UPDATE 1-Extreme weather is new normal, U.N.'s Ban tells climate talks

[ABEL MUSUMALI]

Dear all,

Ban Ki-moon urges nations to cast off apathy, agree a deal

* Says wants Kyoto to stay platform to fight global warming

* Wants rich nations to set timetable for more climate

change aid to poor

DOHA, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Extreme weather is the new normal

and poses a threat to the human race, U.N. Secretary-General Ban

Ki-moon said on Tuesday as he sought to revive deadlocked global

climate change talks.

Ban's intervention came as efforts to agree a symbolic

extension of the U.N. Kyoto Protocol, a treaty that obliges

about 35 developed nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions

until the end of 2012, looked to be faltering.

In a speech to almost 200 nations meeting in Doha to try to

get a breakthrough, Ban said a thaw in Arctic sea ice to record

lows this year, superstorms and rising sea levels were all signs

of a crisis.

"The abnormal is the new normal," he told delegates at the

Nov. 26-Dec. 7 talks. He said signs of change were apparent

everywhere and "from the United States to India, from Ukraine to

Brazil, drought (has) decimated essential global crops".

"No one is immune to climate change - rich or poor. It is an

existential challenge for the whole human race - our way of

life, our plans for the future," he said.

The failure to agree a Kyoto extension is blocking efforts

to lay the foundations of a new global U.N. deal that is meant

to be agreed in 2015 and to enter into force from 2020.

At the last attempt in 2009, a summit in Copenhagen failed

to agreed a global deal to succeed Kyoto. Kyoto requires

countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by an average of

5.2 percent below 1990 levels from 2008 to 2012.

"A BLANK SLATE"

    ABEL MUSUMALI

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From: ABEL MUSUMALI <musu...@yahoo.com>
To: Dailes B Judge <DJu...@Oxfam.org.uk>
Cc: Teddy Kabunda <TKab...@Oxfam.org.uk>; Nellie Nyang'wa <NNyang'w...@Oxfam.org.uk>; David Mwamba <DMw...@Oxfam.org.uk>; "glenda....@kcm.co.zm" <glenda....@kcm.co.zm>; "Mpange...@kcm.co.zm" <Mpange...@kcm.co.zm>
Sent: Saturday, December 1, 2012 12:51 PM
Subject: COP 18 NEW UPDATES

DAVID, DAILES AND TEAM,

this is the latest from the Doha talks.

One of the Doha talks discussed the importance of business innovation to solve the climate crisis. This stems from the fact that there is strong nexus between climate change and economic development.

Another Doha talk by World Resources Institute focused on Tracking National Climate Change Policy Progress. The following were the observations:

1.       There are gaps in CC information and policy progress in many countries

e.g Brazil has a climate policy and a REDD+ policy is being developed

       Australia has no climate change policy but has a Clean Air Act

       UK shall use the energy policy to regulate GHG emissions

2.       The following are among barriers to CC Implementation in many countries

a.       Policy documents end up  being shelved and not implemented

b.      Lack of coordination and harmonization of CC policies and non CC policies at different jurisdictional levels

c.       Lack of capacity at Subnational institutional level to implement CC policies

3.       The following are challenges related to GHG MRV

1.       Inconsistent estimates of GHG due to inconsistent methodologies

2.       Outdated GHG projections

3.       Lack of policy interactions with subnational policies  

The discussion also brought out the importance of capacity building in Measurement and Performance Tracking (MePT). MePT is a World Resources Institute initiative implemented with support from the German government with pilots in Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Thailand and South Africa.

FUTURE PLANS OF THE INITIATIVE

1.       Training at subnational level on Green House gas accounting and reporting in South Africa

2.       Setting up of centers of excellence in GHG accounting and reporting

will keep you informed of more proceedings,

kind regards.

ABEL the Great. 

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From: Dailes B Judge <DJu...@Oxfam.org.uk>
To: ABEL MUSUMALI <musu...@yahoo.com>
Cc: Teddy Kabunda <TKab...@Oxfam.org.uk>; Nellie Nyang'wa <NNyang'w...@Oxfam.org.uk>; David Mwamba <DMw...@Oxfam.org.uk>; gbnat...@gmail.com
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2012 7:36 AM
Subject: Doha Briefs: Hurdles

Hi Abel the Great,

 

Thanks for the update.

Often times decisions are made way before the COP so not surprising at all, I guess strategy is in influencing decision pre conference.

The noise about not cooking or drowning our continents and are only loud during the deliberations. Maybe its time process was reviewed. What do you think?

Dailes

-----ABEL MUSUMALI <musu...@yahoo.com> wrote: -----

To: "DMw...@oxfam.org.uk" <DMw...@oxfam.org.uk>, "LKa...@oxfam.org.uk" <LKa...@oxfam.org.uk>, "jmbin...@comesa.int" <jmbin...@comesa.int>, "dju...@oxfam.org.uk" <dju...@oxfam.org.uk>, "ameer....@lshtm.ac.uk" <ameer....@lshtm.ac.uk>
From: ABEL MUSUMALI <musu...@yahoo.com>
Date: 11/29/2012 05:10PM
Subject: Doha Briefs: Hurdles

heeey all, 

Day 3 of COP18 was punctuated with news of numerous hurdles hampering the progress of the search for solutions to combat climate change. Typical of most negotiations, there were parties who were keen on making it near impossible to agree on a number of issues. As you may all understand, one of the biggest issues at COP18 is putting in place a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol, which is to take effect from 1^st January 2013. However, the biggest hurdle has been in sorting out the issue of the outstanding carbon emission permits (AAUs).

The Surplus Issue

If you are not familiar with carbon trading issues, you can take a slight detour and check out this primer on carbon emission permits and trade 

There are around 13 billion emission permits from the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (2008 - 2012). In the quest for a second commitment period, the issue is what will happen to these permits.

Where it all came from : In the first commitment period, many country parties made weak pledges with regards to their targets for reducing carbon emissions. This meant that chances were these countries would have a surplus from carbon emission targets that they would then sell to countries that go past their emission targets. Poland and Russia are among the biggest holders of the surplus permits.

Spilling over:   If this surpluses spills over into the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, then the danger lies in the fact that top carbon-emitting countries will focus on buying carbon emission permits without cutting down on their carbon emissions. This, coupled with the fact that the prices for the carbon emission permits have been dropping pretty fast, may render the Kyoto Protocol ineffective. Also, there lurks the grim possibility that the pledges for the second commitment period may be quite weak.

Therefore, this issue will be crucial in determining the outcome of the discussions on the second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol.

Bits and Pieces

A round up of happenings with a bearing to COP18:

·       The US has just dropped a ‘carbon bomb’ by banning EU taxation of US airlines. The EU had come up with a policy to tax all airlines going through its airspace, but then it has suspended it for a year following the move by the US. The other side of the story from the US is that this will be an opportunity for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) – the UN agency in charge of aviation – to adopt a cross-sectoral approach of a carbon tax on airlines, which will also be a good source of finance for climate change mitigation and adaptation projects

·       Poland – renowned for obstructing negotiations at UNFCCC COP – will host COP19 in 2013. The world is now watching closely if Poland will lead by example in finding a solution to address climate change

·       There is progress in the establishment of the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) that will be hosted by UNEP. This is important because one of the key issues, with regards to climate change adaptation and mitigation, is the development and transfer of environmentally smart technologies (ESTs), with a special focus on developing countries

Conclusion

Despite these hurdles, negotiators at COP18 are working to resolve these issues, and we will sure keep you posted on any developments. 

ABEL the Great. 

 
 

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