Dear all, for my first post in over a month and a half, there is so much I need to write about as a lot happened in this vast world of ours on climate change mitigation.
Climate talks
United States, China and Brazil outlined their climate plans
And these are huge steps in the right direction for both renewable energy and afforestation. This bode well for the upcoming IPCC climate talks that will take place late this year in Paris.
2011 in a nutshell : my selection of essential posts
With some delay I would like to propose you today my selection of the most important news of 2011. As I wrote close to 250 articles, selecting only 25 proved to be difficult.
I have mixed topics so you will find stuff on climate change, cleantech, environmental issues and sustainable development. I have also mixed personal reflections with news and book reviews.
If you think that I have missed something out or have a more personal selection, please don’t hesitate to share in the comments ! I look forward to read your own selection.
Mixed feelings about the Durban climate talks
As you sure know, the Durban Climate talks ended Sunday. There are some good news, but they are mostly bad. Good news first : The Kyoto Protocol has been extended until 2017.
Another good news : the Durban agreement was the first ever to bind all countries to act on climate change. Sure, this is merely halfway through business as usual and the needed target.
But this is the further we have ever been on climate negotiation ! Even if it won’t be enough, even if it is far from what should be done at a global level, we are going forward on climate.
Stopping deforestation by 2020 is nearly possible
To the WWF : “ It’s possible to reduce deforestation to near zero by 2020, but delaying action to save forests by even a decade means double the area of forests lost by 2030 “
” The report finds that reducing deforestation to near zero would also bring global emissions from forest destruction close to zero, but delaying this reduction until 2030 would mean sacrificing 69 million hectares of forest worldwide. “
Such a delay would bring an additional 24 gigatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In comparison, 33 gigatons of this gas were released in 2010 alone worldwide…
New climate talks round starting today in Durban
The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which is starting today in Durban, South Africa is THE event to follow during the next two weeks. According to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri ” Global climate talks need to focus on the growing threat from extreme weather and … Read more
Why continuing the Kyoto Protocol is crucial
To TreeHugger : ” If (the) Kyoto Protocol dies at COP17 climate talks, so does our climate “. This article reminds us that the next round of UNFCC climate talks will start in less than two months in Durban, South Africa.
It also reminds us that it is the only law we have on a global level on climate and that even if the United States are still not part of the process it is working (quite) well as developed nations decreased their emissions since 1990.
Due to end in 2012, the Kyoto Protocol might not be perfect but really got us moving on climate and energy issues.
Emerging powers call for extending climate deal
To the AFP : ” Brazil, South Africa, India and China said Saturday that November’s UN climate talks should aim to extend the Kyoto Protocol, the only binding global deal to cut greenhouse gases. “
” The four key emerging powers – seen as critical to the success of any future effort to combat climate change – said keeping Kyoto alive should be the “central priority” at the key UN summit in South Africa. “
” The bloc released the statement after two days of talks in southeast Brazil to prepare for the next UN climate conference scheduled to take place in Durban from November 28 to December 9. “
Quick climate fix : tackling black carbon
While browsing my tweets to prepare my selection of Twitter for June I found several articles pointing out to a quick climate fix : tackling black carbon (also known as soot) might prove to bring exceptional greenhouse gases emissions cuts.
The work was carried out jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and published in margin of the Bonn Climate Talks in June.
On top of slowing climate change, this would prove to have important health and agriculture benefits. Indeed up to 2.5 million lives could be saved each year. This is exactly a win-win-win situation.
No (good) news from the Bonn Climate Talks
Here we go again… New climate talks, same disappointment. Preliminary talks took place in Bonn, Germany, to discuss the future of the Kyoto Protocol, which will end next year. To the Guardian, the negotiations aren’t progressing :
Even if they are making progress on ” technical issues “, countries are ” still nowhere near agreement in the three key areas of finance, greenhouse gas emission cuts and the future of the Kyoto protocol. “
Most if not all countries see the current financial and economic crises as excuses for delaying action when they are contrarily to what they think reasons to push the cleantech and energy revolution forward !
Why the Poznan conference is a disappointment
The Poznan conference on climate change ended on Saturday. Due to prepare the Copenhagen meeting – which will bring to light the successor of the Kyoto Protocol – it is a major disappointment.
Poor countries are the least satisfied with the results of the talks as developed nations are stepping back concerning the financial aides they first were willing to give.
Environmental NGOs like the WWF aren’t satisfied either and everybody is looking forward to knowing what the new US President will do on this very topic.
The targets of the Kyoto Protocol
According to several sources, out of the 39 countries under the Kyoto Protocol, only 16 are meeting their targets while 20 aren’t due to do so as only three years remain.
The United Nations issued an interesting presentation with a table (left) that sums up very well the situation at hand. Now everyone can see in a glance how partaking countries are scoring.
This occurs as in two weeks the discussions for the successor of the Kyoto Protocol will begin in Poland. I guess there will be heated debates…