Energy and Climate Change News

Climate Neutral Network

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched a new online climate information network to help countries, cities and firms aiming to be "climate neutral" exchange ideas on ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Neutral Network will connect people around the world who have committed to become climate neutral, to share ideas. Countries, cities and companies have already committed to carbon neutrality under the UNEP project, including Costa Rica, Iceland, Norway and New Zealand.

For example, Växjö, Sweden, has decided to become a 'Fossil Fuel Free" City. In 1996, there was a unanimous political decision to reduce CO2 emissions per inhabitant by at least 50% by the year 2010, compared to 1993. In 2006, the reduction was 30%. For the year 2025, the goal is 70% and the long term goal is to stop using fossil fuels. Today, over 50% of the city's energy supply comes from renewables. Anders Franzén, Development manager for Växjö wants to use the UNEP network "to share our program, vision and experience world wide".

The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) has produced a Local Government Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis Protocol to provide guidance on inventorying and reporting greenhouse gas emissions for communities and government operations. Future country/regional supplements to this internationally applicable protocol will offer additional guidance on putting the protocol into practice locally. In order to facilitate dialogue and transparency, ICLEI is employing a wiki site to gather public comments until February 29, 2008. To register for access to the wiki, visit www.iclei.org/ghgprotocol. Alternatively, comments can be emailed to ghgprotocol@iclei.org.

See a recent article by Tom Athanasiou from EcoEquity - Towards a Defensible Climate Realism - recently published by Foreign Policy in Focus.

Investment summit on climate risk

Feb. 14, 2008, New York. At an Investor Summit on Climate Risk hosted by Ceres and the United Nations Foundation, nearly 50 leading U.S. and European institutional investors managing over $1.75 trillion in assets released a climate change action plan at the United Nations that will boost investments in energy efficiency and clean energy technologies and require tougher scrutiny of carbon-intensive investments that may pose long-term financial risks. Signatories to the action plan included state treasurers, controllers, pension fund leaders, asset managers and foundations from London, California, Florida, New York, Connecticut, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and a dozen other states. Webcasts of the summit and press conference are available.

UN holds high-level discussion on climate change

Feb. 11, 2008, New York. The UN General Assembly held a high-level discussion on climate change at United Nations headquarters last week. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the 3-day meeting on Monday, February 11 saying that if 2007 was the year when climate change rose to the top of the global agenda - with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change making it clear that climate change was already happening and accelerating - then 2008 was the time for concerted action to follow up on the powerful declarations of political will voiced at the Bali Climate Change Conference last December. In Bali, countries agreed to launch negotiations on a new international climate change agreement by the end of 2009. “The challenge is huge. We have less than two years to craft an agreement on action that measures up to what the science tells us. It will have to map out emission limitation commitments; agree on essential action to adapt to the impacts of climate change; and mobilize the necessary financing and technological innovations.”

EPA Director Called Before Senate

EPA Director Stephen L. Johnson was called before Senate Committee to explain his decision to deny California a waiver under the Clean Air Act

The EPA Director refused to offer specific technical information that led to his decision or answer questions surrounding the timing of his decision and speculation about White House pressure to deny the waiver. A letter signed by EPA union officers, representing thousands of EPA employees, was sent to Administrator Johnson expressing concern that a large part of the American public believes the White House motivated the decision to deny California's waiver, ignoring a reportedly unanimous favorable recommendation by the agency's legal and technical staff.

National webcasts on global warming

Face It, an Architecture 2030 national webcast, focuses on solutions to global warming. Face It is sponsoring two competitions with $20,000 in prize money.

The 2% Solution with Edward Norton, Stephen Schneider, Van Jones, and Hunter Lovins

State of the Union January 2008 - Energy and Climate

President Bush on Increasing Our Energy Security And Confronting Climate Change

Excerpts from a Preview of the State of the Union Address circulated Monday January 28:

Tonight, President Bush will call on Congress to work with him on the next steps to improve our energy security and confront the challenge of climate change without undermining economic growth. Last month, the President signed an energy bill that will help cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce U.S. dependence on oil, which harms America economically through high prices at the gas pump. We must continue changing the way America generates electric power through even greater use of clean coal technology, solar and wind energy, and clean, safe nuclear power.

President Bush:

* seeks to fund new technologies that can produce power from coal with significantly lower carbon emissions
* supports an increase in the use of nuclear power as a clean, safe, and affordable alternative energy source
* urges Congress to pass legislation that opens access to domestic energy sources in the Outer Continental Shelf and Alaska and that protects America against supply disruptions by doubling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
* is dedicated to strong growth in renewable electricity generation. The President’s Solar America Initiative – launched in 2006 – doubled U.S. investment in solar energy.
* is committing $2 billion over the next three years to create a new international clean energy technology fund to help confront climate change worldwide. Along with contributions from other countries, this fund will increase and accelerate the deployment of all forms of cleaner, more efficient technologies in developing nations like India and China, and help leverage substantial private-sector capital by making clean energy projects more financially attractive. To complement the new international clean technology fund, the United States and the European Union have jointly proposed in the WTO to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers to clean energy and environmental technologies and services.

The President will reaffirm the United States' commitment to work with major economies and through the UN to complete an international agreement that will slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gases. This agreement will be effective only if it includes commitments by every major economy and gives none a free ride.

This week, the United States will host the second Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change. President Bush announced this initiative in May 2007 to work with all of the world's largest energy users, including both developed and developing nations, to produce a detailed contribution from the leaders of these countries to help establish an international agreement by 2009 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Mixed results from Bali convention

Delegates rise to applaud the decision to adopt the "Bali roadmap" for a future international agreement on climate change.

18 December, 2007, Bali, Indonesia. At the end of 2 weeks of contentious negotiations, Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) announced: "We now have a roadmap, we have an agenda and we have a deadline." "But we also have a huge task ahead of us and time to reach agreement is extremely short, so we need to move quickly."

The Bali Plan of Action will lead governments towards new treaty provisions to cover the period 2012 to 2016, after the current Kyoto Protocol expires.

Many of the thousands of delegates and activists who gathered in Bali for the UN Climate Change Conference were disappointed by the relatively modest accomplishments achieved, especially in light of the urgency of the climate-related problems detailed by scientists in the latest reports of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The IPCC reports warn that climate change has already begun, and that increasing temperature increases will cause rises in sea levels, acidification of the oceans, droughts, floods, and serious ecological damage to the planet - unless global emissions of greenhouse gases peak start to decline dramatically within 10 to 15 years.

US negotiators said they recognized the seriousness of the scientific reports . Yet they were reluctant to even talk about specific commitments or actions to cut emissions in the post-Kyoto period. The EU - and other industrialized countries that made binding commitments to emission reductions under the Kyoto Protocol - agreed to cut their emissions by between 25 and 40 percent by 2020. The EU, led by Germany, pressed unsuccessfully for a similar commitment by the US, which earlier backed out of the Kyoto Protocol. Instead, the US handed out invitations to its own parallel process discussing voluntary measures to be taken by the governments of "major economies" (including China and India, which will soon surpass the US in total - but not per capita - greenhouse gas emissions).

Towards the end of the conference, Al Gore arrived in Bali - after accepting the Nobel peace prize , along with the scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In a passionate speech, he said that the US was principally responsible for blocking progress on battling climate change at Bali, and urged the delegations to agree on language that could be build upon after a new US administration is in place in January 2009. (The agreement for the post-Kyoto agreement is expected to be finalized by 2009, so it can be ratified by governments and enter into force by 2012.)

The governments of developing countries are also reluctant to undertake binding emission limits, because they need economic growth to rise out of poverty, and because they perceive that the US is not taking the lead on reducing its own climate emissions. Su Wei, a member of the Chinese delegation said, "I just wonder whether it's fair to ask developing countries like China to take on binding targets," Su said Friday. " I think there is much room for the United States to think whether it's possible to change (its) lifestyle and consumption patterns in order to contribute to the protection of the global climate ."

Though not agreeing to binding emissions limits, China was widely viewed as a positive force at the conference. Developing countries expressed their willingness to pursue more carbon-friendly development strategies. But they also sought commitments from developed countries on transfers of clean technologies to help them cut emissions, and funding from industrialised states to help them adapt to the threats of rising seas, more frequent extreme weather events, falling crop yields and increased migration.

In overnight talks lasting beyond the planned Friday deadline, India (representing the group of developing countries and China) presented draft language committing themselves to ' nationally appropriate mitigation actions' in the context of sustainable development, if they were supported by developed countries with technology and enabled by finance and capacity building 'in a measurable, reportable and verifiable manner'. This text was supported by the EU, but the US delegation would not agree - and was thereupon loudly booed by the other delegations, in an unprecedented show of undiplomatic behavior. After Japan made a noncommittal statement, and Canada and Australia remained silent, the head of the US delegation, Paula Dobriansky relented, saying, "We will join the consensus."

However, shortly afterwards the White House began a voicing reservations. A White House official told of "serious concerns" that the agreement had let developing countries off too lightly in their commitments to cut emissions, saying "Emissions reductions principally by the developed world will be insufficient to confront the global problem effectively." European officials expressed astonishment at this, saying the US delegation was in near-continuous contact with Washington in the final hours of negotiations, even while agreeing to the wording of the text that described developing countries' future obligations. "It's extraordinary to try to go back on this." Later, a senior US official told the Financial Times: "I would not regard the White House statement as backing away from the consensus." He said, "it is focused on what has to happen next."

- Prepared by Gail Karlsson.

Perspectives on the Bali meeting

December 2007. A range of views can be found regarding efforts towards a post-Kyoto deal for climate action after 2012. Following is a sample of those views:

Earth Negotiations Bulletin
International Chamber of Commerce
Forbes
Science Daily
Nature
BBC News
Christian Science Monitor
New York Times
The Guardian
Der Spiegel
The Economist
International Herald Tribune
Climate Action Network
Nature Conservancy
Global Climate Campaign

MCPL Save the Planet Series

Just outside of Washington, DC, Montgomery County Public Libraries will host a series of programs designed to heighten awareness and encourage dialogue among Montgomery County residents on the issues of climate change and global warming.

On October 11, 2007, 7 - 9 pm, Make Your Voice Heard: From Awareness To Action explores ways residents can participate in being part of the solution to the climate crisis.

UN Meeting on Climate Change

On September 24, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened an international meeting "The Future in Our Hands: Addressing the Leadership Challenge of Climate Change." Attended by 150 countries, it was an historic event, the largest high-level gathering on climate change ever, with over 80 heads of state and government. The meeting was not intended for negotiations; instead it was to test the political will and commitment of leaders to respond to climate change. The S-G hoped to prepare the way for a strong binding emissions reduction agreement when negotiations begin in Bali in December on international action to follow the current Kyoto Protocol period that ends in 2012. The Kyoto Protocol was signed by the US (by Al Gore), but never ratified by the US Senate, and President Bush pronounced it 'dead' shortly after he took office. However, much work has been done at the state level since then. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke of what his state has done and is doing and encouraged world leaders to take action now. His presence and strong message underscored the absence of President Bush, who sent Condoleezza Rice in his place for the day. Bush only came for the dinner. However, France's President Nicholas Sarkozy and Germany's Chancellor Angelika Merkel stood side by side with the lesser-known presidents of tiny and poor countries, as each spoke of his or her own nation's experience with climate change, proposals for needed assistance, and reminders of the environmental debt due by the north to the south. Small island states and African countries clearly brought home the cost to them in human lives and environmental damage from global warming. Wrapping up the day, the Secretary-General declared: "Today I heard a clear call from world leaders for a breakthrough on climate change in Bali. And I now believe we have a major political commitment to achieving that." (From a report by CitNet correspondent R.C.)

Secretary-General's address to the High-Level Event on Climate Change
Secretary-General's Remarks Following the Dinner
Summary of the High-Level Event on Climate Change
Press conference by international environmental groups

President Bush holds climate change meeting in Washington

On September 27 and 28, President Bush held his own climate change meeting in Washington with leaders of the top climate-polluting countries, including the major industrialized countries plus India and China. The meeting was supposed to set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but US officials still refused to consider mandatory targets, which other world leaders agree are necessary to prevent dangerous levels of global warming. Secretary of State Rice opened the meeting with an admission that "climate change is a real problem and that human beings are contributing to it", but insisted that "We must be committed to addressing climate change in a way that does not starve economies of the energy that they need to grow and that does not widen the already significant income gap between developed and developing nations." The US Council on Economic Quality Chairman, James Connaughton, added that "It is expected that emissions coming from the major emerging economies will exceed those of the major developed economies within this coming decade. The UN climate change coordinator, Yvo de Boer, said that while "further engagement" of developing countries is needed, "a response to climate change can only be successful if it entails industrialized countries continuing to take the lead in reducing emissions." President Bush emphasized achieving emissions reductions through increased use of advanced clean technologies and other voluntary steps to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. He also proposed the creation of a new international clean technology fund to help developing nations harness the power of clean energy technologies. Other leaders were concerned that the US was trying to undermine the UN negotiating process on future actions under the international UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which the US did ratify. US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement: "As the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, the United States must lead by example and take the necessary steps to reduce greenhouse gases. An effective initiative must be based on mandatory standards to protect our planet, not the voluntary goals and incremental approach supported by the Administration...I hope that his efforts will not be used to circumvent the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali."

White House fact sheet containing most major points from Bush speech
Rice and Connaughton's remarks
More information from the US Climate Action Network

Important Meetings on Climate Change and Energy in September

On September 24, 2007 there will be a high-level United Nations meeting on climate change in New York as world leaders gather for the UN General Assembly.

On September 27-28, President Bush's meeting in Washington with leaders of the 'big polluters' - industrialized countries plus India and China. His proposals include more voluntary measures and additional subsidies for “clean coal” and nuclear energy.

Meetings Earlier in September

Environmental groups and other citizens organizations had their own meetings in NY and DC to discuss upcoming international meetings, pending national legislation, regional initiatives, and proposed action campaigns.

September 5-7 at UN Headquarters in New York , at the annual international gathering of NGOs, the topic was "Climate Change: How It Impacts Us All." The conference focused on the facilitation of individual action plans that address the growing concerns associated with climate change and its profound and decisive impact on human well-being. Even though many NGOs deal with issues that do not seem directly related to global warming or environmental issues, participants agreed that networking will be crucial to dealing with climate change. They adopted a Declaration to provide a framework for action and collaborative networking. The UN Secretary-General urged NGOs to work together to build grassroots support for a breakthrough climate agreement.

September 10-12, US Climate Action Network annual meeting in Washington US Climate Action brought together Washington lobbyists and state representatives belonging to the network for a briefing on energy and climate change bills, updates on regional activities, and planning for coordinated activities to support national legislation and binding action at the international level in preparation for the December meeting of the parties to the UN climate change treaty in Bali.

Interesting grassroots actions discussed at the meeting included:

The new One Sky campaign
Focus the Nation teach-ins at schools
National Wildlife Federation outreach

The Citizens Network for Sustainable Development (CitNet) is participating in local, national and international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, and is asking responsible citizens to:

1. Inform and educate yourself about the impacts of your energy choices.
2. Change the ways you consume energy.
3. Challenge and support local and state leaders to change the ways energy is produced and distributed in and for your community.
4. Elect and support national leaders who will develop and implement a National Sustainable Energy Strategy.
5. Participate in a public national dialogue on our energy future.

New York State is doing its part

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced subpoenas of 5 power companies - AES Corporation, Dominion, Dynegy, Peabody Energy and Xcel Energy - about risks from proposed new coal-fired power plants questioning whether their plans to build these plants pose undisclosed financial risks that their investors should know about. This is an unusual use of a securities law. In letters accompanying the subpoenas, the attorney general’s office asked whether investors received adequate information about the potential financial liabilities of carbon dioxide emissions that exacerbate climate change, stating that “Any one of the several new or likely regulatory initiatives for CO2 emissions from power plants — including state carbon controls, E.P.A.’s regulations under the Clean Air Act, or the enactment of federal global warming legislation — would add a significant cost to carbon-intensive coal generation.”

Governor Spitzer has proposed state incentives for construction of green homes for incorporating energy reduction measures and other environmentally friendly features. The amount of the incentive will be based on the size of the home, with a cap of $10,000 per home. Earlier this year, Governor Spitzer unveiled his “15 x 15” plan to reduce energy use by 15 percent from forecasted levels by the year 2015, through new energy efficiency programs.

Impacts of climate on northeast

July 11, 2007. A new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists anticipates major social and environmental problems for this region given current trends. The Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment highlights average temperatures projected to rise 2.5 to 4 degrees F in winter and 1.5 to 3.5 degress in summer, with cities averaging 20 days of more than 100 degrees per summer. In many states the winter season could be cut in half. Major coastal flooding will increase; fishing returns will continue to decrease. In turn, the report highlights the major role that northeastern decisionmakers can have in enacting policies and programs to address these problems. For this and other reports, see Northeast Climate Choices.

Ontario: New model for promoting local renewable energy

October 12, 2006. Toronto. Described by the Washington Post as "unique in North America," the provincial government of Ontario has "ordered local utility companies to pay homeowners or businesses for any electricity they generate from small solar, wind, water or other renewable energy projects." One of the designers of the program, Paul Gipe, calls it "the most progressive renewable energy program in 20 years in North America." In the US, he points out, some power companies allow companies to send power back to the grid, but no one is paid a premium for generating electricity. The Canadian program promises to inspire a wide range of local, grassroot-based renewable energy projects. Last March, the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association produced a news release on the program, claiming "Ontario takes a historic step towards energy future." [MS Word]

FOE study counts "Costs of Inaction" on climate

October 11, 2006. Tufts University and other researchers, commissioned by Friends of the Earth Wales/N. Ireland, have released a new study, "Climate Change: The Costs of Inaction," calculating the risks of continuing inaction on climate change. For those not persuaded by the human health and environmental costs, they might take notice of estaimated financial costs ranging from $74-137 trillion. This is important information, given the primary argument against action is that it is too "costly" for business. FOE press release.

Time for a Manhattan Project on Climate Change?

September 21, 2006. A Congressional committee hearing today, chaired by Tom Davis (R, Virgina) examined the question of establishing a major governmental body to promote and turn good technological ideas into solutions addressing the climate change threat. Testimony and other documents.

Highlander Center hosts roundtable on sustainable energy and livelihoods

September 17, 2006. New Market, Kentucky. CitNet regioners Steve Owen and Jeff Boyer, representing the Appalachian Coalition for Sustainable and Just Communities, organized and inspiring citizens roundtable on sustainable energy and livelihoods in the Appalachian region. Held at the historic Highlander Center in Kentucky, activists from North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee and other states discussed how social and economic sustainability priorities can fit with environmental sustainability in a regional strategy that generates economic security as well as confront global warming and pollution issues.

CitNet Member Recommendations to UN on Sustainable Energy

August 18, 2006. Members of CitNet's Energy and Climate Change Working Group crafted a number of recommendations in response to the call for input into the UN Secretary General's upcoming background paper on energy and climate policies for next year's 15th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development. Among other things, the paper calls policies to promote the transition of economies to a sustainable energy system based on conservation, renewables, increased efficiency and consumer awareness and support. Download paper.

California gains spotlight for state action on climate

August 18, 2006. Sacramento. Governor Arnold Schwartenegger took the spotlight today announcing a plan for caps to greenhouse gas emissions -- standing in contrast to fellow Republican President Bush, who rejects such constraints. The California Chamber of Commerce also says this is bad for the economy, driving up energy costs, while EPA Secretary Adams calls instead for a more "market-based" approach. The 2008 election will be won or lost on candidates' position on this topic, said one Republican legislator. ("California on brink of global warming breakthrough." Source: Reuters/Environmental News Network.)

UN CSD Review on Energy and Climate

May 12, 2006. New York. CitNet members joined other NGOs at the United Nations for the 14th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), held May 1-12 in New York. The first of a two-year cycle, the session engaged government delegates and representatives of business, civil society, labor unions and others in a review of progress towards sustainability on energy, climate change, atmosphere and industrial development. CitNet's citizens delegation to CSD included representatives from SustainUS, the Appalachian Coalition for Just and Sustainable Communities, and others. Official statements and interventions by NGOs, trade unions, youth and other major groups may be found here .

At the CSD, CitNet co-sponsored with the Northern Alliance for Sustainability, a side event, Sustainable Consumption and Production of Energy: Views from Civil Society .

Other Energy & Climate News and Events

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - IPCC-24
Sept. 2005

The eighth session of Working Group III (WGIII-8) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) met in Montreal,Canada from Sept 22 - 28 2005 to continue deliberations over the Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage. The members approved a Summary for Policymakers, which is available here.

After Katrina: New solutions for safe communities and a secure energy future
Sept. 2005

The Natural resources Defense Council has recently released a report titled "After Katrina: New solutions for safe communities and a secure energy future" that contains perspectives from experts on public health, toxic waste, urban design, coastal protection, energy security and global warming "to offer up a set of policies and practices to protect the safety and well-being of Gulf Coast residents -- and all Americans -- today, during the recovery period, and onward into a healthier, more sustainable future."

Global warming and hurricanes
Sept. 2005

The Union of Concerned Scientists have issued a press release that states that there is a link between climate change and the strength of hurricanes. They state that climate scientists around the world are certain that rising ocean temperatures are a result of global warming and call upon President Bush to " take action to reduce heat-trapping emissions."

Sierra Club: Bush's flawed energy plan
Aug. 2005

According to Sierra Club, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (signed into law on August 8, 2005), harms public health, the environment and consumers. In a statement released on July 27, 2005, the organization stated: "Instead of cutting America's oil dependence, boosting production of renewable energy, and lowering energy prices, this bill funnels billions of taxpayer dollars to polluting energy industries, and opens up our coastlines and wildlands to destructive oil and gas activities"
Bush's flawed energy plan

See News Archive for past news items.


Home Leadership News Calendar Projects Regions Issues Newsletters Activities Search New to CitNet? About CitNet SD Glossary Listserves Contact Us	Energy and Climate Change News Climate Neutral Network The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched a new online climate information network to help countries, cities and firms aiming to be "climate neutral" exchange ideas on ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Neutral Network will connect people around the world who have committed to become climate neutral, to share ideas. Countries, cities and companies have already committed to carbon neutrality under the UNEP project, including Costa Rica, Iceland, Norway and New Zealand. For example, Växjö, Sweden, has decided to become a 'Fossil Fuel Free" City. In 1996, there was a unanimous political decision to reduce CO2 emissions per inhabitant by at least 50% by the year 2010, compared to 1993. In 2006, the reduction was 30%. For the year 2025, the goal is 70% and the long term goal is to stop using fossil fuels. Today, over 50% of the city's energy supply comes from renewables. Anders Franzén, Development manager for Växjö wants to use the UNEP network "to share our program, vision and experience world wide". The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) has produced a Local Government Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis Protocol to provide guidance on inventorying and reporting greenhouse gas emissions for communities and government operations. Future country/regional supplements to this internationally applicable protocol will offer additional guidance on putting the protocol into practice locally. In order to facilitate dialogue and transparency, ICLEI is employing a wiki site to gather public comments until February 29, 2008. To register for access to the wiki, visit www.iclei.org/ghgprotocol. Alternatively, comments can be emailed to ghgprotocol@iclei.org. See a recent article by Tom Athanasiou from EcoEquity - Towards a Defensible Climate Realism - recently published by Foreign Policy in Focus. Investment summit on climate risk Feb. 14, 2008, New York. At an Investor Summit on Climate Risk hosted by Ceres and the United Nations Foundation, nearly 50 leading U.S. and European institutional investors managing over $1.75 trillion in assets released a climate change action plan at the United Nations that will boost investments in energy efficiency and clean energy technologies and require tougher scrutiny of carbon-intensive investments that may pose long-term financial risks. Signatories to the action plan included state treasurers, controllers, pension fund leaders, asset managers and foundations from London, California, Florida, New York, Connecticut, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and a dozen other states. Webcasts of the summit and press conference are available. UN holds high-level discussion on climate change Feb. 11, 2008, New York. The UN General Assembly held a high-level discussion on climate change at United Nations headquarters last week. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the 3-day meeting on Monday, February 11 saying that if 2007 was the year when climate change rose to the top of the global agenda - with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change making it clear that climate change was already happening and accelerating - then 2008 was the time for concerted action to follow up on the powerful declarations of political will voiced at the Bali Climate Change Conference last December. In Bali, countries agreed to launch negotiations on a new international climate change agreement by the end of 2009. “The challenge is huge. We have less than two years to craft an agreement on action that measures up to what the science tells us. It will have to map out emission limitation commitments; agree on essential action to adapt to the impacts of climate change; and mobilize the necessary financing and technological innovations.” EPA Director Called Before Senate EPA Director Stephen L. Johnson was called before Senate Committee to explain his decision to deny California a waiver under the Clean Air Act The EPA Director refused to offer specific technical information that led to his decision or answer questions surrounding the timing of his decision and speculation about White House pressure to deny the waiver. A letter signed by EPA union officers, representing thousands of EPA employees, was sent to Administrator Johnson expressing concern that a large part of the American public believes the White House motivated the decision to deny California's waiver, ignoring a reportedly unanimous favorable recommendation by the agency's legal and technical staff. National webcasts on global warming Face It, an Architecture 2030 national webcast, focuses on solutions to global warming. Face It is sponsoring two competitions with $20,000 in prize money. The 2% Solution with Edward Norton, Stephen Schneider, Van Jones, and Hunter Lovins State of the Union January 2008 - Energy and Climate President Bush on Increasing Our Energy Security And Confronting Climate Change Excerpts from a Preview of the State of the Union Address circulated Monday January 28: Tonight, President Bush will call on Congress to work with him on the next steps to improve our energy security and confront the challenge of climate change without undermining economic growth. Last month, the President signed an energy bill that will help cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce U.S. dependence on oil, which harms America economically through high prices at the gas pump. We must continue changing the way America generates electric power through even greater use of *clean coal technology, solar and wind energy, and clean, safe nuclear power.* President Bush: * seeks to fund new technologies that can produce power from coal with significantly lower carbon emissions * supports an increase in the use of nuclear power as a clean, safe, and affordable alternative energy source * urges Congress to pass legislation that opens access to domestic energy sources in the Outer Continental Shelf and Alaska and that protects America against supply disruptions by doubling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. * is dedicated to strong growth in renewable electricity generation. The President’s Solar America Initiative – launched in 2006 – doubled U.S. investment in solar energy. * is committing *$2 billion over the next three years to create a new international clean energy technology fund* to help confront climate change worldwide. Along with contributions from other countries, this fund will increase and accelerate the deployment of all forms of cleaner, more efficient technologies in developing nations like India and China, and help leverage substantial private-sector capital by making clean energy projects more financially attractive. To complement the new international clean technology fund, the United States and the European Union have jointly proposed in the WTO to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers to clean energy and environmental technologies and services. The President will reaffirm the United States' *commitment to work with major economies and through the UN to complete an international agreement* that will slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gases. This agreement will be effective only if it includes commitments by every major economy and gives none a free ride. *This week, the United States will host the second Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change. President Bush announced this initiative in May 2007 to work with all of the world's largest energy users, including both developed and developing nations, to produce a detailed contribution from the leaders of these countries to help establish an international agreement by 2009 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Mixed results from Bali convention Delegates rise to applaud the decision to adopt the "Bali roadmap" for a future international agreement on climate change.* 18 December, 2007, Bali, Indonesia. At the end of 2 weeks of contentious negotiations, Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) announced: "We now have a roadmap, we have an agenda and we have a deadline." "But we also have a huge task ahead of us and time to reach agreement is extremely short, so we need to move quickly." The Bali Plan of Action will lead governments towards new treaty provisions to cover the period 2012 to 2016, after the current Kyoto Protocol expires. Many of the thousands of delegates and activists who gathered in Bali for the UN Climate Change Conference were disappointed by the relatively modest accomplishments achieved, especially in light of the urgency of the climate-related problems detailed by scientists in the latest reports of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The IPCC reports warn that climate change has already begun, and that increasing temperature increases will cause rises in sea levels, acidification of the oceans, droughts, floods, and serious ecological damage to the planet - unless global emissions of greenhouse gases peak start to decline dramatically within 10 to 15 years. US negotiators said they recognized the seriousness of the scientific reports . Yet they were reluctant to even talk about specific commitments or actions to cut emissions in the post-Kyoto period. The EU - and other industrialized countries that made binding commitments to emission reductions under the Kyoto Protocol - agreed to cut their emissions by between 25 and 40 percent by 2020. The EU, led by Germany, pressed unsuccessfully for a similar commitment by the US, which earlier backed out of the Kyoto Protocol. Instead, the US handed out invitations to its own parallel process discussing voluntary measures to be taken by the governments of "major economies" (including China and India, which will soon surpass the US in total - but not per capita - greenhouse gas emissions). Towards the end of the conference, Al Gore arrived in Bali - after accepting the Nobel peace prize , along with the scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In a passionate speech, he said that the US was principally responsible for blocking progress on battling climate change at Bali, and urged the delegations to agree on language that could be build upon after a new US administration is in place in January 2009. (The agreement for the post-Kyoto agreement is expected to be finalized by 2009, so it can be ratified by governments and enter into force by 2012.) The governments of developing countries are also reluctant to undertake binding emission limits, because they need economic growth to rise out of poverty, and because they perceive that the US is not taking the lead on reducing its own climate emissions. Su Wei, a member of the Chinese delegation said, "I just wonder whether it's fair to ask developing countries like China to take on binding targets," Su said Friday. " I think there is much room for the United States to think whether it's possible to change (its) lifestyle and consumption patterns in order to contribute to the protection of the global climate ." Though not agreeing to binding emissions limits, China was widely viewed as a positive force at the conference. Developing countries expressed their willingness to pursue more carbon-friendly development strategies. But they also sought commitments from developed countries on transfers of clean technologies to help them cut emissions, and funding from industrialised states to help them adapt to the threats of rising seas, more frequent extreme weather events, falling crop yields and increased migration. In overnight talks lasting beyond the planned Friday deadline, India (representing the group of developing countries and China) presented draft language committing themselves to ' nationally appropriate mitigation actions' in the context of sustainable development, if they were supported by developed countries with technology and enabled by finance and capacity building 'in a measurable, reportable and verifiable manner'. This text was supported by the EU, but the US delegation would not agree - and was thereupon loudly booed by the other delegations, in an unprecedented show of undiplomatic behavior. After Japan made a noncommittal statement, and Canada and Australia remained silent, the head of the US delegation, Paula Dobriansky relented, saying, "We will join the consensus." However, shortly afterwards the White House began a voicing reservations. A White House official told of "serious concerns" that the agreement had let developing countries off too lightly in their commitments to cut emissions, saying "Emissions reductions principally by the developed world will be insufficient to confront the global problem effectively." European officials expressed astonishment at this, saying the US delegation was in near-continuous contact with Washington in the final hours of negotiations, even while agreeing to the wording of the text that described developing countries' future obligations. "It's extraordinary to try to go back on this." Later, a senior US official told the Financial Times: "I would not regard the White House statement as backing away from the consensus." He said, "it is focused on what has to happen next." - Prepared by Gail Karlsson. Perspectives on the Bali meeting December 2007. A range of views can be found regarding efforts towards a post-Kyoto deal for climate action after 2012. Following is a sample of those views: Earth Negotiations Bulletin International Chamber of Commerce Forbes Science Daily Nature BBC News Christian Science Monitor New York Times The Guardian Der Spiegel The Economist International Herald Tribune Climate Action Network Nature Conservancy Global Climate Campaign MCPL Save the Planet Series Just outside of Washington, DC, Montgomery County Public Libraries will host a series of programs designed to heighten awareness and encourage dialogue among Montgomery County residents on the issues of climate change and global warming. On October 11, 2007, 7 - 9 pm, Make Your Voice Heard: From Awareness To Action explores ways residents can participate in being part of the solution to the climate crisis. UN Meeting on Climate Change On September 24, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened an international meeting "The Future in Our Hands: Addressing the Leadership Challenge of Climate Change." Attended by 150 countries, it was an historic event, the largest high-level gathering on climate change ever, with over 80 heads of state and government. The meeting was not intended for negotiations; instead it was to test the political will and commitment of leaders to respond to climate change. The S-G hoped to prepare the way for a strong binding emissions reduction agreement when negotiations begin in Bali in December on international action to follow the current Kyoto Protocol period that ends in 2012. The Kyoto Protocol was signed by the US (by Al Gore), but never ratified by the US Senate, and President Bush pronounced it 'dead' shortly after he took office. However, much work has been done at the state level since then. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke of what his state has done and is doing and encouraged world leaders to take action now. His presence and strong message underscored the absence of President Bush, who sent Condoleezza Rice in his place for the day. Bush only came for the dinner. However, France's President Nicholas Sarkozy and Germany's Chancellor Angelika Merkel stood side by side with the lesser-known presidents of tiny and poor countries, as each spoke of his or her own nation's experience with climate change, proposals for needed assistance, and reminders of the environmental debt due by the north to the south. Small island states and African countries clearly brought home the cost to them in human lives and environmental damage from global warming. Wrapping up the day, the Secretary-General declared: "Today I heard a clear call from world leaders for a breakthrough on climate change in Bali. And I now believe we have a major political commitment to achieving that." (From a report by CitNet correspondent R.C.) Secretary-General's address to the High-Level Event on Climate Change Secretary-General's Remarks Following the Dinner Summary of the High-Level Event on Climate Change Press conference by international environmental groups President Bush holds climate change meeting in Washington On September 27 and 28, President Bush held his own climate change meeting in Washington with leaders of the top climate-polluting countries, including the major industrialized countries plus India and China. The meeting was supposed to set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but US officials still refused to consider mandatory targets, which other world leaders agree are necessary to prevent dangerous levels of global warming. Secretary of State Rice opened the meeting with an admission that "climate change is a real problem and that human beings are contributing to it", but insisted that "We must be committed to addressing climate change in a way that does not starve economies of the energy that they need to grow and that does not widen the already significant income gap between developed and developing nations." The US Council on Economic Quality Chairman, James Connaughton, added that "It is expected that emissions coming from the major emerging economies will exceed those of the major developed economies within this coming decade. The UN climate change coordinator, Yvo de Boer, said that while "further engagement" of developing countries is needed, "a response to climate change can only be successful if it entails industrialized countries continuing to take the lead in reducing emissions." President Bush emphasized achieving emissions reductions through increased use of advanced clean technologies and other voluntary steps to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. He also proposed the creation of a new international clean technology fund to help developing nations harness the power of clean energy technologies. Other leaders were concerned that the US was trying to undermine the UN negotiating process on future actions under the international UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which the US did ratify. US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement: "As the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, the United States must lead by example and take the necessary steps to reduce greenhouse gases. An effective initiative must be based on mandatory standards to protect our planet, not the voluntary goals and incremental approach supported by the Administration...I hope that his efforts will not be used to circumvent the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali." White House fact sheet containing most major points from Bush speech Rice and Connaughton's remarks More information from the US Climate Action Network Important Meetings on Climate Change and Energy in September On September 24, 2007 there will be a high-level United Nations meeting on climate change in New York as world leaders gather for the UN General Assembly. On September 27-28, President Bush's meeting in Washington with leaders of the 'big polluters' - industrialized countries plus India and China. His proposals include more voluntary measures and additional subsidies for “clean coal” and nuclear energy. Meetings Earlier in September Environmental groups and other citizens organizations had their own meetings in NY and DC to discuss upcoming international meetings, pending national legislation, regional initiatives, and proposed action campaigns. September 5-7 at UN Headquarters in New York , at the annual international gathering of NGOs, the topic was "*Climate Change: How It Impacts Us All." The conference focused on the facilitation of individual action plans that address the growing concerns associated with climate change and its profound and decisive impact on human well-being. Even though many NGOs deal with issues that do not seem directly related to global warming or environmental issues, participants agreed that networking will be crucial to dealing with climate change. They adopted a Declaration to provide a framework for action and collaborative networking. The UN Secretary-General urged NGOs to work together to build grassroots support for a breakthrough climate agreement. September 10-12, US Climate Action Network annual meeting in Washington* US Climate Action brought together Washington lobbyists and state representatives belonging to the network for a briefing on energy and climate change bills, updates on regional activities, and planning for coordinated activities to support national legislation and binding action at the international level in preparation for the December meeting of the parties to the UN climate change treaty in Bali. Interesting grassroots actions discussed at the meeting included: The new One Sky campaign Focus the Nation teach-ins at schools National Wildlife Federation outreach The Citizens Network for Sustainable Development (CitNet) is participating in local, national and international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, and is asking responsible citizens to: 1. Inform and educate yourself about the impacts of your energy choices. 2. Change the ways you consume energy. 3. Challenge and support local and state leaders to change the ways energy is produced and distributed in and for your community. 4. Elect and support national leaders who will develop and implement a National Sustainable Energy Strategy. 5. Participate in a public national dialogue on our energy future. New York State is doing its part *Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced subpoenas of 5 power companies* - AES Corporation, Dominion, Dynegy, Peabody Energy and Xcel Energy - about risks from proposed new coal-fired power plants questioning whether their plans to build these plants pose undisclosed financial risks that their investors should know about. This is an unusual use of a securities law. In letters accompanying the subpoenas, the attorney general’s office asked whether investors received adequate information about the potential financial liabilities of carbon dioxide emissions that exacerbate climate change, stating that “Any one of the several new or likely regulatory initiatives for CO2 emissions from power plants — including state carbon controls, E.P.A.’s regulations under the Clean Air Act, or the enactment of federal global warming legislation — would add a significant cost to carbon-intensive coal generation.” *Governor Spitzer has proposed state incentives for construction of green homes* for incorporating energy reduction measures and other environmentally friendly features. The amount of the incentive will be based on the size of the home, with a cap of $10,000 per home. Earlier this year, Governor Spitzer unveiled his “15 x 15” plan to reduce energy use by 15 percent from forecasted levels by the year 2015, through new energy efficiency programs. Impacts of climate on northeast July 11, 2007. A new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists anticipates major social and environmental problems for this region given current trends. The Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment highlights average temperatures projected to rise 2.5 to 4 degrees F in winter and 1.5 to 3.5 degress in summer, with cities averaging 20 days of more than 100 degrees per summer. In many states the winter season could be cut in half. Major coastal flooding will increase; fishing returns will continue to decrease. In turn, the report highlights the major role that northeastern decisionmakers can have in enacting policies and programs to address these problems. For this and other reports, see Northeast Climate Choices. Ontario: New model for promoting local renewable energy October 12, 2006. Toronto. Described by the Washington Post as "unique in North America," the provincial government of Ontario has "ordered local utility companies to pay homeowners or businesses for any electricity they generate from small solar, wind, water or other renewable energy projects." One of the designers of the program, Paul Gipe, calls it "the most progressive renewable energy program in 20 years in North America." In the US, he points out, some power companies allow companies to send power back to the grid, but no one is paid a premium for generating electricity. The Canadian program promises to inspire a wide range of local, grassroot-based renewable energy projects. Last March, the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association produced a news release on the program, claiming "Ontario takes a historic step towards energy future." [MS Word] FOE study counts "Costs of Inaction" on climate October 11, 2006. Tufts University and other researchers, commissioned by Friends of the Earth Wales/N. Ireland, have released a new study, "Climate Change: The Costs of Inaction," calculating the risks of continuing inaction on climate change. For those not persuaded by the human health and environmental costs, they might take notice of estaimated financial costs ranging from $74-137 trillion. This is important information, given the primary argument against action is that it is too "costly" for business. FOE press release. Time for a Manhattan Project on Climate Change? September 21, 2006. A Congressional committee hearing today, chaired by Tom Davis (R, Virgina) examined the question of establishing a major governmental body to promote and turn good technological ideas into solutions addressing the climate change threat. Testimony and other documents. Highlander Center hosts roundtable on sustainable energy and livelihoods September 17, 2006. New Market, Kentucky. CitNet regioners Steve Owen and Jeff Boyer, representing the Appalachian Coalition for Sustainable and Just Communities, organized and inspiring citizens roundtable on sustainable energy and livelihoods in the Appalachian region. Held at the historic Highlander Center in Kentucky, activists from North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee and other states discussed how social and economic sustainability priorities can fit with environmental sustainability in a regional strategy that generates economic security as well as confront global warming and pollution issues. CitNet Member Recommendations to UN on Sustainable Energy August 18, 2006. Members of CitNet's Energy and Climate Change Working Group crafted a number of recommendations in response to the call for input into the UN Secretary General's upcoming background paper on energy and climate policies for next year's 15th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development. Among other things, the paper calls policies to promote the transition of economies to a sustainable energy system based on conservation, renewables, increased efficiency and consumer awareness and support. Download paper. California gains spotlight for state action on climate August 18, 2006. Sacramento. Governor Arnold Schwartenegger took the spotlight today announcing a plan for caps to greenhouse gas emissions -- standing in contrast to fellow Republican President Bush, who rejects such constraints. The California Chamber of Commerce also says this is bad for the economy, driving up energy costs, while EPA Secretary Adams calls instead for a more "market-based" approach. The 2008 election will be won or lost on candidates' position on this topic, said one Republican legislator. ("California on brink of global warming breakthrough." Source: Reuters/Environmental News Network.) UN CSD Review on Energy and Climate May 12, 2006. New York. CitNet members joined other NGOs at the United Nations for the 14th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), held May 1-12 in New York. The first of a two-year cycle, the session engaged government delegates and representatives of business, civil society, labor unions and others in a review of progress towards sustainability on energy, climate change, atmosphere and industrial development. CitNet's citizens delegation to CSD included representatives from SustainUS, the Appalachian Coalition for Just and Sustainable Communities, and others. Official statements and interventions by NGOs, trade unions, youth and other major groups may be found here . At the CSD, CitNet co-sponsored with the Northern Alliance for Sustainability, a side event, Sustainable Consumption and Production of Energy: Views from Civil Society . Other Energy & Climate News and Events Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - IPCC-24 Sept. 2005 The eighth session of Working Group III (WGIII-8) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) met in Montreal,Canada from Sept 22 - 28 2005 to continue deliberations over the Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage. The members approved a Summary for Policymakers, which is available here. After Katrina: New solutions for safe communities and a secure energy future Sept. 2005 The Natural resources Defense Council has recently released a report titled "After Katrina: New solutions for safe communities and a secure energy future" that contains perspectives from experts on public health, toxic waste, urban design, coastal protection, energy security and global warming "to offer up a set of policies and practices to protect the safety and well-being of Gulf Coast residents -- and all Americans -- today, during the recovery period, and onward into a healthier, more sustainable future." Global warming and hurricanes Sept. 2005 The Union of Concerned Scientists have issued a press release that states that there is a link between climate change and the strength of hurricanes. They state that climate scientists around the world are certain that rising ocean temperatures are a result of global warming and call upon President Bush to " take action to reduce heat-trapping emissions." Sierra Club: Bush's flawed energy plan Aug. 2005 According to Sierra Club, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (signed into law on August 8, 2005), harms public health, the environment and consumers. In a statement released on July 27, 2005, the organization stated: "Instead of cutting America's oil dependence, boosting production of renewable energy, and lowering energy prices, this bill funnels billions of taxpayer dollars to polluting energy industries, and opens up our coastlines and wildlands to destructive oil and gas activities" Bush's flawed energy plan See News Archive for past news items.	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