emission reductions from the clean coal projects and focuses in particular on the key areas of additionality testing.
 
For example, the methodology fails to ensure that projects consider all plausible baseline scenarios. Wendra Liang, co-author of the review, commented, “None of the projects considers any renewable energy source such as hydro, geothermal, biomass, wind, and solar to be a realistic or credible alternative to fossil fuel generated power.”
 
The review also includes a detailed analysis of the investment analysis as suggested by the methodology and used in the 14 projects. Between the 14 projects, the results show 42 noncompliances with the additionality requirements of the CDM.
 
Bruce Ho, co-author of the review, said, “The methodology falls short in significant areas and leaves too many critical issues open to misinterpretation by project participants and project validators. The flaws of this methodology mean that even if projects meet the requirements of the methodology, they are likely not to comply with the additionality criteria of the CDM.” 
 
CDM additionality expert, Barbara Haya, commented, “The recent findings that CDM coal projects are non-additional must be taken extremely seriously. Non-additional CDM projects are endangering the climate: they create fake carbon credits that increase global emissions and allow industrialized countries to avoid meeting their reduction obligations. These findings show once more that an accurate project-by-project additionality test is infeasible for most projects.”
 
CER Purchasing Agreements Signed
 
While the Indian CDM coal power projects don’t have any committed buyers yet, UK´s EcoSecurities, UK´s Carbon Resource Management, Japan´s Mitsui & Co and Switzerland´s Bunge Emissions Fund have signed deals to buy credits from clean coal projects in China. Also Germany´s largest energy utility RWE, which is heavily criticized for its polluting coal plants in Germany, has signed a purchase agreement to buy credits from a coal power plant in China in order to meet its emission reduction requirements in Germany.
 
Director of the German NGO Forum Environment & Development, Jürgen Maier, commented, “Relieving European power giant RWE and its home country Germany of obligations to reduce domestic emissions by helping build a new coal-fired power plant in China is an abuse of the Kyoto flexible mechanisms.”
 
CDM Executive Board to take Immediate Action
 
Based on the significant flaws in the coal methodology, environmental groups are now pressuring the CDM Executive Board to put the methodology on hold with immediate effect during their upcoming meeting starting on 22 March in Bonn. They are demanding that the methodology needs to be urgently reviewed. Moreover, they ask to put on hold projects pending validation immediately. They are also calling on EU governments not to accept non-additional credits from CDM coal projects in order to safeguard the principles of the UN Convention and to avoid non-additional CDM credits.
 
Pressure to Re-Open Registration of Adani Project
 
The criticism extends to the Adani project which was registered last year. Ironically, the project was on the agenda of the 51st Executive Board meeting where 10 wind projects were rejected for having failed to prove additionality. However, 2 of these 10 projects were finally registered last month because according to CDM Executive Board Chair, Clifford Mahlung, they were on the “wrong list”. Based on the latest serious concerns that the 2 Mio annual emission reductions of the Adani project are likely to be non-additional, environmental groups are now pressuring the Board to re-open the decision to register the Adani project and to review the additionality of the project. 
 
 
Source: CDM Watch / German Forum Environment & Development.
 
 

Walmart Announces Goal to Eliminate 20 Million Metric Tons of GHG Emissions from Global Supply Chain

By
ThinktoSustain
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Walmart

Bentonville, Arkansas – Walmart recently announced a goal to eliminate 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its global supply chain by the end of 2015. This represents one and a half times the company’s estimated global carbon footprint growth over the next five years and is the equivalent of taking more than 3.8 million cars off the road for a year.

 
“Energy efficiency and carbon reduction are central issues in the world today,” said Mike Duke, Walmart President and CEO. “We’ve been working to make a difference in these areas, both in our own footprint and our supply chain. We know that we have an opportunity to do more and the capacity to do more.”
 
The footprint of Walmart’s global supply chain is many times larger than its operational footprint and represents a more impactful opportunity to reduce emissions.
 
“Like everything we do at Walmart, this commitment ends up coming down to our customers,” Duke added. “Reducing carbon in the life cycle of our products will often mean reducing energy use. That will mean greater efficiency and, with the rising cost of energy, lower costs, making our business stronger and more competitive. And, as we help our suppliers reduce their energy use, costs and carbon footprint, we’ll be helping our customers do the same thing.”
 
Walmart collaborated with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to develop this approach that looks at the supply chain on a global scale. Other external advisers include PricewaterhouseCoopers,ClearCarbon Inc., the Carbon Disclosure Project and the Applied Sustainability Center (ASC) at theUniversity of Arkansas. This team will identify projects, quantify reductions, engage suppliers and ensure proper procedures are followed for each GHG reduction claim.
 
“Today the world’s largest company begins a global race for carbon pollution cuts,” said Fred Krupp, President of Environmental Defense Fund. “Walmart’s bold move will help companies identify steps to slash pollution and costs. As this story unfolds, it will transform a vast supply chain here at home, and around the world.”
 
The innovative program to reduce GHGs has three main components:
  • Selection – Walmart will focus on the product categories with the highest embedded carbon. This is defined as the amount of life cycle GHG emissions per unit multiplied by the amount the company sells. To find the embedded carbon, the ASC reviewed the GHG emissions associated with all Walmart product categories. This approach ensures the project team focuses on the categories that have the greatest opportunity for reductions. Reductions can come from any part of a product’s life cycle.
  • Action – For a project to be included as part of this goal, it must reduce GHGs from a product in either the sourcing of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, customer use or end-of-life disposal. Walmart must demonstrate it had direct influence on the reduction and show how that reduction would not have occurred without Walmart’s participation.
  • Assessment – Suppliers and Walmart will jointly account for the reductions. ClearCarbon will perform a quality assurance review of those claims to ensure methodology, completeness and calculations are correct. When the claims meet the quality assurance check, PricewaterhouseCoopers will assess under consulting standards whether the defined procedures were followed consistently to quantify the reduction claim.
More information on Walmart’s program to reduce GHG emissions is available at walmartstores.com/greenhousegas
 
 
Source: Walmart
 
 

 

Gharial Rehabilitation Initiative Successfully Reintroduces 63 More Gharials into the Ganga

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ThinktoSustain
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Gharial Rehabilitation

New Delhi – WWF-India’s work on conserving the highly endangered Gharial continued successfully with the reintroduction of 63 more Gharials in the River Ganga at Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh.
 
This Gharial Rehabilitation Initiative, which commenced last year is a part of an effort to establish a resident breeding population at a favourable location. Out of the previously released 131 Gharials, 41 have been recorded. The survey suggests that the previously reintroduced Gharials have acclimatized to the wild conditions implying that the new habitat is conducive to support a viable Gharial population in the River Ganga. 
 
The recent batch that was introduced in the month of January comprised of 63 juvenile (12 male and 51 female) Gharials. Their size varied from 120-133 cms. and weight from 3-5 Kgs. approximately. These Gharials hatched in the Gharial Rehabilitation Center, Kukrail, Lucknow, and belonged to the 2007 batch. 102 juvenile and sub-adult Gharials have been recorded within the 184 Km. stretch from Valawali Village (Muzaffarnagr) to Anoopshahar (Bulandshahar). The Gharials released have been monitored and found to be receptive to their new habitat.
 
This reflects the success of the previous release, where WWF-India along with the UP State Forest Department reintroduced a total of 131 Gharials for the first time in January and February 2009 into the River Ganga at the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary (HWLS), UP. The site was selected after a survey conducted by the State Forest Department officials and WWF-India. Intensive post-release monitoring was undertaken and it was observed that these Gharials had negotiated 10 kilometer downstream and 2.5 km upstream of the release site.
 
After the IUCN revised the status of the crocodilian species Gharial, Gavialis gangeticus, to ‘Critically Endangered’, it has become essential to address the conservation needs of this species. It is for this that WWF- India is trying to locate viable alternative habitats which supplement the extremely few habitats where the species currently occur. WWF- India has also been working in coordination with the local communities for their support and participation in this initiative. With rescue operations and regular monitoring, the regular reintroductions hope to conserve this endangered species.
 
 
Source: WWF-India.
 
 

ITC’s Bhadrachalam Facility gets Coveted Forest Stewardship Council

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ThinktoSustain
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ITC has achieved yet another milestone in its environmental journey. India’s largest integrated pulp and paper and paperboard manufacturing facility of ITC at Bhadrachalam has been awarded the FSC Chain of Custody Certificate. It is the most widely respected certification for responsible fibre sourcing around the world. This certification provides a unique competitive edge to ITC’s finepapers and paperboards in an increasingly environment-conscious world.
 
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC is a certification system that provides internationally recognized standard-setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services to companies, organizations, and communities interested in responsible forestry.
 
Chain of Custody (CoC) certificates for paper/paperboard manufacturers are awarded after stringent audits that seek to establish the traceability of the fibre being used. The auditors verify that all material comes from known, legal sources which do not threaten the ecological balance and high conservation values of forests.
 
ITC is already a global leader in the area of sustainability. Along with being India’s first company to be invited to be a member of the WWF’s Global Forest and Trade Network (WWF GFTN), ITC also has a sustainable social and farm forestry programme that has now greened over 100,000 hectares of land. ITC’s unique large scale social forestry project has been the first of its kind in India to be registered with the UNFCCC under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The benefits of the project activity, which will earn 57792 CERs, will be passed on to the tribals post expenses incurred for the CDM project. ITC has also pioneered the innovative Wealth Out of Waste (WOW) programme in India, for collecting recyclable fibre directly from households. These achievements speak volumes for ITC’s aspiration to be an exemplar in sustainability practices.
 
This FSC certification comes close on the heels of the September 2009 certification of ITC PSPD’s recycled paperboards unit at Kovai, underlining ITC’s commitment to obtain credible environmental certifications for its wide range of products in paper and paperboard. ITC’s Paperboards and Paper Business will now be able to offer unique products to discerning customers that are certified to be manufactured with sustainably sourced virgin or post consumer recycled content, under the ”FSC Mixed’ and ‘FSC Recycled’ labels.
 
Going forward, ITC PSPD will continue to pursue excellence in environmental performance, and increasingly offer credibly certified products from all its units.
 
 
Source: ITC.
 
 

Starbucks & Conservation International make it easy for Customers to be Green

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ThinktoSustain
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Logo Starbucks

Seattle & Arlington, VA – With a simple swipe, Starbucks customers can join Conservation International (CI) to help protect forests and the life that exists within them – as well as fight climate change. Since March 9 and through December 31, 2010, every time a customer pays with their new Conservation International Starbucks Card at participating stores in the U.S., Starbucks will donate five cents to CI to help protect forests.
 
Making a difference can start with small, simple efforts. The five cents donated by Starbucks with each purchase will provide contributions to support CI’s work to protect and restore forests, essential steps to addressing climate change. As a company that relies on coffee as an agricultural product, Starbucks knows first-hand the importance of protecting the environment. The company has worked with CI for more than 10 years to help support responsible coffee farming, protect biodiversity, and reduce coffee farming impacts on climate in an effort to sustain the supply of the world’s best coffee.
 
“The involvement of Starbucks and their customers provides a tremendous boost to global forest conservation and climate solutions,” said Justin Ward, Vice President of Business Practices at Conservation International. “We value our long term relationship with Starbucks and we are pleased that support raised from the Preservation Card will benefit sustainable management of the world’s natural resources.”
 
The new CI Card, made with at least 80% post-industrial recycled materials, is a stored value Card that can be given as a gift or loaded for personal use. Customers can also register their Card at www.starbucks.com/card to receive benefits through the My Starbucks Rewards program. Using the Card is an easy way to be green every day and encourage others to do the same.
 
“We have long shared our customers’ commitment to the environment,” said Ben Packard, Vice President of Starbucks Global Responsibility. “Partnering with organizations like Conservation International allows Starbucks to give our customers an opportunity to make simple, sustainable decisions that collectively make a big difference.”
 
Through Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ commitment to doing business responsibly, Starbucks is working to achieve measurable goals in the areas of environmental stewardship, ethical sourcing (buying), and community involvement. Many of these goals address Starbucks global environmental footprint, guiding our work to reduce our impact by supporting conservation and continuing to seek innovative recycling and energy solutions.
 
 
Source: Conservation International (CI).
 
 

Euro IV Norms in 13 Cities, but Rest of India Left in the Lurch

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ThinktoSustain
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New Delhi, India – As Bharat Stage IV norms for fuels and vehicles come into force from April 1, 2010, in 13 cities of India, the automobile industry is trying its best to delay the implementation of Bharat Stage III norms for vehicles in rest of India.
 
While the oil industry is phasing in the supply of Bharat Stage III fuels, the automobile industry wants deferment of the emissions standards for vehicles until the final date of phase-in of the fuel, which is October.
 
This is clearly not acceptable, says Centre for Science & Environment (CSE), as it will significantly delay the introduction of Bharat Stage III vehicles in the country, allow the industry to continue investing in outdated Bharat Stage II technology, create an enormous inventory of unsold Bharat Stage II vehicles that will continue to roll in the market much after the deadline, and add to the already severe pollution problem in our cities.
 
Says Anumita Roychowdhury, head of CSE’s air pollution team,  “The government must make both the automobile industry and the oil companies follow the same phase-in schedule for Bharat Stage III fuels. Sixteen key states, except Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand and the north-eastern states, will have Bharat Stage III fuels by June and they must not be deprived of the benefits of improved vehicle technology and fuel quality.”
 
Over 2009-2010, the demand for petrol in the country has increased by 14 per cent. This indicates the rapid growth in numbers of personal vehicles and the urgent need, therefore, of emissions cuts. The Bharat Stage IV emissions standards will cut emissions by half from new vehicles, while Bharat Stage III standards are expected to reduce emissions by about 38 per cent from Bharat Stage II levels.
 
The availability of cleaner fuels will also reduce emissions from the large fleet of in-use vehicles that are already plying on the road. Most significantly, the sulphur content in Bharat Stage IV diesel and petrol will reduce to 50 ppm and in Bharat Stage III diesel and petrol to 350 ppm and 150 ppm, respectively. Sulphur in fuel contributes to the formation of particulate matter that has serious health consequences. 
 
CSE, therefore, has urged the government not to give in to the industry’s pressure and implement the new standards with utmost urgency and stringency to be able to meet the pollution reduction objectives in cities. Simultaneously, the government must work towards the post-2010 roadmap for uniform introduction of Bharat Stage IV standards across the country and set the timeline for Euro V/VI emissions standards for both oil and automobile sectors, to enable them to plan in advance.
 
Phase-wise schedule for introduction of Bharat Stage III petrol and diesel from oil marketing company locations:
  • Goa: Petrol 1 April 2010; Diesel 1 April 2010
  • Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra: Petrol 1 June 2010; Diesel 1 June 2010
  • Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Uttaranchal, Western UP, Andaman & Nicobar, Orissa, Sikkim, West Bengal, Gujarat, UT of Dadar Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry: Petrol 1 July 2010, Diesel 1 July 2010
  • Jammu and Kashmir*: Petrol 1 July 2010; Diesel 1 July 2010
  • Karnataka: Petrol 1 August 2010; Diesel 1 August 2010
  • Eastern UP, Bihar and Jharkhand: Petrol 1 October 2010; Diesel 1 July 2010
  • Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Kerala, and UT Lakshadweep: Petrol 1 October 2010; Diesel 1 October 2010
Note: Supplies of BS III Petrol / Diesel to location fed from Leh and Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir state, which are open only during May to September of the year, would commence from 1.10.2010, as replenishments to these areas can start only from mid May, 2010.
 
 
Source: CSE India.
 
 

Greenpeace Actions in Asia & Europe as Dell Fails to Eliminate Toxic Substances from its Products

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ThinktoSustain
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Greenpeace Activists

Bangalore, India – Greenpeace activists in India placed a giant billboard with the message that read “Michael Dell: Drop the Toxics” at the Dell office here in Bangalore. At the same time, Greenpeace activist hung a banner on Dell office in Amsterdam with the message “Michael Dell: Clean up Toxics”.
 
Dell continues to use PVC Vinyl Plastic and Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs)[1] in all its computers, despite promising to eliminate the usage of these toxic substances by the end of 2009. Global no.2, Dell continues to let down its massive customer base around the world by the continued use of those substances in its products that harm the environment and can be hazardous to human health.
 
“It is disappointing to see that a company which aspires to be ‘the greenest technology company on the planet’ backtracks on its commitment to phase out the deadly chemical from its products and lags behind Indian IT companies like Wipro and HCL. Dell’s lack of leadership in launching a PC fully free of PVC and BFRs is hypocritical and disappointing for its customers.” said Abhishek Pratap, Toxics Campaigner, Greenpeace India.
 
As Dell’s leadership meets at Dell Inc. Headquarter in Texas to vote on the go ahead on delivering a road map outlining quarter-by-quarter progress towards achieving PVC/BFR-free status, customers around the world are expecting Dell to prioritize its own green commitments. Greenpeace has asked for roadmaps from all tech companies that have backtracked on their commitments for toxic chemical elimination as an assurance that the companies are achieving progress on their new phase out timelines.
 
Indian technology companies Wipro and HCL are leading toxic chemical elimination by launching PVC and BFR free products in the market even without a legal requirement to do so[2]. Apple was the first international company to phase these chemicals from their products in year 2008 with launch of product in US. This was followed by HP, Acer with their product launch in US & Europe. Dell, however, continues to ignore these market developments and technological feasibility to launch a product completely free from PVC and BFR.
 
To push forward an industry wide phase out of PVC and BFRs, Dell and other powerful technology companies can ensure their commitment is codified in law by taking a proactive lobbying position in the revision of the EU’s RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electronics) Directive[3] which works as driver in eliminating these toxic chemicals at global scale. A legislative requirement to eliminate PVC and BFRs across the sector would level the playing field for all electronics companies and also help Dell align its supply chain to transition out PVC and BFRs, so it can meet its revised timeline of removing these substances in 2011. 
 
“Dell’s green leadership credentials would be greatly strengthened if the company joins other leaders like HP, Acer, Apple and Sony Ericsson, in putting its corporate might behind the legislation banning PVC and BFRs. Dell has taken a leadership position in the past and can do it again”, said Iza Kruszewska, Greenpeace International Toxics Campaigner.
 
Dell was the first company to provide a timeline (end of 2009) for eliminating PVC and BFRs in all its products and was duly rewarded for this leadership in the Guide to Greener Electronics[4]. However, it was also the first company to backtrack on this commitment in May 2008 and was served a penalty point in the guide a year ago for breaking its promises. The penalty point has weighed down Dell’s score in the guide, currently 3.9/10 and ranked 14th (out of 22).
 
A penalty point has been imposed in the ranking guide on all companies that have backtracked on their original commitments to eliminate PVC and BFRs by end of 2009 or 2010, including HP, Lenovo, LGE and Samsung. HP was the first company to have the penalty lifted after it launched a line of notebooks free of PVC and BFRs in September 2009. In early March, Greenpeace targeted Samsung, not only for backtracking on its commitment to eliminate these toxic substances, but also for misleading its customers by failing to come clean about its inability to meet its commitment.
 
“Indian companies are leading the race of toxic elimination with their recent product launch. Could Dell match up to them and join the race with their renewed leadership? Yes, it can and it should do that to ensure a toxics free future,” adds Abhishek Pratap.
 
 
Source: Greenpeace.
 
 
[1] Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Brominated Flame Retardant (BFR) are types of Orgno-halogen compounds used in electronic products and are point source of deadly carcinogenic gases Dioxins and Furans when electronic products are recycled & disposed in landfills or through incinerator. Recycling of electronic waste in China and India: Workplace and Environmental contamination, Bridgen, K., Labunska, I., Santillo, D. & Allsopp, M. (2005)
 
[2] Wipro launched its “Greenware” range of desktop which is completly free from PVC and BFR including Power cord. This has been launched on 28th January 2010. http://www.wiprogreentech.com/chemical_management.html
HCL launched its premier range of Notebook product “ME” as free from PVC and BFR excluding Power cord on eve of Earth Hour on 27th March 2010. 
 
[3] There is legislative directive in European Union called Restriction of Hazardous Substance (RoHS) which ban use of six chemicals – Mercury, Lead, Cadmium, Chroium, PBBs and PBDEs – in electrical and electronic equipment. Currently, a proposal in EU parliament environment committee to revise this directive to include PVC and all forms of BFR as banned substance.
 
 
 
 

Copenhagen Accord Pledges take World a Long Way towards 2°C Path, but should go Further

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ThinktoSustain
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Arctic Ice

London/Nairobi – The targets and intended reductions for greenhouse gas emissions that have been submitted by countries to the Copenhagen Accord take the world a long way towards a path that offers a reasonable chance of avoiding a rise in global average temperature of more than 2°C, but should go further, according to an analysis launched on March 25 by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at London School of Economics and Political Science, with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
 
The study by Nicholas Stern, Christopher Taylor and UNEP concludes that plans submitted to the Copenhagen Accord would result in global annual emissions of about 48 billion tonnes of carbon-dioxide-equivalent in 2020, if countries deliver ‘high intention’ reductions.
 
This would fall short of a ‘climate responsible’ target of 44 billion tonnes, but would still be consistent with a 2°C goal if more difficult and costly annual reductions of at least 4 per cent per year could be achieved for the decades after 2020.
 
So far, 108 developed and developing countries have associated themselves with the Copenhagen Accord, and 74 countries, which are collectively responsible for more than 80 per cent of current annual global emissions of greenhouse gases, have submitted targets and intended actions which are now listed in the Appendices of the Accord.
 
The report states: “Our analysis suggests that, although the targets and intended actions are substantial, they would not be enough to limit annual emissions to 44 billion tonnes in 2020, but would collectively imply global annual emissions of about 48.2 to 49.2 billion tonnes.”
 
“This level of emissions would represent a reduction of 6.7 to 7.7 billion tonnes compared with the associated ‘business as usual’ forecast for emissions in 2020 of 55.9 billion tonnes.”
 
“Emissions in 2020 of about 48 billion tonnes would mean that greater and more costly emissions reductions of around 4 per cent per year would be required after 2020 for a path that would just about have a reasonable chance of avoiding a temperature increase of more than 2°C.”
 
“Hence those targets and intended actions that have been submitted to the Copenhagen Accord would not make it impossible to have a reasonable chance of avoiding a temperature rise of more than 2°C, but it would make it significantly more difficult and costly.”
 
Lord Stern said, “We must recognize that achieving a reasonable chance of not exceeding a rise of 2°C requires global emissions to peak before 2020, and to be more than 50 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050, with rich countries’ emissions at least 80 per cent below. And, thus, the country-by-country emissions targets must be consistent with global ambitions. The key challenge this year, before the next United Nations climate change conference in Mexico, is to translate the 2°C temperature goal into emissions reductions. We must apply the discipline of an overall global annual emissions budget of much less than 35 billion tonnes of carbon-dioxide-equivalent in 2030 and much less than 20 billion tonnes in 2050, compared with nearly 50 billion tonnes now.”
 
Lord Stern added, “Overall the achievement of the targets and the realization of the intentions submitted to the Appendix of the Copenhagen Accord would represent a big step away from ‘business as usual’ emissions, and could be consistent with a slow start on a path to a 2°C goal. However, countries could reduce the overall difficulty and cost of meeting the 2°C goal if they find ways to achieve stronger emissions reductions by 2020. Further reductions of about 3 to 5 billion tonnes in annual emissions by 2020 would be required to reach a ‘climate responsible’ level of 44 billion tonnes. Whatever emissions level is reached in 2020, strong reductions will be required subsequently to have a reasonable chance of avoiding a rise in global average temperature of more than 2°C.”
 
“The Copenhagen Accord has provided a platform for achieving a path towards a 2°C goal. It also recognized the need to provide US$30 billion over the next three years and US$100 billion per year by 2020, to help developing countries make the transition to low-carbon growth, including combating deforestation, and adapt to those impacts of climate change that cannot now be avoided. The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has launched a High-Level Advisory Group on Mobilising Climate Change Resources to explore options for how significant financial support for developing countries should be raised. There has been progress on tackling deforestation through REDD+, and we have also seen other important initiatives, such as the announcement by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, that his staff are working on the possibility for a ‘Green Fund’ which would have the capacity to raise US$100 billion per year by 2020, based on Special Drawing Rights of the IMF, to assist climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries.”
 
Achim Steiner, United Nations Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said: “The report underlines two stark and sobering facts. Nations need to raise their ambition in terms of emission reductions but also to make good on their pledges of financial support. Fast track funding of US$30 billion was pledged at the conference in Copenhagen in December and this needs to be made available without delay. Accelerating these investments into adaptation and de-carbonizing developing country economies will bring traction to the international negotiations as the world prepares to meet in Mexico later in the year.”
 
 
Source: UNEP.
 
 

UNFCCC Publishes Reports Summing Up Results of 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen

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ThinktoSustain
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Bonn – The UN Climate Change Secretariat on Wednesday published official reports on the results of last year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (7-19 December 2009).
 
The reports detail the outcomes of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties at its 15th session (COP15) and of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol on its fifth session (CMP5).
 
Each report is in two parts: one on formal proceedings and one on the decisions adopted by the relevant body. The reports can be found here: http://unfccc.int/5257.php
 
Since the closing of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has received submissions of national pledges to cut or limit emissions of greenhouse gases by 2020 from 75 Parties, which together account for more than 80% percent of global emissions from energy use.
 
41 industrialized countries have formally communicated their economy-wide targets to the UNFCCC. 35 developing countries have communicated information on the nationally appropriate mitigation actions they are planning to take, provided they receive the appropriate support in terms of finance and technology. These communications can be found here: http://unfccc.int/5265.php
 
“It is clear that while the pledges on the table are an important step towards the objective of limiting growth of emissions, they will not in themselves suffice to limit warming to below 2 degrees Celsius,” said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer. “The Climate Conference at the end of this year in Mexico, therefore, needs to put in place effective cooperative mechanisms capable of bringing about significant acceleration of national, regional and international action both to limit the growth of emissions and to prepare for the inevitable impacts of climate change,” he added.
 
The report of the Conference of the Parties contains, inter alia, the text of the Copenhagen Accord and lists the 112 Parties (111 countries and the European Union) that have indicated their support for the Accord. See: http://unfccc.int/5257.php
 
“The Copenhagen Accord is not least significant because it includes a clear pledge by industrialized nations to provide short-term and long-term finance for developing countries for adaptation and mitigation,” said Yvo de Boer, “At the same time, it is clear that the Accord can be used to help advance the formal negotiations towards a successful outcome in Mexico,” he added.
 
Decisions that were adopted in Copenhagen include decisions on the improvement to the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which are designed to speed up processes for stakeholders, to assist countries with fewer than 10 registered CDM projects to launch more projects, and to enhance CDM governance, including through procedures for stakeholders to appeal decisions. See: http://unfccc.int/5257.php
 
The Copenhagen Conference decided to continue negotiations on a range of draft decisions, which can be found at:
 
 
“It is important to keep in mind that many of these decisions, which would enable immediate action on climate change, came close to completion in Copenhagen,” said the UN’s top climate change official Yvo de Boer. “This work can be completed in Mexico, with the adoption of a strong and balanced package of decisions,” he added.
 
The next round of UNFCCC negotiations is scheduled to be held in Bonn, Germany, on 9-11 April. This meeting will be followed by a two-week negotiating round which will comprise the 32nd session of the UNFCCC Convention subsidiary bodies, between 31 May and 11 June 2010. Both gatherings will take place in the Maritim Hotel in Bonn.
 
The April UNFCCC sessions are designed to agree on the organization and methods of work in 2010. This includes the number and duration of any additional UNFCCC negotiating sessions in the second half of 2010, in the run-up to the UN Climate Change Conference in Mexico (29 November to 10 December).
 
Accreditation for the April meeting is open (See http://unfccc.int/press/items/2794.php). The UN Climate Change Secretariat will give a closing press conference on 11 April at the Maritim Hotel at 13:15 (upon conclusion of the morning plenary sessions) which will be followed by press briefings of interested Parties. All press briefings will be broadcast live.
 
 
Source: UNEP.
 
 

UNFCCC Receives List of Government Climate Pledges

By
ThinktoSustain
-
Bonn – Following the conclusion of the climate change talks in Copenhagen, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has received submissions of national pledges to cut and limit greenhouse gases by 2020 from 55 countries. These countries together account for 78 per cent of global emissions from energy use.  
  
“This represents an important invigoration of the UN climate change talks under the two tracks of Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol,” said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC.    
  
“The commitment to confront climate change at the highest level is beyond doubt. These pledges have been formally communicated to the UNFCCC. Greater ambition is required to meet the scale of the challenge. But I see these pledges as clear signals of willingness to move negotiations towards a successful conclusion,” he said.  
  
Industrialised countries listed their mid-term targets to cut emissions:  
  
Developing countries communicated information on their nationally appropriate mitigation actions: <http://unfccc.int/home/items/5265.php>  
  
The next round of formal negotiations is scheduled to be in Bonn, Germany, at the end of May 2010. Several countries have indicated their wish to see a quick return to the negotiations with more meetings than the scheduled sessions. “We are seeking further guidance from governments,” de Boer added.  
  
The secretariat will continue to maintain and update the lists on its website. 
 
 
Source: UNFCCC Secretariat.
 
 
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