Tag: QELRO

CAN Intervention in the COP18 KP Opening Plenary, 27 November, 2012

Submitted by Sam Harris on November 29, 2012 - 2:36am

CAN KP Opening Plenary Intervention

Delivered by, Anna Malos of CAN Australia on 27 November, 2012

Distinguished delegates,

My name is Anna Malos, speaking on behalf of CAN.

It has been a long winding road but a new phase of the Kyoto Protocol is in sight.

Kyoto 2 needs to be strengthened and to enter into effect from January 1. You all know why we cannot delay action.

CAN strongly commends countries who will commit to the KP, but not their level of ambition which is dangerously inadequate. QELROs must reflect the top end of the 25-40% range.

AAUs should not be carried forward. This surplus undermines the effectiveness of action in the post-2012 period and beyond.

The flexible mechanisms need to be more environmentally robust. Countries allowed to benefit must have a QELRO in Kyoto 2 that creates reductions from 2012 emissions. Additionality and baseline rules for the CDM and JI should be stronger, with sustainable development monitoring for the CDM.

And with such low levels of ambition, the KP must have an adjustment procedure for unilateral increases, and if for longer than five years, an obligatory ambition review.

The Kyoto Protocol defines essential elements: carbon budgets, legally-binding economy-wide targets, common rules-based accounting and monitoring systems and five year commitment periods. Improve these architectural elements and the agreement in 2015 will benefit.

Thank you.

Tags:

Kyoto Protocol

intervention

QELRO

common accounting framework

Organization:

AWG-KP

Related Event:

COP18/CMP8 Doha Climate Conference

Australia to join Carbon diet club...

Submitted by rvoorhaar on November 28, 2012 - 12:48am

Now you all know that ECO doesn’t like to be rude to Parties, but surely all would admit that Australia is carrying excess carbon weight and needs to lose some carbon flab. So ECO was delighted to hear a few weeks back that Australia was signing up as a member of the KP2 carbon weight loss club. ECO had visions of a trim physique of a zero-carbon economy.

But oh dear Australia – what happened with your target? 99.5% of carbon emissions – really? That’s a carbon loss goal so small that a bit of rounding and pffft it’s gone. Haven’t you heard that carbon flab is bad for your health? The UNEP doctor has said you need to trim down by 25-40% for all our sakes. Surely a sporty nation like yours knows about “no pain no gain”? Especially as your own economy doctor Garnaut has said the sooner you start the easier it will be.

Could your fossil fuel addiction be swaying your resolve? ECO knows you have all those stashes – but you’ve got amazing clean energy resources as well to help wean you off.

So where do we go from here? Well you do have a reasonable weight loss goal in column 6 and there’s plenty of support meetings over the next two weeks. Let’s hear you stand up and say: “My name is Australia, I’ve been on the wrong path, but I’m going to make Kyoto count and commit to strong targets and strong rules.”

Tags:

ambition

Kyoto Protocol 2nd Commitment Period Negotiations

QELRO

Topics:

Mitigation

Region:

Australia

Related Event:

COP18/CMP8 Doha Climate Conference

rvoorhaar's blog

Ukraine – Transition from Gas to Coal! Are you serious?

Submitted by Secretariat on August 31, 2012 - 8:22pm

ECO was dismayed to hear Ukraine’s presentation of its QELRO in yesterday’s KP session.

The presentation did not live up to its billing – not only did Ukraine not have a QELRO to present, but stated that it would not be in a position to do so until it had done more work on its low carbon economy strategy – in 2013.

ECO welcomes the assessment of mitigation potential and actively supports all countries planning for a transition to a low carbon economy. However, Ukraine’s plans to fuel switch from gas, not to renewables, but to coal, make the country’s self-proclaimed recognition of its responsibility to future generations rather difficult to believe.

Perhaps ECO should not be surprised – recent amendments to the Energy Strategy were developed by the private foundation owned by one of the richest men in Ukraine, who is also the owner of many energy facilities. The Strategy has been severely criticized by the Ukrainian public. It has ambitious plans to develop coal and nuclear, but contains nothing about greenhouse gas pollution and very weak plans to improve energy efficiency and develop renewables.

At best, ECO appreciates that Ukraine's actions will probably give ECO some extra material to fill its pages with in the coming year. Seriously, thanks.

Tags:

Region:

Eastern Europe and Eurasia

Related Event:

Bangkok Climate Change Conference 2012

Secretariat's blog