Day: 08/12/2015

Paris Climate Talks – Final Draft Deadline Wednesday 1 pm CET

Stephen CLIMATE CHANGE/GLOBAL WARMING, Energy, ENVIRONMENT, global warming, News, sustainability , , , , , , ,
cop21 logo smlParis Accord Final Draft Due Wednesday
COP21 President Fabius sets deadline for a clean text by 1 pm Wed in Comité de Paris plenary this evening.Clean text means removing most (90%?) of the 600 to 800 brackets currently in the draft. (Read it here)

Fabius still believes that the Accord can be finalized and voted on by Friday  6 pm.

Loss and Damage Impasse?
Late Tuesday in the second Comité de Paris plenary a facilitator reported the loss and damage mechanism – called the “Warsaw Mechanism” — could not be resolved.Loss and Damage is the third pillar of the Paris Accord and pertains to current and ongoing climate impacts. Those impacts result in both economic and non-economic losses, including the growing issue of climate refugees, people who are forced to move because their homelands can no longer support them.

The US and other countries are very concerned this may open the door to liability claims.

This is just one of handful of issues. No one will get much sleep in Paris tonight.

Paris Climate Talks – Fossil Fuel Subsidies Called “Absurd”

Stephen CLIMATE CHANGE/GLOBAL WARMING, Energy, global warming, News, Science , , , , , , ,
 

 

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“A price on carbon and fossil fuel subsidies are two opposing forces.”  — Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency  Credit: IISD

At the “Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Climate Change” side event last evening a range of energy experts said continuing to pour  hundreds of billions of dollars of public money into subsidizing fossil fuels was “absurd”, “incoherent”, “unacceptable” and more.

Only 3% of Fossil Fuel Subsidies reaches the poorest 20% of households, said Felipe Calderón, Chair, Global Commission on Economy and Climate.  As often claimed these subsidies do not help poor families nor improve energy access he said.

A few more comments and some startling facts:

The carbon price in Europe is approximately US$10, yet incentives for fossil fuel use, equate to a global average of US$110 per tonne of carbon…an “absurd situation” …

— Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Association (IEA)

Each hour, US$8 million is spent on Fossil Fuel Subsidies

–Scott Vaughan, President, IISD

 Fossil Fuel Subsidies amount to five times the global annual climate finance commitment of US$100 billion.

— Børge Brende, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway

…partial phase out of Fossil Fuel Subsidies would generate 12 percent of the global abatement needed by 2020 to achieve a 2ºC pathway.

— Doris Leuthard, Head, Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, Switzerland

First published on the Climate News Mosaic Paris Climate Talks Live Blog available here:

Paris Climate Talks – Short Cut to Success?

Stephen CLIMATE CHANGE/GLOBAL WARMING, global warming, News, sustainability , , , , , ,
cop21 logo smlComité de Paris Reveals Significant Disagreements Remain
Special “Paris Committee” (Comité de Paris) created last Saturday evening to sort out the disputed parts of a potential Paris Accord at COP 21.

It is comprised of 14 ministers from various countries have split the draft accord into four key issues . Monday night facilitators reported mostly progress and good will.

However when the floor was opened some countries raised questions and concerns about both the contents of the draft agreement and the openness and transparency of the Comité de Paris process. This included requests for more detailed word by word negotiation.

However a final draft must be completed in 48 hours reminded Laurent Fabius, COP 21 President.

It is unlikely that all contested issues will be sorted by end of day Tuesday say observers.

“A line by line negotiation is not feasible” –Miguel Arias Cañete, Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, European Commission representing the EU said late Monday evening.