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| Paris climate deal | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 14 Feb 2015, 12:20 AM (1,057 Views) | |
| skibboy | 14 Feb 2015, 12:20 AM Post #1 |
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13 February 2015 UN agrees draft text for Paris climate summit ![]() Work is continuing on text aimed at a new climate change agreement by the end of the year UN climate talks in Geneva have ended with agreement on a formal draft negotiating text for the summit in Paris in December. The document, which runs to 86 pages, builds on negotiations in Peru last year. The Swiss meeting set out to create a draft for consideration at the Paris talks. The aim is to have a new global climate agreement in place by the end of 2015. The latest climate talks, which started on Sunday, focussed on finalising a draft negotiating text for the Paris summit. The six-day conference in the Swiss city was the first formal gathering since the Lima climate summit in December. "I am extremely encouraged by the constructive spirit and the speed at which negotiators have worked during the past week," said Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). "We now have a formal negotiating text, which contains the views and concerns of all countries. The Lima Draft has now been transformed into the negotiating text and enjoys the full ownership of all countries," she added. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Analysis: Helen Briggs, BBC environment correspondent The draft text was agreed before the end of the session, in a mood described as "the spirit of Lima". But rather than being slimmed down, the document has more than doubled in size, to contain everything to be discussed in the run-up to Paris. Delegates acknowledge that the hard work is still ahead, with the real conflicts to come when negotiators seek to "streamline" the text and narrow down the options for limiting a damaging rise in temperatures. The key political test is the period from March to June, when individual countries announce their plans to reduce emissions. At the next climate talks in June, real progress will have to be made to resolve issues such as financing the Paris agreement and ensuring that poorer countries get the support they need to adapt to impacts such as flooding. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Three special sessions have been added to this year's schedule of climate meetings. They include talks about "intended nationally determined contributions", the commitments to reduce emissions that are meant to pave the way towards a low-carbon future. National plans Governments are expected to submit their national plans by an informal deadline of the period from March to June. China, the United States and the European Union have already given an indication of their plans. The UN seeks to limit the increase of the average global surface temperature to no more than 2C (3.6F) compared with pre-industrial levels, to avoid "dangerous" climate change. But scientists warn the Earth is on track for double that target. The World Meteorological Organization confirmed this month that 2014 had been the hottest year on record, part of a continuing trend. Fourteen out of the 15 hottest years have been this century. The UNFCCC, based in Bonn, Germany, has 196 parties - including virtually all of the world's nations - and grew from the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for cutting greenhouse gases. The next meeting will be held in Bonn in June. Source:
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| skibboy | 5 Oct 2016, 12:24 AM Post #101 |
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Paris climate deal: EU backs landmark agreement 5 hours ago ![]() India, which ratified the deal on Sunday, is one of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters The European Parliament has backed the ratification of the Paris climate deal, paving the way for the world's first global agreement. The deal aims to limit greenhouse gas emissions and keep global temperature increases "well below" 2C. It was approved with 610 votes in favour, 38 against and with 31 abstentions. The vote, attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, paves the way for the pact to come into force globally. The deal on Tuesday means national ministers can now ratify the agreement on behalf of the EU later this week. To become operational, the treaty needs at least 55 countries representing at least 55% of global emissions to complete all the steps. "With the action taken by the EU parliament, I am confident that we will be able to cross the 55% threshold very soon, in just a matter of a few days," Mr Ban said. "I am extremely honoured to be able to witness this historic moment," he added. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ![]() Too little, too late? Roger Harrabin, BBC Environment Analyst The Paris deal has raced through the UN ratification process in double-quick time. It took eight years to get the previous Kyoto Protocol agreed ‒ and that was nowhere near as comprehensive. That is good news for the climate. Further positive news is that renewable energy is plummeting in cost, so the burden faced by nations turning away from fossil fuels is not so great. The bad news, however, is that politicians in Paris have admitted that the targets set for curbing emissions are not tough enough. Coal-fired power stations are still being built at a furious pace in developing countries, even as rich nations turn away from the energy source. The Paris agreement sets an aim ideally for a maximum rise in global temperatures of 1.5C. But scientists have warned that action has been delayed for so long that there is now a need to develop ways of actually sucking CO2 out of the air. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The agreement comes after India, one of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters, became the latest country to ratify the deal on Sunday. As a so-called "mixed" agreement, the climate deal requires approval at both EU and national level. But on 30 September EU environment ministers agreed to fast-track it, meaning the deal could be ratified at EU level, even without votes in some national parliaments. Backed by nearly 200 nations nearly one year ago, the agreement aims to shift the world economy away from fossil fuels in an effort to limit floods, droughts and rising sea levels. CO2 and other greenhouse gases are the driving forces behind manmade climate change and the sharp rise in global temperatures. Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Asad Rehman welcomed the deal as a "vital step", but said it was no time for world leaders to be complacent and action should be taken sooner rather than later. "People across the globe are facing killer floods and droughts," he said, adding: "What matters most is action now." Source:
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| skibboy | 6 Oct 2016, 12:48 AM Post #102 |
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Paris climate pact to enter into force in 30 days: UN © AFP/File | The Paris accord requires all countries to devise plans to achieve the goal of keeping the rise in temperatures within two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels and strive for 1.5 C (2.7 F) if possible PARIS (AFP) - The landmark Paris climate deal, ratified so far by 72 countries accounting for more than 56 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, will enter into force in 30 days, the UN's climate body said Wednesday. "On October 5, 2016, the threshold for entry into force of the Paris Agreement has been achieved," the UNFCCC announced on its website. Source:
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| skibboy | 6 Oct 2016, 01:23 AM Post #103 |
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06 October 2016 Climate treaty ratified in race against the clock © AFP / by Marlowe Hood | US President Barack Obama speaks about the Paris Agreement from the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, October 5, 2016 PARIS (AFP) - The historic Paris climate pact dashed across the ratification finish line Wednesday to diplomatic cheers. "A turning point for the planet," said US President Barack Obama. "A defining moment for the global economy," enthused Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever and Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. But the cold, hard reality of what is needed to fulfil the Paris Agreement's pledges will soon bite, experts warned. Its accelerated entry into force was driven by many things, including the prospect of Republican Party candidate Donald Trump -- who has described global warming as a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese -- sitting in the White House. The rapid, joint ratification by China and the United States also set an example hard to ignore. But the main impetus for locking in the deal was clearly the growing sense of urgency about the looming threat of climate change. "Time is absolutely of the essence," said Jennifer Morgan, Executive Director of Greenpeace International. "The question is not 'whether', it is 'how fast'." Almost daily, global warming red flags are popping up. Every month so far this year has set a temperature record, and 2016 is on track to supplant 2015 as the hottest year ever registered. Scientists have recently forecast that average global temperatures -- already one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial era benchmark -- could sail past 1.5 C (2.7 F) within a decade, and 2.0 C (3.6 F) by mid-century. A maelstrom of superstorms fuelled by rising seas, deadly floods, and drought prompted the world's nations to lower the threshold for dangerous warming in the Paris pact to "well below" 2.0 C. Reaching that target will require a breakneck, wholesale shift across the globe away from fossil fuels towards clean sources of energy. Even that will not be enough: we will have to learn how to suck carbon out of the air, say scientists. - North star - The Paris accord's early validation comes just in time to take centre stage at high-level UN talks in Marrakesh next month tasked with translating its planet-saving vision into policy. It could also accelerate the process. "This shifts the focus to implementation and strengthening the commitments under the agreement," said Alden Meyer, a veteran climate analyst at the Washington-based Union for Concerned Scientists. Countries have informally set a 2018 target for hammering out more than 100 concrete rules and procedures embedded in the climate pact -- some of them highly contentious. Originally, the agreement left open a four-year window for that process. "Many details need to be ironed out before implementation can begin," said Harjeet Singh, head of climate change for ActionAid. They include rules for reporting and verification of emissions cuts, how to disburse hundreds of billions of dollars to climate-vulnerable developing nations, and the establishment of new market mechanisms. Even more important, 2018 is shaping up to be a crucial "political moment" when countries will feel pressure to revise and deepen voluntary pledges for slashing carbon pollution. At their current level, these so-called "nationally determined contributions" -- which don't kick in until 2020 -- fall woefully short of the target, and would result in an unlivable 3.0 C (5.4 F) planet by century's end. Bolstered by a special report from the UN's climate science panel, to be completed by mid-2018, the world's major greenhouse gas emitters will also be expected to deliver detailed national plans, or "pathways", for economic transformation through 2050. "If you are going to achieve the objectives in Paris, you need a north star that gives you the direction of travel," said Meyer, adding that the United States, Germany and Canada have taken the lead on this. That north star will likewise be a visible to corporations and business leaders, who realise that they ignore it at their peril. The new treaty "sends an unmistakable signal to business and investors that the global transition to a low-carbon economy is urgent, inevitable, and accelerating faster than we ever believed possible," Unilever's Polman said in a statement. by Marlowe Hood Source:
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| skibboy | 18 Oct 2016, 12:34 AM Post #104 |
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17 October 2016 Rich countries 'confident' of meeting climate finance pledge © AFP/File | The so-called Paris Agreement aims to curb global warming to under two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels PARIS (AFP) - Rich countries, which have pledged $100 billion (91 billion euros) every year from 2020 for poor countries to deal with climate change, said Monday they were "confident" of meeting the target. Pledges made in 2015 alone would boost public finance from $41 billion in 2013-14 to $67 billion in 2020, they said in a report entitled "Roadmap to $100 billion". This was based on calculations of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and relate to funds from governments and multinational development banks, not private contributions. "It should be considered a conservative, indicative aggregation of public climate finance levels in 2020, rather than a firm prediction," the countries said. The report, signed by 38 developed nations and the European Commission, was released in Marrakesh at a meeting to prepare for the annual round of UN climate talks to be hosted by Morocco in November. Last year's round, in France, yielded the so-called Paris Agreement to curb global warming to under two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels. The $100 billion pledge was made at the 2009 talks in Copenhagen, where it was a major sticking point in negotiations. The hard-fought Paris Agreement, seeks to limit climate change by curbing planet-warming gases emitted by mankind's burning of coal, oil and gas for energy and heating. The dollar amount was finally not enshrined in the binding agreement itself, but in an attached non-binding "decision" document, which committed developed countries to "set a new collective quantified goal from a floor of $100 billion per year" -- meaning it can only go up. "We are confident we will meet the $100 billion goal from a variety of sources, and reaffirm our commitment to doing so..." the countries said. The sourcing of the money had been one of the main points of contention, with poor nations insisting most of it should come from governments rather than loans, companies, multilateral agencies or development aid. The money is meant to ease the shift from cheap and abundant coal to renewable energy sources, and for shoring up defences against climate change impacts such as freak storms, drought and sea-level rise. In the "Roadmap", the donor countries committed themselves to "use public finance and policy interventions to effectively mobilise private finance." Observers welcomed Monday's report but said there was still a need for donors to show exactly how they will make up the remaining difference. "We know that the national climate plans in the Paris Agreement will take trillions of dollars to implement," said Alison Doig, climate change adviser for Christian Aid, which defends the interests of climate change victims. "The public finance outlined today will help, but is not enough." Source:
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| skibboy | 5 Nov 2016, 12:46 AM Post #105 |
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Paris climate deal enters force as focus shifts to action 4 November 2016 ![]() The Ashalim Solar Thermal Power Station in Israel's Negev desert: Paris is intended to push the world away from fossil fuel use The Paris agreement on climate change has come into force. Governments have agreed to keep the global temperature rise to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels - and preferably 1.5 degrees. "This is a moment to celebrate," United Nations climate chief Patricia Espinosa told Reuters. "It is also a moment to look ahead with sober assessment and renewed will over the task ahead." The Eiffel Tower in Paris is expected to be lit up in green light on Friday to mark the entry into force of the historic climate pact. Delegates from almost 200 countries are meeting in Marrakech next week to consider the way ahead beyond Paris. The deal agreed in the French capital less than a year ago commits governments to moving their economies away from fossil fuels. On Thursday, a UN review of national pledges to cut carbon said they fall short of the levels needed to keep the rise in global temperatures under 2C. The report found pledges from governments that have ratified the accord would see the world on track for a rise in temperatures by the end of this century of between 2.9 and 3.4 degrees C. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ![]() Current commitments are likely to result in warming of about 3C Roger Harrabin, BBC environment analyst The Paris climate pact comes into force less than a year since it was agreed. The last major climate deal - the Kyoto Protocol - took eight years to come into force. Paris is the first agreement tying rich and poor nations in a common endeavour to protect the climate. However, the national targets for cutting carbon emissions are voluntary. The UN tried a mandatory approach but countries that were failing to meet their targets simply quit. The process of the Paris deal is binding, including a commitment for governments to keep returning to the issue to ratchet up the clean energy targets that they all agree are inadequate. Governments that rushed to enshrine Paris in law have had one eye on the US elections. Hilary Clinton has pledged to take President Obama's emissions cuts further. Donald Trump wants to tear up the agreement. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Environmental groups and other experts have urged governments to do more. World Bank group president Jim Yong Kim said even with the commitments made in Paris and encouraging action on the ground, "we will not meet our aspiration of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees unless we move faster and at the scale that is needed". "As the world heads into (the meeting) in Marrakesh, we must regain the sense of urgency we felt a year ago," he said. In Marrakech governments and parties will work on details of a "rulebook" which will measure and review global climate action. What was agreed in Paris? • To peak greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and achieve a balance between sources and sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century • To keep global temperature increase "well below" 2C (3.6F) and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5C • To review progress every five years • $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020, with a commitment to further finance in the future. ![]() The Paris Agreement was a historic deal but environmental groups and other experts have urged governments to do more ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How will the US election impact Paris? ![]() Donald Trump has called manmade climate change "a hoax" and said he would "cancel" the Paris Agreement and other international efforts to address the issue. He says he supports clean water and air, but wants to slash funding to the Environmental Protection Agency in the US. Hillary Clinton backs the Paris deal, saying climate change is a threat to American security. She supports stringent regulation of the energy industry and opposes expanded drilling in Alaska, but has not made the environment a central part of her campaign. Read Anthony Zurcher's global guide to where the presidential candidates stand on all the issues - and how they compare to world leaders. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Source:
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| skibboy | 12 Nov 2016, 02:29 AM Post #106 |
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11 November 2016 The Trump effect: Wary climate diplomats 'wait and see' The world expects the United States to uphold commitments under the landmark Paris climate treaty despite Donald Trump's vow to pull out, the incoming head of its UN implementing body told AFP Friday. "The Paris Agreement is here," Moroccan foreign minister Salaheddine Mezouar, who took over stewardship of the 196-nation UN climate forum from France earlier this week, said in an interview. "It's entry into force means that governments must face up to their responsibilities." "It would be, I think, extremely difficult to retreat -- there's no turning back," he added. At UN headquarters in New York, meanwhile, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed confidence that US president-elect Trump will come to understand the "seriousness and urgency" of the deal. The news that an avowed climate change denier had captured the US White House stunned participants arriving Wednesday at the 12-day talks in Marrakesh, which run from November 7 to 18. "There are two types of reaction: worry and determination to forge ahead," said Segolene Royal, France's foreign minister. Delegates from several countries have taken a "wait-and-see" attitude after the victory by the New York real estate developer, who has said that climate change was a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese. "We need to assess the situation when the new government comes into office," in January 2017, said Chen Zhihua, a delegate from China's National Development and Reform Commission. "There are too many uncertainties ahead." - 'Wait and see' - Shigeru Ushio, a negotiator from Japan's foreign ministry, also said his country would "wait and see" whether Trump's climate policies will differ from his campaign rhetoric. But if the United States reneges on a committment to give poor countries 2.5 billion dollars (2.3 billion euros) to help them cope with climate impacts, he added, "that would cause difficulties." Under the Paris pact, rich countries have pledged at least 100 billion dollars a year starting in 2020. In annex to the treaty, nations have also submitted voluntary pledges to cut the greenhouse gas emissions that cause dangerous global warming. The agreement commits nations to collectively capping Earth's average temperature increase at under two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). With 1.0C (1.8F) of warming to date, the world has already seen an uptick in deadly storms, droughts, heatwaves and flooding. Mezouar has not yet reached out to Trump or his team, he told AFP. "As the president of COP22" -- the acronym for the 22nd meeting of the Conference of the Parties -- "I am waiting with impatience to encounter the new American administration," he told AFP. "I have absolutely no doubt ... that the United States will pursue its commitments alongside the rest of the international community." - More ambitious pledges - A report Thursday by three research groups, however, said the US was likely to miss its emissions reduction targets without new climate policies -- which Trump has promised he would not put in place. Experts and diplomats here insist that the global market-based transition from a fossil fuels to clean energy is too far advanced to peel back. But Trump's ascension has shaken hard-won political unity at the UN forum. This uncertainty makes Mezouar's role even more crucial, said Liz Gallagher, an analyst at London-based thinktank E3G. "The Moroccans need to be more proactive in driving the process, using all the diplomatic tools at their disposal, to make sure we get a clear outcome," she told AFP. On Friday, ministers from a dozen nations and negotiating blocs -- including France, Germany, Mexico, Bangladesh, the European Union, and the group of Least Developed Countries -- issued a joint statement affirming their resolve. "Our commitment to be climate leaders remains steadfast, as is our commitment to work with the whole international community, including the United States," they said. National carbon-cutting plans submitted under the Paris Agreement go into effect in 2020. Some ministers arriving next week for a high-level session will announce more ambitious pledges, which still fall far short of what is needed to stave off devastating climate impacts. Source:
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| skibboy | 16 Nov 2016, 01:22 AM Post #107 |
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Hollande: US 'must respect climate commitments' By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent, Marrakech 6 hours ago ![]() The French president said the Paris Climate Agreement was irreversible French president Francois Hollande says that the US must respect their commitments made under the Paris Climate Agreement. Speaking at climate talks in Marrakech, Mr Hollande said that the pact was irreversible "in law and in fact". President-elect Donald Trump has promised to withdraw the US from the treaty. Mr Hollande said France would defend the deal in talks with the new US leader. Trump call Heads of state and government have convened in Marrakech ostensibly to celebrate the coming into force of the Paris Climate Agreement and to be present at the first session of CMA1, the next step on from the Conference of the Parties (COPs) negotiations process that ultimately delivered the Paris deal. Standing from the rather cumbersome, Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Agreement, CMA1 was formally opened by the King of Morocco and attended by a number of global leaders including UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon. ![]() The UN secretary general said he hoped Mr Trump would keep the US in the Paris agreement Instead of working on the nuts and bolts of how to make the Paris agreement operational, the focus of this meeting has been on the US. Specifically, the promise of then Republican candidate for president, Donald Trump, to withdraw the US from the Paris agreement if he was elected. Mr Ban told the meeting that he had spoken on the phone to Mr Trump and was looking forward to meeting with him. The pledge to pull out of Paris, Mr Ban believed, was campaign rhetoric. "The global unity around climate change once seemed to be unthinkable and now it has become unstoppable," he told delegates. "I hope that President-elect Trump will really hear and understand the seriousness and urgency of addressing climate change." He hoped Mr Trump would make a "good and wise decision" to stay in the Paris agreement. Mr Ban believed that Mr Trump's business background would help to convince him that cutting carbon and investing in renewables now made financial sense as well as being in the best interests of the Earth. "My sense is that, as a very successful business person in the past, I believe that he understands that there are market forces at work on this issue and that we need to harness these forces for the good of the planet and all the species." French pride The French government has shown the great concern over the Trump promise, as they justifiably believe the Paris Agreement was moulded by their diplomacy. Countries cannot simply walk away from it, the French president told the meeting. "This agreement is irreversible in law, it came into force on 4 November, more than 100 states accounting for more than two thirds of greenhouse gas emissions ratified it," he said. ![]() Traditional Moroccan musicians welcomed delegates to the climate meeting "The US, the largest economic power in the world, and the second largest greenhouse gas emitter, must respect the commitments they have undertaken. It is not only their duty but in their interest as well." According to President Hollande, corporations, citizens and governments the world over were committed to the Paris Agreement and he would ensure the new US president was made aware of this. "France will lead this dialogue with the US and its new president in openness, in respect but with demands and determination on behalf of the 100 states that have ratified the Paris Agreement." He called for greater ambition from the parties meeting here. In a world assailed by great threats from terrorism to poverty, the Paris Climate Agreement was a source of hope. "It is proof that the international community can act to preserve that which is most dear to all of us." Source:
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| skibboy | 18 Nov 2016, 01:39 AM Post #108 |
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UK signs up for Paris climate agreement By Roger Harrabin BBC environment analyst 17 November 2016 ![]() The UK government has signed a document ratifying the world's first comprehensive agreement on tackling climate change. Parliament raised no objections to the Paris deal; after the government signed the deal on Thursday, it is now just awaiting deposition at the UN. The government is set to announce tomorrow that ratification is complete. It comes in the wake of the election of Donald Trump, who has described climate change as a hoax. The US President-elect promised to re-instate the coal industry in the US and withdraw from the Paris deal which the US has already ratified. A government spokesman told BBC News earlier this week that the change in power in the US would not divert the UK from its climate change targets. No objections ![]() Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson signed the document The Paris Agreement commits countries to taking action to hold temperature rises to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels - and to try to stabilise emissions at a level which would see a temperature rise of no more than 1.5C. It was put before Parliament for the required 21-day period for scrutiny. That expired with no objections raised by the House of Commons or Lords. The long-standing climate change sceptic MP Peter Lilley told BBC News that he did not object to the Paris Agreement in Parliament because he didn't notice it. He said: "If I had noticed it, I might have made an attempt to draw together a group of people to object to it. I suspect we would have had more names than last time (the Climate Change Act was passed with five objections) - but it probably would have been a rather ineffective gesture." More than 100 countries have already officially signed up to the deal, which came into force earlier this month. Barry Gardiner, shadow minister for international climate change, said: "This strong signal of the UK's commitment to international co-operation on climate change is even more important following the US election. "The UK Government must now show their commitment through climate action on the ground. "We face a 47% shortfall to meet our 2030 climate target." The climate minister Nick Hurd said: "The UK is ratifying the Paris Agreement so that we can help to accelerate global action on climate change and deliver on our commitments to create a safer, more prosperous future for us all. "We are going to use this positive momentum to grow the UK low-carbon sector, which is already worth over £46bn, as we continue to provide secure, affordable and clean energy to our families and businesses." Some 20,000 participants are currently attending UN climate talks in Marrakech, Morocco, where negotiators will be discussing the agreement's detail. Source:
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| skibboy | 20 Nov 2016, 01:41 AM Post #109 |
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19 November 2016 US climate commitment 'irreversible', Hollande warns Trump © Pool/AFP/File | "This Paris agreement... is irreversible, no one can get out of it," said French President Francois Hollande during a speech in the southwest of France AYGUESVIVES (FRANCE) (AFP) - France president Francois Hollande warned Donald Trump on Saturday that US commitments to reducing climate change and global warming are "irreversible". US president-elect Trump has previously claimed climate change is a "hoax" and promised to cancel the hard-won Paris climate agreement aimed at pegging global warming at 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial age levels. But a day after a United Nations climate summit in Marrakesh, Morocco ended, Hollande warned the businessman turned reality TV star that he has no choice but to respect the commitments made by his predecessor as US president, Barack Obama. "This Paris agreement... is irreversible, no one can get out of it," said Hollande during a speech in the southwest of France. "And even if he could be tempted, there will be forces, amongst them American democracy, who will ensure that it is respected." The Paris accord went into effect on November 4 after surpassing the necessary twin targets of 55 countries and countries producing 55 percent of greenhouse gases ratifying the agreement that was adopted at the UN climate conference in December 2015. Source:
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| skibboy | 1 Dec 2016, 03:06 AM Post #110 |
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EU energy use to fall by 30% under new efficiency plans for 2030 By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent 30 November 2016 ![]() Large scale renewable energy supplies will have a bigger role but will no longer have priority on the gird The European Commission says that it plans to cut energy use across the bloc by 30% by 2030. The proposal is at the heart of a new package unveiled by the Commission to help meet its commitments to cut carbon under the Paris agreement. The plans also seek to boost renewables and give greater power to consumers to sell any electricity they produce. But green groups have criticised the measures saying they keep the door open for subsidies to coal. Under the Paris Climate Agreement the EU promised to cut emissions of CO2 by 40% by 2030. Today's plans to cut waste and make better use of renewables are a key part of that promise. The Commission's ideas for a 30% binding target on energy efficiency will see new incentives for smart metering and innovative design. Energy suppliers and distributors will have to save 1.5% each year from 2021 to 2030. There will also be a big focus on renovating older buildings. This sector accounts for 40% of Europe's energy consumption and the proposal aims to create a building renovation market with a value of up to 120bn euros by 2030. The EU says that their Smart Finance for Smart Building initiative will allow member states to unlock an additional 10bn euros in public and private funds until 2020. "I'm particularly proud of the binding 30% energy efficiency target," said EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete. "It will reduce our dependency on energy imports, create jobs and cut more emissions." While welcoming the move on efficiency, campaigners believe the EU could have gone even further. ![]() Renovating older buildings to be more energy efficient will be a priority under the new proposals "It is good to see this commitment from the EU," said Brook Riley from Friends of the Earth. "It is a real achievement and it will lift millions of people out of energy poverty and increase emissions cuts, but all of these elements are better with higher ambition. Why stop at 30%? Why not go further and meet the EU's full potential?" The Commission also re-iterated it's policy of having renewables make up at least 27% of final energy consumption by 2030, including a 50% share of electricity production. However, in markets where they already have a 15% share, green energy producers will no longer have priority to sell their power to the grid over traditional producers such as coal and gas - a negative development according to many environmental campaigners. The Commission's plan also aim to encourage individual consumers and community groups to produce their own power. Small-scale renewable installations will still have priority on the grid - but there will be a limit on the size of the community or individual power supply. "It is scandalous to cap the size of renewable energy cooperatives and bias market access in favour of inflexible fossil fuel giants," said Tara Connolly from Greenpeace. "Europe will only meet its climate responsibilities if it enables its citizens to accelerate the transition to 100% renewables." ![]() EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete greets his Chinese counterpart at recent climate talks in Marrakech Another contentious issue is the proposal to limit subsidies for fossil fuels in what are called capacity mechanisms, reserve supplies of power that member states keep on tap to prevent blackouts. These are often coal or gas fired plants but the Commission wants to impose a limit of 550 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour, which would rule out older coal plants but not newer, more efficient ones. "The CO2 limit proposed for capacity markets is a bad joke, said Christian Schaible from the European Environmental Bureau. "It impacts practically none of the existing EU coal fleet and fails to address the toxic health and other environmental impacts of coal." Supporters point out that these capacity mechanisms will now have to be open to cross border competition and will include schemes which cut demand as a way of ensuring more power is available. One area where the Commission is making a sharp U-turn is on the use of crop-based biofuels in transport. Instead the EU wants to see newer fuels made from agriculture or forestry waste take up a much bigger share. Today's proposals will now need to be approved by member states and the European Parliament. For the UK, it is not yet know if the new proposals will become law before Brexit. Sources say that the opportunities to bid from some of the funding available under the schemes and to supply energy to neighbouring markets will be the subject of negotiations as part of the UK's exit. Source:
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| skibboy | 13 Dec 2016, 01:06 AM Post #111 |
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12 December 2016 Finance sector warms to fossil fuel divestments: study © AFP/File | The Paris Agreement seeks to beat back the threat of global warming, caused mainly by the burning of coal, oil and gas LONDON (AFP) - Global funds are signalling plans to pull out of fossil fuel investments at a significant pace, a study showed Monday, one year on from the Paris Agreement to tackle global warming. "Pension funds and insurance companies now represent the largest sectors committing to divestment, reflecting increased financial and fiduciary risks of holding fossil fuels," according to legal group Arabella Advisors, which carried out the report on behalf of global movement DivestInvest. Over the past 15 months, total assets held by institutions and individuals committed to divesting from fossil fuel companies has doubled to $5 trillion, the report said. It noted that since Paris, Dutch insurer Aegon has pledged to divest from coal, while Amalgamated became the first US bank to divest from fossil fuels. The study noted however that some groups have chosen to divest from only one type of fossil fuel, for example coal over oil and gas. "Other institutions have opted for a sector-based approach: divesting from companies that derive a significant portion of their revenue from coal and/or tar sands companies," it added. Publication of the report comes as President-elect Donald Trump looks to withdraw the United States, the world's second-largest greenhouse-gas polluter after China, from the Paris global climate accord signed by 192 countries in December 2015. "While... Trump has said he will seek to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, sustained divestment advocacy can help maintain this pressure on US investors," said Monday's report. Welcoming the findings, Christian Aid's head of private sector engagement, Ken Boyce, said it was "encouraging to see that organisations which want to be responsible members of a future society are recognising this fact and refusing to invest their assets in projects which endanger the safety of our planetary home". The Paris Agreement seeks to beat back the threat of global warming, caused mainly by the burning of coal, oil and gas. The pact calls for the rapid decarbonisation of the world economy -- essentially a switch from carbon-intensive to clean energy, especially solar and wind. Source:
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| skibboy | 23 Dec 2016, 01:35 AM Post #112 |
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22 December 2016 Paris climate deal could save millions of fish, livelihoods © AFP/File | If global warming continues unchecked, and the 3.5 C scenario comes to pass, the depletion of fish populations would deprive the fishing industry of six million tons of catch each year, the study found MIAMI (AFP) - Many fish migrate or die when the water gets too hot, but millions could be saved if the world meets the global warming targets in the 2015 Paris accord, a study said Thursday. Fish are an important part of the food chain and a global industry worth $148 billion in exports each year worldwide. Findings in the US journal Science compare the scenarios of 1.5 Celsius of warming (2.7 F) above the pre-industrial days, as set forth in the Paris deal, to 3.5 C by century's end, or the path the planet is currently on. If global warming continues unchecked, and the 3.5 C scenario comes to pass, the depletion of fish populations would deprive the industry of six million tons of catch each year, the study found. Since fisheries near the equator would be most negatively affected if the Paris targets are not met, the people who rely on fish for their livelihoods there are also more likely to suffer than their counterparts further north. The maximum catch potential could drop 47 percent in the Indo-Pacific region, which includes the Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Thailand, South China Sea, and Sulu-Celebes Sea, the study said. "The benefits for vulnerable tropical areas is a strong reason why 1.5 C is an important target to meet," said lead author William Cheung, associate professor at the University of British Columbia's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. "The seafood supply chain is now highly globalized. Everyone would benefit from meeting the Paris Agreement." The study analyzed data from 19 Earth system models, comparing outcomes for nearly 900 marine fish under a scenario of continued high greenhouse gas emissions to stronger fossil fuel cutbacks. Under either scenario, the amount of fish will decline. A warming increase of 3.5 C "will decrease the maximum catch potential on a global level by eight percent," the study said. Temperature increases of 1.5 C "will decrease maximum catch potential by 2.5 percent." Researchers said the findings should convince countries -- including the United States under President-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to abandon the deal -- of the importance of increasing their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. "If one of the largest carbon dioxide emitting countries gets out of the Paris Agreement, the efforts of the others will be clearly reduced," said co-author Gabriel Reygondeau, Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program senior fellow at UBC. "It's not a question of how much we can benefit from the Paris Agreement, but how much we don't want to lose." Source:
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| skibboy | 19 Jan 2017, 12:29 AM Post #113 |
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Obama administration gives $500m to UN climate change fund 18 January 2017 ![]() The signing of the Paris accord is considered a major achievement for Barack Obama The US government has given half a billion dollars to the UN's Green Climate Fund, just three days before Donald Trump takes office. Barack Obama's outgoing administration announced the contribution of $500m (£406m; €468m) on Tuesday, bringing the total funds to date to $1bn. Mr Obama pledged in 2014 to give $3bn to help tackle the effects of climate change in the poorest countries. Mr Trump has previously called global warming a hoax. The president-elect has also threatened to pull the US out of the Paris accord - a global agreement on curbing greenhouse gas emissions - and America's commitment to the fund. Mr Trump could decide to withhold the rest of the fund. However, John Kirby, the State Department spokesman who announced the grant, said there was no "nefarious desire or intent" behind the timing. ![]() Donald Trump has previously called climate change a hoax, and a number of his cabinet members deny its existence "It's not being done to try to provoke a reaction from the incoming administration or to try to dictate to them one way or the other how they are going to deal with climate issues," Mr Kirby said. "This is an investment that had been long planned." Republican senators have previously stated their opposition to the fund, and called the payments a waste of money. But Mr Trump's team may not be taking such a hard line on climate change as initially thought. Last week Rex Tillerson, the former ExxonMobil chief and the president-elect's nominee for secretary of state, said he wants the US to keep "a seat at the table" regarding global warming. "No one country is going to solve this alone," he said at his Senate confirmation hearing. "The risk of climate change does exist, and the consequences could be serious enough that actions should be taken." Source:
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| skibboy | 4 Mar 2017, 02:26 AM Post #114 |
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03 March 2017 Trump team divided over Paris climate agreement © AFP/File | White House advisor Steve Bannon is pressing President Donald Trump to quit the Paris climate accord WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Donald Trump's team is deeply divided over whether the United States should withdraw from the Paris climate accord, ahead of an imminent decision on the issue, The New York Times reported Friday. Senior adviser Steve Bannon is pressing the president to quit the historic agreement reached by 194 countries in December 2015 to fight global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, energy and government officials told the newspaper. That would make good on a key campaign promise by climate skeptic Trump. However, the officials added, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, a former ExxonMobil CEO, and Trump's own influential daughter Ivanka reject that position. They are concerned that quitting the accord, negotiated under former president Barack Obama, would weaken US credibility abroad and hurt ties with major allies. Trump also is reported to be planning to reduce the staff of the Environmental Protection Agency by 20 percent. Trump appointee Scott Pruitt now leads the agency. As Oklahoma's attorney general, Pruitt filed 14 lawsuits against EPA regulations. As early as next week, Trump plans to sign an executive order to begin the process of dismantling Obama-era regulations that require carbon power plants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Those restrictions on power plant emissions were key if the United States is to meet its commitments under the Paris agreement. Although Trump cannot unilaterally dismantle the accord, he can initiate the process for a US exit from the agreement. The United States is the world's biggest economy and the second largest emitter of carbon dioxide after China, and its exit would be a major blow to global efforts to combat climate change. But it would show Trump supporters that he is keeping his promises to protect the US coal industry. Since the election, Trump has said only that he was an open mind on the issue. Source:
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| skibboy | 8 Mar 2017, 02:11 AM Post #115 |
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07 March 2017 Canada faces 'herculean shift' to meet climate targets © AFP/File | Canada is the world's sixth largest oil producer OTTAWA (AFP) - Canada requires a "herculean shift" in energy use to meet its international commitment to reduce greenhouse gases, according to a Senate study out Tuesday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government agreed under the Paris agreement on climate change to eliminate 219 megatonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. This represents a 30 percent reduction from 2005 levels. "To put it in context, if all the cars, trucks, planes, trains and ships were to disappear from Canada by 2030, we would still fall far short of meeting our GHG reduction commitments," said the report. Alternately, Canada could shut down its oil and gas sector, which is projected to produce 233 megatonnes by 2030. The nation is the world's sixth largest oil producer. Canada's electricity sector is already one of the "cleanest in the world," with 80 percent of production non-emitting. The country is increasingly relying on electricity to reduce emissions in other sectors, through the electrification of vehicles, buildings and industrial processing. However in some cases, "the technology is not yet cost effective," said the report. A movement is also afoot to expand interprovincial trade in hydro electricity, but this has been constrained by the high cost of transmission. The study by the Senate Standing Committee on energy, the environment and natural resources is the first of five reports to be released this year, outlining challenges faced by key sectors in meeting the CO2 emissions target. "Achieving the 2030 target will require a herculean shift in how energy is produced and consumed in Canada," the report concluded. "For the years beyond 2030, one must imagine a society essentially transformed and decarbonized," it said. Source: .com
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| skibboy | 10 Mar 2017, 01:47 AM Post #116 |
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10 March 2017 America will meet its climate goals: Bloomberg © POOL/AFP | French president Francois Hollande, French Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy Segolene Royal, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo during a meeting in Paris, on March 9, 2017 PARIS (AFP) - The United States will meet its climate agreement goals, UN special envoy for climate change Michael Bloomberg said in Paris on Thursday. "They have given us a roadmap of what we must do to save this planet. And I can only tell you that in America we will meet our COP21 goals," the former New York mayor said. The United States is one of 60 countries committed to the COP21 climate deal struck in Paris in December 2015, though recent comments by President Donald Trump have raised concern among environmentalists. Bloomberg's comments came as the incoming head of the US Environmental Protection Agency said that carbon dioxide is not the main driver of global warming, a position starkly at odds with the scientific consensus on climate change. Trump's team is reportedly divided over whether the United States should withdraw from the Paris climate accord, negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama. Bloomberg, in the French capital for talks with President Francois Hollande and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, said he hoped Trump would "be a leader" on the issue. "My hope is that the new president of the United States, once he gets into office for a period of time, will come to understand that he can also be a leader as President Hollande is in terms of helping us prepare for our future," he told AFP. He added the US was "basically" 60 percent of the way to achieving its COP21 climate goals. "It's being done by the private sector helping close coal power plants, corporations looking at their environmental footprint and trying to improve it... and the average citizen in America understanding that climate change is real," he told AFP. Hildago said city mayors in France, the United States and elsewhere "know that the measures to reduce carbon emissions also contribute towards clear air, boost the economy and improve the quality of life." Source: .com
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| skibboy | 9 May 2017, 12:57 AM Post #117 |
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Climate talks cool on idea of accommodating the US By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent, Bonn 4 hours ago ![]() Reports suggest that Ivanka Trump will head a review of the US role in the Paris climate agreement Participants in UN climate talks have expressed reservations about making changes to the Paris climate agreement just to keep the US in the treaty. Speculation has increased that President Trump may withdraw the America over fears it could hamper his oil and gas reforms. There have been suggestions that the US might stay in, if it was allowed to lower its carbon targets. But delegates here say countries should raise not cut their commitments. Fewer Americans There were just seven negotiators from the US as over 2,000 gathered here for the first day of UN climate talks. Diplomats are concerned that the small American team bodes ill for their future participation in the Paris climate agreement. Last year, the US sent about 40 delegates to the Bonn May meeting, roughly the same number as China. This year's team of seven is three fewer than the delegation from Belize, a smaller and much poorer nation than the US. The US State department told news agencies that the reason for the small team was because the US was still working out its climate priorities. "We are focused on ensuring that decisions are not taken at these meetings that would prejudice our future policy, undermine the competitiveness of US businesses, or hamper our broader objective of advancing US economic growth and prosperity," a spokesperson said. Meanwhile another meeting of White House advisors to discuss climate change is expected to take place on Tuesday. President Trump's daughter Ivanka and the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, are likely to take part, according to reports. It's believe that the President's attitude to pulling out of the agreement has hardened in recent weeks. His legal advisers have argued that the accord might strengthen the hand of environmentalists who want to fight his reforms of the oil, coal and gas industries in the courts. The politicians in charge of EU climate change policy are keen for the US to stay in, even if the US reduces or changes the commitments made under President Obama. "195 countries have signed the Paris Agreement and there will be 195 different paths to meeting the Paris goals. So there is room for a new US administration to chart its own path as well," said EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete. Here in Bonn, UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa said that decisions on the US commitments were a matter for US political leaders. "We remain respectful of internal processes," she told a news conference. The spirit of Paris was for nations to ratchet up their targets. "Having said that, it is important to acknowledge that parties may at different moments face some specific situations that they may wish to address." Others though did not share the view that Paris should be re-worked just to keep the US inside the tent. ![]() EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt visiting a coal mine Paris was a "finely balanced agreement", said a delegate from Iran. There should be no "political backpedalling," added a participant from Ethiopia. "These outcomes are not to be renegotiated or re-interpreted as the process under the Paris agreement is irreversible," said the representative from Ecuador. Others here believed that if the US did step away from the agreement, the world would not come to an end. In some ways, it might be better both for the accord and the planet. "Obviously we want the US to stay in the Paris Agreement, for its own good as well as for the rest of the world. But this can't be at any cost," said Mohamed Adow from Christian Aid. "Having the world's efforts to tackle climate change dictated by a small group of ideological climate deniers, in the world's richest country, is clearly a recipe for disaster." Away from this meeting, around 200 global investors managing some $15 trillion in assets argued that the US should stay the course with Paris. "Investors are sending a powerful signal today that climate change action must be an urgent priority in the G20 countries, especially the United States, whose commitment is in question," said Mindy Lubber, from the Ceres Investor Network on Climate Risk and Sustainability. "Global investors are eager to open their wallets to a low-carbon future, but it won't happen without clear, stable policy signals from countries worldwide - in particular, the US government, whose waffling on the Paris Climate agreement is hugely troubling." In other developments, the US Environmental Protection Agency has decided to replace half of the members of a key scientific review board. EPA administrator Scott Pruitt was keen on broadening the basis on which the agency looks at science in relation to its decision making. Source: .com
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| skibboy | 9 May 2017, 11:42 PM Post #118 |
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Climate change: China vows to defend Paris agreement 6 hours ago ![]() The Paris agreement aims to limit dangerous temperature rises by curbing fossil fuel emissions Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to protect the landmark Paris agreement, which aims to curb climate change and fossil fuel emissions. He made the promise in a phone call with incoming French President Emmanuel Macron, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement. A White House meeting to discuss the topic on Tuesday has been postponed, amid reports of divisions among senior Trump advisers. It is the second time the meeting has been cancelled. No new date has been given. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Team Trump divided: Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington The current disagreement within the White House over whether the US should withdraw from the Paris climate agreement is a prime example of the much-reported palace intrigue within the Trump administration spilling out into a policy debate. In one corner you have senior officials like strategist Steve Bannon and Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt, who are on record calling for an exit from the accord. Others, like Energy Secretary Rick Perry, have been noncommittal. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said the US should keep a "seat at the table" and presidential adviser/daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner are pro-Paris. Donald Trump, while he did once tweet that global warming was a Chinese conspiracy, has largely avoided extended discussions on the subject. While his administration is steadily driving to roll back many Obama-era regulations, environmental issues as a whole seem of little interest to him. Any White House meeting to hash out a coherent policy on the Paris agreement is destined to be contentious and with a decidedly uncertain resolution. A battle no-one is convinced they will win is one that is ripe for delay - again. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mr Xi told Mr Macron China and France "should protect the achievements of global governance, including the Paris agreement", according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Under former President Barack Obama, the US and China issued several joint statements on climate change, even announcing together they would sign the Paris agreement. The two countries are the world's biggest polluters. For his part, when Mr Macron received his congratulatory phone call from the US president he told him he would also seek to defend the climate deal. Speaking on Tuesday at a conference in Milan, Italy, Mr Obama said the US and China had to "lead the way" in the fight against climate change. "The good news is the private sector has already made a determination that the future is clean energy," he said. "Those things are locked in now, into the energy sector. Because of the debates taking place in the current administration the steps may be taken more slowly than they would have been done, but I'm confident," he added. The latest comments come as climate negotiators meet in the German city of Bonn to discuss how to put the Paris agreement into practice. ![]() Decades of dependence on fossil fuels have caused pollution problems for many Chinese cities Almost 200 countries have backed the agreement, which aims to keep global temperature increases "well below" 2C. It also seeks to shift the world economy away from fossil fuels in an effort to limit floods, droughts and rising sea levels. President Trump has previously said he believes there is no evidence that humans are responsible for climate change. He has called for more drilling, fewer regulations and the approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada. Source: .com
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| skibboy | 18 May 2017, 12:16 AM Post #119 |
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Paris climate deal is 'lifeline' for world's poorest countries By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent 2 hours ago ![]() A drought in Guatemala that has drained this lake is being linked to climate change in the region The world's poorest nations say the Paris climate agreement is their "lifeline" and must be strengthened. The Climate Vulnerable Forum, (CVF) representing 48 countries, said the deal was crucial to their survival. In a swipe at President Trump's oft-used phrase, they said that "no country would be great again" without swift action. Thousands of delegates are meeting here in Bonn to develop the rule book for the Paris deal. Around one billion people live in countries that are part of the CVF. The group firmly supports the idea, enshrined in the Paris agreement, that countries would do all in their power to keep temperatures from increasing more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. "Keeping to 1.5 degrees is quite simply a matter of survival," said Debasu Bayleyegn Eyasu from Ethiopia, which holds the presidency of the CVF. "For all of us, the Paris agreement is our lifeline." Other speakers highlighted the fact that there is widespread dissatisfaction with the current US position on climate change. President Trump is expected to decide on future US participation in the Paris accord after the G7 summit in Italy next week. Picking up on Mr Trump's "make America great again," election battle-cry, Emmanuel Guzman from the Philippines said: "Without increased climate action, no country will be great again." "The measure of greatness is how you are able to increase and enhance your climate action." Mr Guzman said he was calling on all world leaders to increase their ambition and not just Mr Trump. "I would not like to point a finger at someone, but it is a call for action by all big or small. "If we don't achieve the goals of the Paris agreement there are irreversible damages and consequences." ![]() Rising sea levels are causing problems for farmers in many climate vulnerable nations including Vietnam "It's a grim scenario - that's really unacceptable to us." The group highlighted some of the important differences between keeping temperature rises under 2 degrees or under 1.5. The Greenland ice sheet would enter irreversible long-term decline, with significant impacts on sea levels at 1.6 degrees one delegate said. Warming beyond 1.5 would also "appreciably increase the prevalence of extreme storms that have already been capable of large-scale loss of life and cutting a year's GDP in half for some of our members." At the last major conference of negotiators in Marrakech last November, members of the CVF committed themselves to moving towards 100% renewable energy as soon as possible. "Costa Rica produces 100% renewable energy most of the year," said William Calvo, the country's adjunct chief negotiator. "But we won't stop there: we are tackling now the transport sector and hope to even export renewable power more widely in the region." The idea that other countries are capable of picking up the slack if the Americans pull out of Paris gained support this week with the release of an analysis showing that India and China are likely to overshoot existing targets to cut carbon. President Trump's actions to revitalise the coal industry in the US and to de-regulate oil and gas are unlikely to rapidly increase emissions before 2030 says the study from the Climate Action Tracker. Between 2013 and 2016 Chin's coal use declined each year and a continued slow decline is expected. India says that planned coal-fired power plants may not be needed if recently announced green policies are effective. "You have to have the U.S. on board ultimately to meet the goals set by the Paris Agreement," Bill Hare from Climate Analytics told news agencies. "But if there's a hiatus for four years it doesn't mean it's the end of the game." Source: .com
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| skibboy | 31 May 2017, 02:04 AM Post #120 |
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Trump isolated as world unites on Paris climate deal![]() © Toshifumi Kitamura, AFP | US residents living in Japan and locals hold a rally near the US embassy in Tokyo on March 16, 2017 Text by Joseph BAMAT 2017-05-30 President Donald Trump could announce he is pulling the US out of the Paris accord this week, but experts say nonetheless international commitment to the landmark climate deal signed in France in December 2015 remains strong. Trump irritated key global allies over the weekend by refusing to stand with the rest of Group of Seven (G7) countries in support of the Paris Agreement during a summit in Italy. Despite finding consensus on other issues, “the entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters at the gathering of the world’s wealthiest nations. The leader of Germany, but also those from France, Canada, Italy, Japan and Britain hoped to pressure Trump into respecting the United States’ pledge to curb its carbon emissions. But as the meeting wound down, the unpredictable leader only promised to defer his verdict. “I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!" he tweeted on Saturday. The accord is a legally-binding UN document that was signed by 195 countries. It came into force last year and has been ratified by 147 countries so far. Trump has nevertheless threatened to withdraw from the deal, in which countries voluntarily pledged to cut back on fossil-fuel consumption. Rich countries also pledged money to help poorer nations transition to clean energy, and deal with the effects of climate change – rising sea levels, drought and increasingly powerful storms. According to Wendel Trio, director of the Climate Action Network Europe, the Paris Agreement has quickly become “the standard” in the global climate change debate. Less than two years since its historic signing, “countries remain thoroughly committed to use it as a framework to judge their environmental policies,” he said. The US president’s unwillingness to embrace that standard while in Italy was unsurprising. Trump in the past has called global warming a “hoax” invented by China to undermine the US economy, and lambasted the climate accord – championed by his predecessor Barack Obama – as a “bad deal”. Earlier this year he appointed Scott Pruitt to head the US Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt has publicly questioned the science of climate change and pledged to shelve regulations on fossil fuel companies in the US. Pruitt is among the close advisers pushing Trump to pull out of the accord. Advocates like Trio were bracing for an unwelcome exit from the US this week, but at the same minimised the fallout. He and others say the still novel agreement enjoys overwhelming support across the globe. Trump: Increasingly isolated Climate Action Network Europe’s Trio does not believe the Paris Agreement is a perfect plan to combat global warming and pollution. He says many countries, especially in Europe, are aware that while the goals established in Paris in 2015 were a good start, they don’t go far enough. However, the instinct of self-preservation remains strong, and countries are quick to accuse others of not pulling their weight. “Countries need to revise contributions, and they know it. But they are hesitating, waiting to see who will move first,” Trio said. But while rivalries and suspicion exist, he said he doubted any other country would follow suit if the US quit the Paris Agreement, as has been reported in the media. “Honestly, I think it is wishful thinking from Trump. Some countries are less enthusiastic about the Paris Accord, such as Saudi Arabia or perhaps Russia, but there is a huge difference between saying some countries are less enthusiastic and saying they are thinking of leaving the accord. I have not heard of any country considering this besides the US,” Trio said. Nick Nutall, the communications director for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN office in charge of overseeing the Paris Agreement and other climate treaties, said he had “no intelligence” of other states considering dropping the Paris Agreement. Rather, he felt there was a “great solidarity” among both developed and developing nations on implementing the international climate pact. “If anything, Trump has prompted other world leaders to speak even more forcefully in defence of the accord,” Trio said. “We saw this at the G7 meeting, where the other leaders seemed to make climate change the most important issue on the table, which is quite rare. It’s like Trump has incited everyone to be even more united on this issue.” On Thursday, European and Chinese representatives will start a two-day EU-China summit in Brussels, and Trio said it was likely they would issue a statement specifically on climate change. “It will be to show that among big countries and the US’s main trading partners, climate change remains a high-level issue,” he said. Beyond national interests The UNFCCC’s Nutall said his team spends hours every day highlighting climate victories on their website. The threat of Trump dealing the US out of the Paris Agreement would be bad news, the official admits, but such setbacks must be expected. “This is a long-term transition that is going to take 50 years or longer, and will change a model of development that has been around for two centuries,” Nutall said. “There will be bumps in the road, but the overall trajectory of the transition is what’s important. It shows that the Paris Agreement will deliver on the goals countries set for themselves in December 2015.” Nutall points to India, which in February announced that it would double its solar energy capacity goal in the next three years. The government announced it would build a total of 50 solar parks to increase its capacity from 20,000 MW to 40,000 MW. At the same time India has pledged to help ramp up solar parks, especially so-called mini grids, across Africa. It will extend a $10 billion line of credit to African countries with this goal. Another recent and encouraging example can be found in the UK, which in April achieved its first ever “coal-free day”. On April 22 the National Grid electricity distribution network boasted that it had supplied Britain’s electricity needs for a 24-hour period without coal. The feat was achieved as the West Burton 1 power station, the only coal-fired plant running, temporarily went offline, with a National Grid spokesman saying it was a sign of things to come. China, the world’s leading polluter, is also stepping up efforts to combat climate change. In March the People's Bank of China and the European Investment Bank unveiled a new joint initiative to bolster green investment. The ultimate goal is to increase the confidence of Chinese and international investors to support green finance. Nutall stressed that while countries are important, they are not the only actors in a global movement to confront climate change. “The global economy is changing before our very eyes,” he said, adding that “thousands of local and regional authorities and businesses,” were powering the transformation. “This is clearly a transition that is unstoppable and irreversible. The only question, and it is an important one, is how fast?” he asked. Source: .com
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| skibboy | 31 May 2017, 10:32 PM Post #121 |
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Climate `Danger Zone’ Seen If Trump Pulls Out of Paris Deal May 31, 2017 by Bloomberg ![]() FILE PHOTO: The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy, in the midst of their ICESCAPE mission, retrieves supplies in the Arctic Ocean in this July 12, 2011 NASA handout photo. Kathryn Hansen/NASA via REUTERS/File Photo By Jessica Shankleman (Bloomberg) — Donald Trump wasn’t exaggerating when he said during his election campaign that the U.S. could “cancel” the Paris Accord on climate change. A decision due from the president this week on whether to pull the U.S. out of the deal involving almost 200 nations could have a domino effect on the participation of other countries in limiting fossil-fuel pollution, making it almost impossible and extremely expensive to stop catastrophic climate change. That’s the conclusion of researchers and scientists evaluating the impact of Trump on the health of the climate. While forecasting the state of the environment more than 80 years into the future is a notoriously inexact exercise, academics gathered by the the United Nations at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are concerned the world is headed for “extensive” species extinctions, serious crop damage and irreversible increases in sea levels even before Trump started to unpick the fight against global warming. “Four years of the Trump administration may have only modest consequences, but eight years of bad policy would probably wreck the world’s chances of keeping warming below the international target of 2 degrees Celsius,” Michael Oppenheimer, professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University, said by email. “The odds of our avoiding the climate-danger zone would fade to zero.” While a 2-degree shift wouldn’t be noticeable during the course of a day, it would represent a historic change for the Earth as a whole that’s faster than any change in the climate since the last ice age ended some 10,000 years ago. The scenarios that scientists are looking at depend on measurements of air and water temperatures taken at hundreds of sites around the world, as well as complex models about how trends will evolve in the coming decades. Trump’s move would clearly make the outlook worse, according to Climate Interactive, a team of modelers backed by institutions such as the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. They estimate that the world would warm by 3.6 degrees Celsius (6.4 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100 when compared with pre-industrial levels if Trump quits Paris, more than the 3.3-degree baseline scenario. “U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Accord would not only be a setback for the prospects of halting global climate change short of the catastrophic level” but “it would also reduce U.S. influence in the world on every other issue that Americans should care about,” John Holdren, professor of environmental science and policy at Harvard University, wrote in an email. “This would not be an ‘America First’ move.” As the world’s second-biggest polluter after China, a move by the U.S. to scrap the accord involving almost 200 nations would pour hundreds of billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and speed up the warming trend already taking place. It also would threaten a $100 billion-a-year stream of funds that industrial nations have pledged to persuade developing nations to cut back their own emissions, endangering the political foundations of the global fight against climate change. “The loss of U.S. finance would be the biggest headache, and of course the symbolism is not good,” said Michael Grubb, a professor at University College London who has advised the European Union on climate policy. G-7 Statement The Paris Agreement sealed in 2015 brought together the U.S. and European Union with big developing nations from China to India to Brazil in pledging limits on fossil-fuel pollution and funds to help poorer countries adapt to climate change. Trump’s withdraw from the Paris accord would be a symbolic blow to the unified global to fight climate change, but it would not automatically mean U.S. emissions will increase. That depends on a complex mix of market forces and policies at the both the state and federal level. Longer term, the impact of a U.S. withdraw depends on how other countries and investors respond. Trump, who for months has delayed a decision on the climate agreement, said on Wednesday he will announce his decision on the Paris Accord over the next few days, and the signs are pointing toward a withdrawal. In an unprecedented step, the U.S. broke from the other six nations on Saturday in a joint statement issued at the Group of 7 summit, saying America is reviewing its policy. Trump is leaning toward exiting the deal, but hasn’t yet decided whether to keep the U.S. in it, according to two people familiar with the matter. Big Question “The big question is whether a U.S. withdrawal would lead to U.S. investors and utilities actually starting to build new plants that commit to high future emissions,” said Myles Allen, professor of geosystem science at the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute. So far, no other country, not even China or India has said they’d follow the U.S. in pulling out of Paris. Instead, it’s catalyzed support for the deal. On Wednesday, the EU reiterated its commitment to staying in Paris, and said the door will remain open for the U.S. to rejoin. The key variables are what policies Trump enacts and how long they remain in force. The targets agreed on global warming through the UN are for 2100, and shifts in the energy industry take decades to play out. U.S. inaction on greenhouse gases may eventually discourage other countries from continuing their own efforts to cut back, said Oppenheimer at Princeton. The Paris agreement was designed in such a way that legally, no other country’s action would be impacted by a withdrawal. Paris effectively sets up the reporting framework and the temperature goals, but each country’s individual target is voluntary. In reality, an eight year delay on climate action would be accompanied by cuts to renewable energy research that could in turn harm emissions reductions rates. Trump’s push to roll back the Clean Power Plan, for instance, could prompt electricity generators to burn more coal. All told, each of these changes could add a total of 350 billion to 450 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, if the rest of the world followed Trump, according to climate modelers, Ben Sanderson of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, and Reto Knutti of ETH, Zurich. The chances of meeting the UN target of staying well below 2 degrees of warming would drop to about 10 percent, from two-thirds now, they say. “Delay is the worst enemy for any climate target and can only be made worse by cutting research and energy technologies that would be crucial to get back on track again for target,” they wrote in the journal Nature earlier this year. © 2017 Bloomberg L.P Source: .com
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| skibboy | 1 Jun 2017, 12:43 AM Post #122 |
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Exxon shareholders back 'historic' vote on climate By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent 6 hours ago ![]() Shareholders in Exxon Mobil have backed a motion requiring the company to assess the risks from climate change. The plan, proposed by investors including the Church of England, was supported by over 62% of those eligible to vote. The vote comes as US media reports that President Trump is poised to pull out of the Paris climate agreement. Exxon will now have to consider how global efforts to mitigate climate change will impact their business. Did Exxon know? Long seen as the last bastion of opposition to action on rising temperatures, Exxon Mobil is the world's largest publicly traded oil company. They've recently been under investigation by some state authorities in the US. They've been accused of allegedly concealing information from shareholders on when the company first realised that human emissions of carbon were driving up global temperatures. Previous attempts by activists to force the company to take the impact of climate change into account failed. Last year, the motion gained just over 38% of shareholder support. The resolution, filed by the Church Commissioners for England and New York State Comptroller Thomas P DiNapoli, asked Exxon to report on how its business model will be affected by global efforts to limit the average rise in temperatures to below 2C. ![]() Rex Tillerson, Exxon's former CEO, is now US Secretary of State This year, the non-binding motion secured 62.3% of the votes, indicating that some of the bigger investor groups must have sided with climate activists. "This is an historic vote - despite strong opposition from the board, the majority of Exxon's shareholders have sent an unequivocal signal to the company that it must do much more to disclose the impact on its business of measures to combat climate change," said Edward Mason, head of responsible investment for the Church Commissioners. "We are grateful to all of the investors who supported the proposal, and we call on the company to begin urgent engagement with shareholders on how to bring its disclosures in line with those of its peers." While the motion is non-binding observers say there will be increased pressure on the company to report on the impacts of climate change and the restrictions on fossil fuels being considered as part of the Paris climate agreement. Exxon Mobil was one of the last hold-outs among major oil companies on the issue of climate change. Earlier in May, Occidental Petroleum shareholders also passed a similar motion in a vote at its annual meeting. Other major producers including BP and ConocoPhillips already publish reports on how rising temperatures would impact their businesses. "This extraordinary result, on the heels of the majority Occidental vote, indicates growing institutional investor concern," said Robert Schuwerk, a senior counsel at the Carbon Tracker Initiative. "Climate change is now front and centre in investors' engagement. As Exxon is a standard bearer for the oil and gas industry, smaller companies should take note and respond accordingly." Some shareholders were quick to point out the irony of Exxon finally taking this step on a day when US media reports indicated the President Trump was about to pull the country out of the Paris climate agreement. Source: .com
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| skibboy | 2 Jun 2017, 12:45 AM Post #123 |
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US cities, states vow to honour Paris climate accord despite Trump's withdrawal![]() © Alain Jocard, AFP | File photo, showing environmental activists forming a human chain reading "+3°C SOS" on the Champs de Mars near the Eiffel Tower in Paris on December 12, 2015. Text by Monique EL-FAIZY 2017-06-01 Mayors and governors across the United States have said they will continue to honour the Paris Agreement, even after US President Donald Trump announced Thursday he would withdraw his country from the historic climate accord. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday that his municipality would “take matters into our own hands, calling the plan to pull out of the historic climate accord “a dagger aimed at the heart of New York City.” De Blasio said he planned to sign an executive order later this week maintaining the city’s commitment to the Paris Agreement. “It’s a sad state of affairs when localities have to do what the federal government should be doing,” he said. “This is one of the interesting sides of the US,” said Martin Beniston, head of the Institute for Environmental Sciences at the University of Geneva. “States and cities have a lot of autonomy and they can go ahead with their own energy policies, regardless of what Trump decides in Washington.” De Blasio was following the lead of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti who, last November, marshalled the mayors of 71 US cities into signing an open letter calling upon then-president-elect Donald Trump to remain in the agreement. He was even more forceful in an interview with Quartz, saying “If we were to withdraw…from the Paris accords, I’ll tell you what we’re going to do: we’re going to adopt it locally.” Governors have gotten in on the act as well. California Governor Jerry Brown promised “significant action” if Trump pulled out of the accord. He’s not alone. In early May, the governors of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington all signed their own letter urging Trump to honour the US commitment. “We stand ready as state leaders to continue to support the achievement of the existing US Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement—and if possible to go further, faster,” the letter read, in part. “The policies we are implementing that support the US’s achievement of its Paris commitment not only cut carbon pollution—they also create jobs, boost competitiveness, and bring clean energy and a cleaner environment to our citizens.” “Maybe what these proactive states or cities could show is that you can actually make money by generating new opportunities,” Beniston said. “New technologies opening up generate new jobs and new investments.” Bad for business The business community has gotten that message, even if the President has not. Also in early May, 25 major US companies, including Apple, Facebook, Gap, Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel Corporation, Mars Incorporated, Microsoft; Morgan Stanley, National Grid, Schneider Electric and Unilever took out full-page ads in several newpapers featuring yet another letter, also expressing support for the accord. “By expanding markets for innovative clean technologies, the agreement generates jobs and economic growth,” the letter said. “US companies are well positioned to lead in these markets. Withdrawing from the agreement will limit our access to them and could expose us to retaliatory measures.” What it all means is another question. “It’s very important rhetorically,” said Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org, an international climate change campaign. “It’s a little unclear what it means for some city to honour the Paris Agreement, what it would do to honour it, what set of actions do or do not fit within it.” More important, in McKibben’s view, is “the number of cities signing up for 100 percent renewable energy.” Atlanta recently became the 27th US city to make that pledge, and on Wednesday the California State Senate passed a measure mandating that the state will receive all of its power from renewable energy (such as solar and wind power) by 2025. Trump can't derail the agreement, but he can put the breaks on momentum The US is responsible for 25 to 30 percent of global emissions. Globally, 70 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions come from urban areas, so the efforts of individual cities—and, by extension, states—can have a significant impact on their reduction. California and New York together represent about 20 percent of the nation’s population, as well as 20 percent of its gross domestic product. Together they account for roughly 10 percent of US greenhouse gas emissions. The determination of cities and states to continue the fight against climate change will have a mitigating effect on Trump's decision to withdraw from the accord. “Trump can’t utterly derail Paris by pulling out of it, but what he can do is put the breaks on the developing momentum,” McKibben said. “We’ll have to hope that there are enough cities and states that are willing to take action to compensate.” Source: .com
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| skibboy | 2 Jun 2017, 11:35 PM Post #124 |
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Trump climate agreement: Rest of world rallies around Paris deal 2 hours ago China, the EU and India, which along with the US make up the four biggest emitters of carbon dioxide, have restated their commitment to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. Top EU official Donald Tusk said at a summit with China that Brussels and Beijing would step up co-operation. Mr Trump announced the US was leaving for economic reasons, saying the deal would cost American jobs. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US would still curb emissions. Amid widespread international condemnation of the US decision, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would "not judge" Mr Trump. The Paris agreement commits the US and 194 other countries to keeping rising global temperatures "well below" 2C above pre-industrial levels and "endeavour to limit" them even more, to 1.5C. The UN World Meteorological Organisation said on Friday that, in the worst scenario, the US pullout could add 0.3C to global temperatures by the end of the century. European Council President Donald Tusk said after meeting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that the two powers took their responsibilities seriously. "Today, China and Europe have demonstrated solidarity with future generations and responsibility for the whole planet," he told reporters at a joint news conference. "The fight against climate change and all the research, innovation and technological progress it will bring will continue with or without the United States," he added. Mr Tusk was echoing similar pledges by EU politicians such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel who said the path set out by Paris was "irreversible". A spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, Hua Chunying, said China was ready to take a leading role in the fight against climate change. ![]() Saturday's front cover of German magazine Der Spiegel shows Trump the golfer dispatching the planet "In the future, China will continue to tackle climate change in all ways, will proactively participate in the multilateral process of tackling climate change and resolutely uphold the global climate management process," she said. Indian Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said: "As far as the Paris accord is concerned... our government is committed, irrespective of the stand of anyone, anywhere in the world." The group of the world's 48 least developed countries accused Mr Trump of showing disregard for millions of lives. Scientists have warned the poorest countries across the globe will be the hardest hit by climate change as they lack capacity to cope with extreme weather events. Why is Trump pulling out? Mr Trump characterised the Paris agreement as a deal that aimed to hobble, disadvantage and impoverish the US. He said it would cost the US $3tn (£2.3tn) in lost GDP and 6.5 million jobs - while rival economies like China and India were treated more favourably. Mr Trump said he was fulfilling his "solemn duty to protect America and its citizens". Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US had a "terrific record on reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions". The head of the US Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, said exiting the Paris Agreement did not mean disengagement. "The president said yesterday that Paris represents a bad deal for this country," he told reporters at the White House. "It doesn't mean that we're not going to continue the discussion to export our innovation, to export our technology to the rest of the world, to demonstrate how we do it better here." The Russian president said he thought the US did not need not to abandon the Paris Agreement because it was a "framework". Can it all be renegotiated? Under the terms of the agreement, the US cannot complete its withdrawal until just weeks after the US presidential election in 2020. US payments to the UN Green Climate Fund, which helps developing countries cope with the effects of climate change, will stop. The US has reportedly so far paid $1bn (£780m) of a $3bn pledge. Mr Trump indicated he was open to another climate deal "on terms that are fair to the United States" but the leaders of France, Germany and Italy quickly issued a joint statement rejecting any renegotiation. What are they saying in America? The Democratic governors of New York, California and Washington states all quickly vowed to respect the terms of the Paris deal. Disney's chief executive Robert Iger and the entrepreneur Elon Musk both resigned from White House advisory councils in opposition to the decision. However, Republican congressional leaders and the US coal industry backed the move, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell supporting Mr Trump "for dealing yet another significant blow to the Obama administration's assault on domestic energy production and jobs". Peabody Energy, America's biggest coal mining firm, said the agreement would have badly affected the US economy. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What was agreed in Paris? Climate change, or global warming, refers to the damaging effect of gases, or emissions, released from industry, transportation, agriculture and other areas into the atmosphere. ![]() The Paris accord is meant to limit the global rise in temperature attributed to emissions. Only Syria and Nicaragua did not sign up. Countries agreed to: - Keep global temperatures "well below" the level of 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and "endeavour to limit" them even more, to 1.5C - Limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity to the same levels that trees, soil and oceans can absorb naturally, beginning at some point between 2050 and 2100 - Review each country's contribution to cutting emissions every five years so they scale up to the challenge - Enable rich countries to help poorer nations by providing "climate finance" to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies says the world's average temperature has risen by about 0.8C since 1880, two-thirds of that since 1975. US think tank Climate Interactive predicts that if all nations fully achieve their Paris pledges, the average global surface temperature rise by 2100 will be 3.3C, or 3.6C without the US. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Source: .com
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| skibboy | 4 Jun 2017, 12:43 AM Post #125 |
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Trump climate deal: US can fulfil pledges, says Michael Bloomberg 3 June 2017 ![]() Michael Bloomberg: "Americans don't need Washington to meet our Paris commitments" The US can still meet its commitments to fight climate change, despite President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris accord, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said. He argued this could be done "through partnerships among cities, states and businesses", saying Americans would not let Washington stand in their way. Mr Bloomberg is the UN special envoy for cities and climate change. Mr Trump said the 2015 Paris agreement would cost American jobs. His decision, announced on Thursday, triggered widespread international condemnation. China, the EU and India, which along with the US make up the four biggest emitters of carbon dioxide, restated their commitment to the accord. It committed the US and 194 other countries to keeping rising global temperatures "well below" 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels and "endeavour to limit" them even more, to 1.5C. The World Meteorological Organisation said that, in the worst scenario, the US pullout could add 0.3C to global temperatures by the end of the century. "Americans don't need Washington to meet our Paris commitments, and Americans are not going to let Washington stand in the way of fulfilling it," Mr Bloomberg said following talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. "I want the world to know that the US will meet its Paris commitments and that through partnerships among cities, states and businesses we will seek to remain part of the Paris agreement process. "We are already halfway there and we can accelerate our process further even without any support from Washington," he added. Meanwhile, President Macron restated his position that the Paris accord was "irreversible" and would be implemented. Why is Trump pulling out? Mr Trump on Thursday characterised the Paris agreement as a deal that aimed to hobble, disadvantage and impoverish the US. He said it would cost the US $3tn (£2.3tn) in lost GDP and 6.5 million jobs - while rival economies like China and India were treated more favourably. Mr Trump said he was fulfilling his "solemn duty to protect America and its citizens". Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US had a "terrific record on reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions". The head of the US Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, said exiting the Paris Agreement did not mean disengagement. "The president said [on Thursday] that Paris represents a bad deal for this country," he told reporters at the White House. "It doesn't mean that we're not going to continue the discussion to export our innovation, to export our technology to the rest of the world, to demonstrate how we do it better here." Can it all be renegotiated? Under the terms of the agreement, the US cannot complete its withdrawal until just weeks after the US presidential election in 2020. US payments to the UN Green Climate Fund, which helps developing countries cope with the effects of climate change, will stop. The US has reportedly so far paid $1bn (£780m) of a $3bn pledge. Mr Trump indicated he was open to another climate deal "on terms that are fair to the United States" but the leaders of France, Germany and Italy quickly issued a joint statement rejecting any renegotiation. The Democratic governors of New York, California and Washington states all quickly vowed to respect the terms of the Paris deal. Disney's chief executive Robert Iger and the entrepreneur Elon Musk both resigned from White House advisory councils in opposition to the decision. However, Republican congressional leaders and the US coal industry backed the move, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell supporting Mr Trump "for dealing yet another significant blow to the Obama administration's assault on domestic energy production and jobs". Peabody Energy, America's biggest coal mining firm, said the agreement would have badly affected the US economy. Source: .com
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3:29 PM Jul 11