Optimism and resolve at the COP 20 climate talks.
The UN’s Lima COP20 conference stands up very well in its final days against those who doubt or scorn international efforts to reduce climate impacts. It’s not just a lot of hot air. The congruence of international climate experts and decisionmakers is allowing organizations public and private, worldwide, to focus on exploring new solutions and filling critical information gaps.
It looks to this observer as if most everyone here in Lima—and that’s representatives of close to 100% of the nations of the world—realizes that in sharing climate action, we can also share prosperity, at no one’s expense and to everyone’s benefit. Other commenters have described the movement as a new political will. Developing countries are beginning to achieve a higher level of trust in the “rich” nations of the world. The developed countries, which cause the most global pollution, have mostly come through with emissions and financing pledges that seem more just, fair, equitable, and attainable than the vaguer commitments of the past.
Real progress, to be precise. Antagonism dissipates, and accountability and transparency appear to be gaining ground. Here, much credit is due to President Obama and President Xi for breaking the US-China deadlock. Even Australia, a nation that stands to lose in the long run by keeping its coal, oil, and gas (and uranium?) in the ground, and where the party in power resists acknowledging anthropogenic climate change and cuts its once-vaunted environmental programs, has now tithed to the Green Climate Fund. Those who hinder the consensus are finding themselves isolated and kept out of significant political and financial dealing. Some details are still in question, though: amount of pledges by 2030 ($100 billion? $150 billion?), involvement of G7, G20, and other international groups, ability to adapt to current and new challenges, and even the GCF’s value vs. that of higher CO2 cuts.
Secretary of State John Kerry made a call to arms on climate change Thursday, telling developed countries to help lead the fight or get out of the way.
“If you’re a big, developed nation and you’re not helping to lead, then you are part of the problem,” Kerry told delegates from 190 nations gathered in Lima, Peru, for a United Nations climate change conference.
The gathering is meant to build momentum ahead of the final meeting in Paris next year.
“Ecosystems are visibly being destroyed before our eyes,” Kerry said, urging action. “This is not just a fight by Peru, but a fight for Peru.
“This is not just another policy issue measured against an array of global threats we face today — and there are many: terrorism, extremism … and climate change absolutely ranks up there equal with all of them,” Kerry continued.
Union of Concerned Scientists Blog:
I’m in the beautiful city of Lima, at the annual United Nations climate talks, or COP 20. Even as negotiators labor over “non-papers” and “elements of draft negotiating text,” the real buzz here is about the incredible opportunity to drive down global emissions by investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency. What makes this a particularly exciting time is that the costs of renewable energy are falling dramatically. The clean energy transition has never been more affordable – or, frankly, more urgently needed.
Renewable energy is growing by leaps and bounds worldwide. In 2013, renewables accounted for more than 56 percent of net additions to global power capacity. Recent data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) shows that global clean energy investment in the first three quarters of 2014 added up to $175 billion, 16 percent higher than in the same period of 2013.
Solar Energy, in particular, has experienced tremendous growth. In 2013, for the first time, global growth in solar photovoltaic (PV) outpaced new wind capacity. Annual growth in global solar PV capacity has averaged almost 55 percent over the past five years.
Recent news stories have highlighted that investment banks are also increasingly recognizing the financial benefits of investments in renewable energy. For example, Goldman Sachs has committed to $40 billion in existing and planned renewables investments, including in BrightSource Energy, which designed the solar thermal system for Ivanpah, the largest solar plant in the world.
However, to scale up clean energy even more rapidly to help meet climate goals, we need strong policy support, such as renewable energy and energy efficiency standards and incentives; investments in transmission infrastructure to integrate higher levels of renewable energy; investments in research and development; and a price on carbon. The rapid growth of renewables, their falling costs, and the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions makes a weak extension of the production tax credit by the U.S. Congress —an effective federal incentive that supports business development of wind and other renewable energy sources— seem all the more misguided.
Renewable energy costs are falling worldwide. In the U.S., for example, the national average cost of wind power has dropped more than 60 percent since 2009, making it competitive with new fossil fuel plants in many regions. Solar PV system costs fell by about 40 percent from 2008 to 2012 and by another 15 percent in 2013.
Earlier on a Greenpeace leader declared: “Lima is where climate change negotiators will finally be able to draw a line in the sand…erm…what…wait! I said Lima, not Nazca! Oops.”
Good to see hope this may go better than Copenhagen did. But we badly need full-on climate modelling which includes permafrost methane release and we need it BEFORE Lima finishes, or Paris absolutely. Going to hell slowly isn’t much to cheer about vs. going to hell quickly.
Speaking of that, here’s a new and foreboding study showing what may well be a precursor to abrupt climate change… http://phys.org/news/2014-12-early-abrupt-climate.html#ajTabs
“Even Australia, a nation that stands to lose in the long run by keeping its coal, oil, and gas (and uranium?) in the ground…”
Hmm…so now it’s been decided by Green Central that nuclear power is a major source of CO2 emissions? Well, I shouldn’t be surprised, with John Kerry tooting his horn in public. He is more responsible than anyone for killing the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) in 1994 right after the first one was built and demonstrated to be a major breakthrough in Generation IV nuclear technology. Had he not done this, the USA would almost certainly have several commercial Gen-IV nuclear plants running today. Kerry set back nuclear power development by 20 years, and I’m sure he’s still proud of himself for doing that. For Kerry to still be blowing hot air about how he wants to save us from AGW is rather like having Stalin claim that he always supported peace and human rights.
The “Big Agreement”™ with China on emissions reduction – do realize a major part of this will be that China builds at least 35 new nukes. So, I don’t think that demand for Australia’s uranium will be disappearing anytime soon. True, China will also be building out solar and wind, and exploiting every remaining undamed river for hydro-power, but using nuclear to replace coal is a major part of their strategy.