NEWSLETTER ISSUE 68 - OCTOBER 2013
GREEN EYE ON THE EU'S CLIMATE EFFORT
- IPCC report: the debate is over!
- Germany continues stalling on car CO2 rules
- Shale gas: MEPs endorse compulsory environmental assessments
- Polish government seems to continue ignoring climate threats
ROUND-UP - CLIMATE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
- ICAO must adopt - not just discuss - solutions to effectively reduce airline emissions!
- IPSO study warns that oceans face 'deadly trio' of threats
- Australia experienced warmest September on record
WHAT'S ON
- Calendar of some key events in October
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GREEN EYE ON THE EU'S CLIMATE EFFORT
IPCC report: the debate is over!
On Monday 30th September the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) released its report on the latest scientific research on climate.
This new overview of the science of climate change is clear: Scientists are unequivocal on global warming and are now near certain that human activities are causing climate change. Experts around the world are noting that greenhouse gas concentrations and the global temperature have increased, our oceans have warmed, that the sea level is projected to rise rapidly and that the ice sheets, permafrost and glaciers continue to decrease at rapid pace in the northern hemisphere.
In November, the annual UN climate negotiations will take place in Warsaw. World leaders will try to work on the details of a global climate deal that needs to be finalized at the climate conference in Paris in 2015. Leaders from Europe and beyond simply cannot continue to ignore the overwhelming body of scientific evidence. Policy-makers must show strong political will and do their utmost to reach an ambitious global climate deal in 2015.
The fact that scientists are now almost fully certain that human activities are responsible for global warming also means that we can change the tide. We can, and must, take the lead and be more ambitious. So let's do it! Download our leaflet on the IPCC (available in different languages) and read more here
Shale gas: MEPs endorse compulsory environmental assessments
On Wednesday 9th October, the European Parliament voted to revise the EU legislation on environmental impact assessments (EIAs). The Greens strongly welcomed provisions to ensure that all shale gas extraction projects and shale gas exploration involving the controversial fracking process are subject to compulsory environmental impact assessments.
Germany continues stalling on car CO2 rules
While world scientists are 95% certain that humans are the "dominant cause" of global warming, some EU governments refuse to take concrete action.
In early October, representatives from Member States delayed for the third time a vote to rubber stamp a deal to limit emissions from new passenger cars to 95g CO2/km by 2020. However, in June, the European Parliament, Commission and EU governments had struck a fairly negotiated deal confirming the 95g target. The biggest opponent is the German government, which is blocking any vote on the legislation in order to protect its big carmakers BMW and Daimler.
Europe cannot continue to make more gas-guzzling cars for another decade! Carmakers are able to meet CO2 targets without special support - such as super-credits for electric vehicles - contrary to what the German government is arguing. Super-credits would totally undermine the 95g/km target and result in it being met on paper but not on the road according to a recent report by the NGO T&E. See the Greens/EFA study on the true costs of cars here.
Polish government seems to continue ignoring climate threats
In parallel to the UN climate negotiations that will take place in Warsaw, Poland from 11 to 24th November, the Polish Ministry of the Economy is also co-organising, together with the World Coal Association (WCA), an ‘International Coal and Climate Summit’. Poland's deputy prime minister and several government officials will be speaking at this event.
For the Greens, this is outrageous. The Polish government, which will be hosting the next climate talks, seem to have once again dismissed the recent scientific warnings regarding global warming and the risks it entails for our people, planet and even our economies. Instead of downplaying the risks from climate change and obtaining sponsorship for the COP19 from some of the most polluting industries, Poland should try and increase solidarity inside the EU and ensure that Europe speaks with a single and united voice at the next UN climate summit, to ensure that some progress is made, particularly on emission reductions.
Europe needs to urgently agree on ambitious climate and energy targets for 2030. With the climate deal set to be sealed in Paris 2015, there is clearly no time to lose.
ROUND-UP - CLIMATE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
ICAO must adopt - not just discuss - solutions to effectively reduce airline emissions!
In early October the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) met in Montreal to try to forge a global deal on curbing emissions from the airline sector.
The UN body has spent years on the issue without getting agreement.
The EU had decided to implement its own scheme and from January last year required all aviation using its airports to pay for emissions through its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). But many non-EU nations accused the EU of breaching sovereignty and threatened a trade war, despite the fact that the European Court of Justice had declared the EU law valid. The EU eventually decided to 'stop the clock' and end the scheme's application to international flights. This decision was vividly criticised by the Greens/EFA group.
Aviation would be the 7th largest emitter of climate change pollution in the world if it were a country. Scientists expect aviation carbon dioxide emissions to grow rapidly: if left unchecked airplane pollution will double by 2020 and quadruple by 2050.
To get serious about cutting airline emissions, ICAO must stop postponing action and adopt a mandatory global market-based mechanism (MBM) for reducing carbon emissions by 2016. If ICAO fails, the risk is that nations may begin to implement a patchwork of regional schemes to control emissions. This would not only be less effective in addressing the acceleration of global climate change, but would cause regional trade disputes, such as the one already brewing between the EU and its trade rivals including the US and China.
In the meantime the Greens continue to push Europe to end its freeze on the inclusion of non-intra EU flights in the EU's emissions trading scheme. Clearly, given the latest stark warnings from the IPCC, we should be strengthening, not weakening our climate policy measures.
IPSO study warns that oceans face 'deadly trio' of threats
A recent study made by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO), a non-governmental group of leading scientists, says that oceans are under greater threat than previously believed from a "deadly trio" of global warming, declining oxygen levels and acidification.
In the latest IPCC report on climate science, the experts have shown policy makers that the oceans have continued to warm. The consequences are catastrophic given that warming waters push fish towards the poles and raise the risk of extinction for some marine species. According to IPSO, the scale and rate of the present day carbon perturbation, and resulting ocean acidification, is unprecedented in Earth's known history and the risks to the ocean and the ecosystems it supports have been significantly underestimated. Impacts are already being seen throughout the world.
Australia experienced warmest September on record
In Australia, the Climate Council announced that Australians just lived through the warmest September since records began. September temperatures were almost 3 degrees above the long-term average.
According to the report, the frequency and severity of hot days and heatwaves in Australia were increasing as average global temperatures rose. This exacerbated several risks, such as bushfires, particularly in the south-east of the country.
Last summer more than 120 extreme weather-related records were broken, including the hottest January and the hottest day ever recorded in Australia since reliable record keeping began in 1910.
WHAT´S ON
14th October: Environment Council meeting. Environment ministers in are meant to agree a joint EU stance ahead of UN climate talks in Warsaw in November and December.
19 October: Global frackdown. Everywhere around the world, citizens will join for a day of action to highlight the dangers of fracking and show support for clean and renewable energy.
Save the date! Important climate events ahead!
15 and 16 November: Greens/EFA conference: 'Citizens' energy for a good climate' in Warsaw, Poland. Information on the programme and registration
13 November: Greens/EFA event '2 years left to reach an ambitious climate deal'. Information and registration will soon be available here
11 - 24 November: UN climate summit - COP 19
GREEN EYE ON THE EU'S CLIMATE EFFORT