Here are a few articles of research regarding the Climate Treaty negociations in Copenhagen this December:
1. Background to COP15 and emissions trading.
2. Who's who of Copenhagen.
3. Reclaim power! Pushing for climate justice - a call to action.
4. 15th UN Climate Conference. 1. Background to Copenhagen COP15
The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that the earth’s average temperature has risen to 0.74 degrees Celsius over the last century, and that average temperature will continue to rise.
The greenhouse effect is caused by a range of different gases in the earth’s atmosphere. Water vapour makes the most significant contribution to the greenhouse effect, followed by CO2. The atmospheric content of greenhouse gases – in particular CO2 – and the consequences for the climate are being discussed because the content of these gases in the atmosphere has risen precipitously in a period covering approximately the latest 250 years, and especially the last 50.
At present the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is about 385 ppm (parts per million). Before industrialization it was about 280 ppm. Analyses of air contained in ice from the Antarctic ice cap show that there is far more CO2 in the air today than at any time in the last 650,000 years.
The extent and duration of this rise, and the severity of its consequence, depend on how quickly and how effectively emissions of greenhouse gases can be restricted and reduced.
In order to address this global problem a United Nations “Earth Summit” was held in Rio De Janeiro in June 1992, which produced the United nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The parties to the convention have met annually since 1995 in Conferences of Parties (COP) to assess progress in dealing with climate change.
In 1997, they established the Kyoto Protocol to establish legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Parties to the Convention that are not parties to the Protocol can participate in Protocol-related meetings as observers. The USA is one such observer as it refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. 184 countries signed up. Yet very little improvement has been seen on the issue of climate change and the myriad factors that drive it – social policies, economic growth, trade mechanisms...
The next Conference of Parties, COP15, will be held in Copenhagen from December 7th until December 18th 2009. The overall goal for the COP15 is to establish an ambitious global climate agreement for the period from 2012 onwards (when Kyoto expires). Ministers and officials from 192 countries will participate and there will also be many NGOs present. The timing is urgent. This could be the last chance to finally institute a globally recognised policy that will set the earth’s nations on a path towards an ecologically-sound future. We will look at what this agreement involves, how it will affect Ireland and the potential problems that may scupper hopes of progress on the immense problem of climate change.
Emissions trading
Emissions (or more specifically Carbon) Trading is an administrative approach used to control the volume of greenhouse gases released by providing economic incentives to reduce and minimize output.
A central authority places a limit on the total amount that can be emitted. Each company is given a certain allowance. Companies that need to increase their emission allowance must be credits from those who pollute less. This transfer is referred to ass a trade. The effect of this is that the buyer is paying a penalty for polluting while the less-polluting seller is rewarded. So, in theory, those who can reduce emissions most cheaply will do so, achieving emissions reduction at the lowest cost to society.
Carbon dioxide becomes a commodity whose market value can fluctuate like any other.
However the impact of CO2 on the climate always remains high. The overall amount of emissions doe not necessarily decline because those who pollute less simply sell their “credits” to those who do. There is little incentive to reduce overall emissions because easy profits can be made by trading carbon. Additionally governments may mis-allocate permits, thereby reducing the market value of carbon and creating an even greater disincentive to lower the emissions at source.
Market analyst Franck Schuttellar estimated that in the scheme's first year, the UK's most polluting industries earned collectively £940m ($1,792m) in windfall profits from generous ETS allocations.The polluters do not reduce their negative impact on the planet; they merely mortgage the future of humanity for their own profit.
Those who stand to profit from climate change policy do the utmost to guide it in their favour through lobbying, corporate donations and coercion. Nothing changes. So long as the biggest polluters can offset and get out of jail free in the name of market economics, all of us suffer, especially the less-privileged peoples of the world.
The accounting rules of offsetting don’t really work. They ignore the all-important factors of human and natural welfare, species extinction and social justice. Not all choices can be based on calculations of monetary value. We need a new deal. We need a deal that takes a long-term view of the problem; that recognises the need to leave fossil-fuels in the ground; that institutes a society that values justice and fairness before profits.
Emissions trading simply distracts us from the fact that there is no “business as usual” solution to the global problem of climate change. We urgently need solutions that make polluters pay strict penalties on every level - from community to local to national to international. It is time to realise that economic growth and the free market do not liberate humanity or create a secure future.
2. The who's who of Copenhagen.
192 countries
5 observer states, including Somalia, Iraq, Andorra and the Holy See
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Development Minister Ulla Tørnæs to contact UN so the Maldives can attend climate conference
Representatives from the flood-prone Maldives will now be able to attend the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15) this December thanks to the UN participation fund.
The country’s President Mohamed Nasheed told reporters yesterday they don’t have sufficient funds to cover the cost of attending the conference, despite the island state being one of the most susceptible to climate change.The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change previously issued conservative estimates of sea levels rising by up to 59 centimetres by 2100.
The majority of the islands that make up the Maldives lie less than one metre about sea level.The UN has already set up a trust fund to help smaller nations participate in the climate meetings. Just last month, Denmark gave an additional grant of 9.5 million kroner to the fund, making it one of the largest contributors to date.The fund will cover the attendance at the Copenhagen conference for two delegates from developing countries and three from the least developed countries as well as small island nations. The Maldives falls under the latter category.
Development Minister Ulla Tørnæs told The Copenhagen Post that she will be contacting the UN to make sure that the Maldives is aware it is covered by the fund.She said Nasheed’s statement was a misunderstanding and said it is likely that three of the country’s representatives will be able to attend.‘Of course it is very, very important that the most vulnerable countries are able to be represented at the conference,’ said Tørnæs.According to the Tørnæs, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Australia are among the top contributors, each giving between $750,000 and $2 million to the fund so far.-
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Roster of ‘experts’ attending COP15
INCLUDING:
IRL (5)
Paul Duffy, Scientific Officer, EPABernard Hyde, Scientific Officer, EPAMichael McGettigan, Senior Scientific Officer, EPAJohn Fitzgerald, Research Officer, ESRI
UK (23)
WJ Blyth, Director, Oxford Energy AssociatesLaura Cardenas, Institute of Grassland and Environmental ResearchChristopher John Dore, UK Emissions Inventory Programme Director, AEA Technology plc
CHINA (39)
Ying Chen, Deputy Director, Institute of World Economics and Politics, CASXiaosu Dai, Associate Professor National Climate Centre, China Meteorological AdministrationXuejie Gao, Associated Researcher, National Climate Centre
USA (60)
Samuel Baldwin, Chief Technology Officer, US Department of EnergyRichard Birdsey, Biological Scientist, US Dept of Agriculture, US Forest ServiceKatherine Buckley, Program Manager for Air and Climate4 Change, US EPAChrista Clapp, Economist, US EPAChristopher Elvidge, Physical Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationJohn Furlow, Climate Change Specialist, US Agency for International Development Kevin Green, Chief, US Dept of TransportationMohan Gupta, Operations Research Analyst, Federal Aviation Administration
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NGOs
Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
CIFOR advances human wellbeing, environmental conservation and equity by conducting research to inform policies and practices that affect forests in developing countries. CIFOR is one of 15 centres within the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Forest Day 3 takes place on Sunday, December 2009 in Copenhagen Radisson SAS Hotel Climate Consortium DenmarkClimate Consortium Denmark is the official focal point for all Danish business-related activities leading up to the UN Climate Change Conference, COP15, in Copenhagen in 2009. On this website, you can find climate and environment related events in the calendar, find information about EnergyMap.dk - a complete web based guide to climate solutions, sign up for the newsletter and read more about the Climate Consortium’s initiatives, work and organisational structure.
H.R.H. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark is the patron of Climate Consortium Denmark. The International Union of Railways (UIC), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the global conservation organization WWF today launched the symbolic one-month and nearly 9,000 kilometer-long train journey from Kyoto to Copenhagen to document the impacts of climate change and raise awareness of low-carbon transport solutions.
The project is done in partnership with the Seal the Deal! campaign led by the United Nations to galvanize political will and public support for reaching a comprehensive global climate agreement at the UN climate change conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen in December this year.
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IGOs (Intergovernmental Organisations)
African Development BankAssociation of Natural Rubber Producing CountriesCaribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC)Commonwealth FoundationEuropean Free Trade AssociationEuropean Space AgencyGlobal Biodeiversity Information FacilityGlobal Water Partnership OrganisationInternationl Centre for Research in AgroforestryInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesOPEC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
POLITICIANS
IRL: John Gormley
UK: Ed Milliband
Obama accepts Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, on December 10thThe US has been participating much more heavily in the Kyoto discussions even though it only has observer status and obviously there are many countries that want to know what the views of the US are, including the EU, so this has been welcomed. That said, the US is committing the majority of its effort elsewhere. It was telling that even before the end of the first week Jonathan Pershing (head of the US climate change delegation) left Bonn to join the chief US trade negotiator in Beijing to continue bilateral discussions with China on the subject.
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EU OFFICIALS
Yvo de Boer, UNFCCC Executive SecretaryBan Ki-Moon (?is he actually attending?)
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CORPORATE SPONSORS
Honda, BMWC, iscoDHLDeloitte, Volvo, Mercedes
In line with the overall aim of securing a climate friendly Climate Conference, the Danish Government has decided not to give any gifts or conference-kits for COP15 participants.
The resources saved is instead used to create the ‘COP15 Climate Scholarship', which gives a number of international students the opportunity to pursue a masters degree within climate change studies at a university in Denmark.
UNITED NATIONS PARTNERS IN CLIMATE CHANGE
World BankWorld Health OrganisationIMFIntergovernmental Panel on Climate ChangeInternational Strategy for Disaster ReductionUnited Nations University
3. Reclaim power! Pushing for climate justice - a call to action.
by the Climate Justice Action network From the 7th to 18th of December 2009, the largest ‘climate summit’ ever to be held will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark. This summit has been billed as our ‘last, best hope’ to do something about climate change. But the UN talks will not solve the climate crisis. We are no closer to reducing greenhouse gas emissions than we were when negotiations began fifteen years ago: emissions continue to rise at ever faster rates, while carbon trading allows climate criminals to pollute and profit. It is time to say enough! No more business as usual, no more false solutions!
Reclaiming power from below On the 16th of December, at the start of the high-level ‘ministerial’ phase of the two-week summit, we, the movements for global justice, will take over the conference for one day and transform it into a People’s Summit for Climate Justice. Using only the force of our bodies to achieve our goal, our Reclaim Power! march will push into the conference area and enter the building, disrupt the sessions and use the space to talk about our agenda, an agenda from below, an agenda of climate justice, of real solutions against their false ones. Our action is one of civil disobedience: we will overcome any physical barriers that stand in our way – but we will not respond with violence if the police try to escalate the situation. Change the system, not the climate! Our goal is not to shut down the entire summit. But this day will be ours, it will be the day we speak for ourselves and set the agenda: climate justice now! We cannot trust the market with our future, nor put our faith in unsafe, unproven and unsustainable technologies. We know that on a finite planet, it is impossible to have infinite growth – ‘green’ or otherwise. Instead of trying to fix a destructive system, we are advancing alternatives that provide real and just solutions to the climate crisis: leaving fossil fuels in the ground; reasserting peoples’ and community control over resources; relocalising food production; reducing overconsumption, particularly in the North; recognising the ecological and climate debt owed to the peoples of the South and making reparations; and respecting indigenous and forest peoples’ rights. Global movements for climate justice Ten years ago at the protests against the WTO in Seattle, a global movement emerged to proclaim that another world was possible. Today, this world is not just possible – it is necessary. In Copenhagen, we will come together from many different backgrounds and movements, experiences and struggles.
We are indigenous peoples and farmers, workers and environmentalists, feminists and anticapitalists. Now, our diverse struggles for social and ecological justice are finding common ground in the struggle for climate justice, and in our desire to reclaim power over our own future. Get involved – join our climate justice action! - Join the Reclaim Power! action in Copenhagen – and spread the word! We want to generate a sense of excitement, we want our actions to resonate around the world, and the way to do that is through countless individuals, groups and movements declaring their intention to take part.
- Organise events where you live. Get in touch if you want to invite someone to report on the Reclaim Power! action and the issues at the heart of our protest
Reclaim Power! Pushing for Climate Justice is organised by Climate Justice Action (Climate Camps from many countries are part of Climate Justice Action).
For more information, regular updates on CJA’s meetings and actions, and for news about the global struggles for climate justice, go to our website.
www.climate-justice-action.org
4. Fifteenth UN Climate Conference Copenhagen 7th - 18th of December, 2009
We stand at a crossroads. The facts are clear. Global climate change, caused by human activities, is happening, threatening the lives and livelihoods of billions of people and the existence of millions of species. Social movements, environmental groups, and scientists from all over the world are calling for urgent and radical action on climate change.
Between the 7th and 18th of December, 2009 the governments of the world will come to Copenhagen for the fifteenth UN Climate Conference (COP-15). This will be the biggest summit on climate change ever to have taken place.
Yet, previous meetings have produced nothing more than business as usual.There are alternatives to the current course that is emphasizing false solutions such as market-based approaches and agro--fuels.
If we put humanity before profit and solidarity above competition we can live amazing lives without destroying our planet. We need to leave fossil fuels in the ground. Instead we must invest in community-controlled renewable energy. We must stop over-production for over-consumption.
All should have equal access to the global commons through community control and sovereignty over energy, forests, land and water. And of course we must acknowledge the historical responsibility of the global elite and rich Global North for causing this crisis.
Equity between North and South is essential.
Climate change is already impacting people, particularly women, indigenous and forest-dependent peoples, small farmers, marginalized communities and impoverished neighbourhoods who are also calling for action on climate- and social justice.
This call was taken up by activists and organizations from 21 countries that came together in Copenhagen over the weekend of 13-14 September, 2008 to begin discussions for a mobilization in Copenhagen during the UN's 2009 climate conference.The 30th of November, 2009 is also the tenth anniversary of the World Trade Organization (WTO) shutdown in Seattle, which shows the power of globally coordinated social movements.We call on all peoples around the planet to mobilize and take action against the root causes of climate change and the key agents responsible both in Copenhagen and around the world.
This mobilization begins now, until the COP-15 summit, and beyond. The mobilizations in Copenhagen and around the world are still in the planning stages. We have time to collectively decide what these mobilizations will look like, and to begin to visualize what our future can be. Get involved!We encourage everyone to start mobilizing today in your own neighbourhoods and communities. It is time to take the power back. The power is in our hands. Hope is not just a feeling, it is also about taking action. Reclaim Power! Pushing for Climate Justice |
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