This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/15/paris-climate-summit-frequent-carbon-emissions-reviews-iea
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Paris climate summit must be start of frequent carbon reviews, says IEA | Paris climate summit must be start of frequent carbon reviews, says IEA |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The crunch climate change conference to take place in Paris later this year must be the beginning of a new process of five-yearly meetings, rather than a one-off, the world’s energy watchdog has warned. | The crunch climate change conference to take place in Paris later this year must be the beginning of a new process of five-yearly meetings, rather than a one-off, the world’s energy watchdog has warned. |
| Fatih Birol, chief economist of the International Energy Agency, and its incoming executive director, said: “The pledges in Paris need to be renewed every five years. That is because circumstances change, the costs of technology go down, and so on. We need to take account of that.” | |
| In Paris, this December, the governments of 196 countries will meet to try to forge a new global agreement on climate change, with all countries taking on targets on their future emissions. For developed countries, this will mean absolute cuts; for developing nations, curbs on their future carbon output. These commitments would kick in from 2020. | In Paris, this December, the governments of 196 countries will meet to try to forge a new global agreement on climate change, with all countries taking on targets on their future emissions. For developed countries, this will mean absolute cuts; for developing nations, curbs on their future carbon output. These commitments would kick in from 2020. |
| But, currently, there are no plans for a process of future revisions of the Paris pledges, which run to 2025 in some cases and 2030 for other countries. | But, currently, there are no plans for a process of future revisions of the Paris pledges, which run to 2025 in some cases and 2030 for other countries. |
| Related: Everything you need to know about the Paris climate summit and UN talks | Related: Everything you need to know about the Paris climate summit and UN talks |
| Birol’s views reflect a growing body of opinion that the pledges on greenhouse gas emissions, and on financial help from rich to poor countries, should be subject to regular review. This would make landmark climate conferences, such as that in Paris this year and the one in Copenhagen in 2009, frequent events rather than rare and highly contentious meetings. | Birol’s views reflect a growing body of opinion that the pledges on greenhouse gas emissions, and on financial help from rich to poor countries, should be subject to regular review. This would make landmark climate conferences, such as that in Paris this year and the one in Copenhagen in 2009, frequent events rather than rare and highly contentious meetings. |
| Although nations meet annually to discuss international climate change policy, little of substance happens at most of these meetings. Only a handful of times in more than 20 years of United Nations negotiations has a special conference been called: in 1992, 1997, 2009 and this year in Paris. | Although nations meet annually to discuss international climate change policy, little of substance happens at most of these meetings. Only a handful of times in more than 20 years of United Nations negotiations has a special conference been called: in 1992, 1997, 2009 and this year in Paris. |
| The Paris summit was so contentious to arrange that it very nearly did not happen, as agreement on setting up the meeting was implacably opposed in 2011 by China and India until they gave in after nearly 70 hours of non-stop negotiations. | The Paris summit was so contentious to arrange that it very nearly did not happen, as agreement on setting up the meeting was implacably opposed in 2011 by China and India until they gave in after nearly 70 hours of non-stop negotiations. |
| Birol was speaking at the launch of the IEA’s World Energy Outlook Special Report on Energy and Climate Change, in London on Monday. | Birol was speaking at the launch of the IEA’s World Energy Outlook Special Report on Energy and Climate Change, in London on Monday. |
| The report proposed four key outcomes it wants to see from Paris: targeting a near-term peak in global emissions by 2020; the process of five-yearly revisions of targets; setting a long-term goal on greenhouse gas emissions, effectively a “carbon budget”; and monitoring emissions and fossil fuel use in the energy sector, with results published regularly by all countries. | The report proposed four key outcomes it wants to see from Paris: targeting a near-term peak in global emissions by 2020; the process of five-yearly revisions of targets; setting a long-term goal on greenhouse gas emissions, effectively a “carbon budget”; and monitoring emissions and fossil fuel use in the energy sector, with results published regularly by all countries. |
| These proposals are likely to be contentious, as some countries are reluctant to accept a five-year review, and the issue of publishing and monitoring key data has long been a sensitive issue for countries such as China. | These proposals are likely to be contentious, as some countries are reluctant to accept a five-year review, and the issue of publishing and monitoring key data has long been a sensitive issue for countries such as China. |
| The proposal to translate the widely-accepted long-term goal on climate, of holding the world to no more than 2C of warming above pre-industrial levels, in line with scientific advice, into a firm goal on global greenhouse gas emissions is unlikely to be accepted by many countries. That would imply setting a global carbon budget of how much the world could emit in future, which would then have to be carved up among all countries. | The proposal to translate the widely-accepted long-term goal on climate, of holding the world to no more than 2C of warming above pre-industrial levels, in line with scientific advice, into a firm goal on global greenhouse gas emissions is unlikely to be accepted by many countries. That would imply setting a global carbon budget of how much the world could emit in future, which would then have to be carved up among all countries. |
| While such an idea appears logical and attractive to many scientists and civil society groups, among the governments of many leading countries it is anathema, as it implies much stronger limits on emissions than any that have yet been agreed. | While such an idea appears logical and attractive to many scientists and civil society groups, among the governments of many leading countries it is anathema, as it implies much stronger limits on emissions than any that have yet been agreed. |
| Causing global emissions to peak by 2020, which is also in line with scientific advice, will be equally hard to achieve. The IEA has calculated that current and likely pledges on emissions to be presented at Paris will mean emissions will continue to rise until at least 2030, putting the 2C target out of reach. So it has issued a clutch of proposals, including phasing out old-style inefficient coal-fired power stations, and a $130bn (£84bn) increase in investment in renewable energy, aimed at bringing about an emissions peak in 2020. | |
| Related: Divorce growth from greenhouse gases to aid climate goals, says energy chief | Related: Divorce growth from greenhouse gases to aid climate goals, says energy chief |
| Campaigners and investors welcomed the IEA’s findings, though some stopped short of accepting all the proposals. Samantha Smith, leader of the global climate and energy initiative at WWF, said: “The IEA’s analysis confirms what scientists and civil society have said for a while – countries need to cut emissions more, and they need to cut them more immediately, so that we do not face really dangerous climate change. Current plans and pledges to do more later on are not yet enough to do the job on climate.” | |
| Lucy Cadena, climate coordinator at Friends of the Earth, said: “This report confirms that global emissions need to peak fast, and that there are no economic barriers preventing historic polluters from making bigger short-term cuts than currently proposed. The time for excuses is over.” | Lucy Cadena, climate coordinator at Friends of the Earth, said: “This report confirms that global emissions need to peak fast, and that there are no economic barriers preventing historic polluters from making bigger short-term cuts than currently proposed. The time for excuses is over.” |
| Stephanie Pfeifer, chief executive of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, said: “A robust and transparent review and tracking regime around country targets and plans will... be critical to identify where additional policy support is needed.” | Stephanie Pfeifer, chief executive of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, said: “A robust and transparent review and tracking regime around country targets and plans will... be critical to identify where additional policy support is needed.” |