WWF - Climate change news

Time for countries behind Copenhagen Accord to show they are serious

2010-01-29

Gland, Switzerland: Sunday’s deadline for countries to lodge targets and details of emission reduction programs under the Copenhagen Accord, is the opportunity for nations that pushed the climate accord to show they are serious about it, WWF said yesterday.

“Currently, the Copenhagen Accord sets out one agreed goal – keeping the world below the two degrees Celsius danger threshold for global warming ,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF’s global climate initiative.“Sunday is the self-imposed deadline for countries to lay out what they are actually going to do to keep the world out of the danger zone.”

Carstensen said that for the great majority countries this implied a considerable increase on commitments so far.

“Emissions reductions on the table at Copenhagen were clearly setting us up for a world three or more degrees warmer, even without taking into account various large loopholes allowing for dubious emissions reductions claims and double counting of claims,” Carstensen said.

WWF is looking for targets approaching the upper end of a 25-40 per cent range of emissions reductions on1990 levels by 2020 for developed nations. At the time of Copenhagen, only Norway with a 40 per cent reduction target, met this ambition level. Japan has announced that it puts a target of minus 25 per cent into the Accord, which is not far off the mark, while Australia this week disappointed by announcing it intended to stand by is five percent reduction target.

For the developed nations, who did the most to push the Copenhagen Accord, we fear that there is still a gross mismatch between their goal of keeping the world out of climate danger and the steps they are prepared to take to actually achieve this goal,” Carstensen said.

Major emerging economies – the BASIC Group of Brazil, South Africa, India and China – last weekend announced they intended to meet the January 31 deadline with more detail on voluntary mitigation programmes under the accord.

“This is a very helpful move from this group of major developing countries. We expect they will announce high levels of ambition and follow up urgently with clear national action plans meet this ambition”, Carstensen said.

WWF today released The Copenhagen Accord: A Stepping Stone analysing how the world might begin the journey from the political agreement of the Copenhagen Accord to an internationally binding climate treaty in Mexico City in December.

The global environment organisation also said it was still waiting on urgently required announcements under the accord on financial aid to help developing countries prevent and cope with climate change.

“There is a general awareness that the world failed to do what it needed to do in Copenhagen,” Carstensen said. “But climate change is not a problem that will go away but a problem that will get worse and more costly to deal with the longer we delay effective action.”

La Hora del Planeta ha llevado al reconocimiento del cambio climático en la opinión pública boliviana

2010-01-26

Este 4 de febrero el semanario nacional Reporte Energía entrega a WWF Bolivia un reconocimiento como Personaje del Año en la categoría Medio Ambiente por “trabajar en el reconocimiento del cambio climático en la opinión pública nacional a través de la campaña La Hora del Planeta…”. La Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN) y la cooperativa de agua Saguapac recibieron una mención en esta misma categoría.

El resultado es producto de una convocatoria que Reporte Energía realizó a nivel nacional a todos sus lectores, amigos y afines, misma que tuvo una excelente acogida. Paralelamente, el equipo de prensa de este semanario y los colaboradores del Cidea (Centro de Investigación Energética y Ambiental –contraparte investigadora y académica de Reporte Energía) realizaron su propio análisis y postulaciones bajo parámetros más periodísticos y objetivos. Luego se cruzó la información de ambas partes y se definieron a los nominados por categoría, y, de acuerdo a la cantidad de votos, se obtuvieron los ganadores.

“Esta elección por convocatoria abierta la realiza este medio anualmente de manera oficial desde 2009, con el objetivo de resaltar la labor y logros obtenidos por instituciones, empresas, profesionales o proyectos que con su trabajo hayan contribuido al país y a su bienestar durante toda una gestión, pero desde el punto de vista no sólo periodístico, sino del lector final”, dijo Lauren Montenegro, Gerente Comercial de Reporte Energía.

Cabe destacar que el semanario ha venido apoyando la campaña global La Hora del Planeta de WWF, y continuará haciéndolo dando cobertura permanente a temas relacionados.

Para mayor información:
Viviane von Oven, voven@wwfbolivia.org, www.panda.org/bolivia/lahoradelplaneta

Emerging economies commit on serious climate negotiations

2010-01-25

WWF has welcomed the early lead on continuing climate negotiations and the level of commitment shown by the BASIC group of countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) to a fair and effective UN-based outcome to climate change this year.

“It is highly encouraging that these key emerging economies intend to further outline their voluntary mitigation actions by January 31, and that they now declare an intention of taking climate action together in areas like technology, adaptation and research”, says Shirish Sinha of WWF India.

“This presents a good challenge to developed countries, who must also meet the end of January deadline with their own announcement of carbon emission reduction targets, and who must also live up to their promises of providing financial support to the vulnerable countries,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF global climate initiative

“WWF will watch them closely to see whether their commitments actually match their assertions in Copenhagen that they are committed to keep the world below the level where the risk of climate catastrophe becomes unacceptable.”

For further information:

Shirish Sinha, Head of Climate change and energy programme, WWF-India shirish@wwfindia.net +91 9868883085

Kim Carstensen, Kim Carstensen, k.carstensen@wwf.dk , Phone: +45-40-343635

Conservation champion Yolanda Kakabadse starts term as WWF President

2010-01-12

Gland, Switzerland - WWF’s new President, Yolanda Kakabadse, says humans and nature have a shared interest in protecting the environment, arguing that politicians should give conservation issues as much attention as an economic crisis.

A prominent campaigner and former environment minister from Ecuador, Ms Kakabadse begins her new role this month, after climate change talks in Copenhagen fell far short of what is needed.

“Politicians around the world need to understand that saving the environment is also their business,” said Kakabadse who also served as President of the IUCN.

“Environment and biodiversity are no longer subjects for conservationists and scientists only. They have to be treated by politicians with as much attention as an economic crisis or upcoming elections,” she said.

Ms Kakabadse brings with her not only rich experience in diplomacy, coordination and mediation, she also brings passion, hope and a common vision for the whole WWF network, consisting of hundreds of offices around the world.

Taking on her new responsibilities as International WWF President, responsible for presiding over the highest governance body of the organisation, Kakabadse said she would work to integrate and bring common vision and strength to the WWF family.

“The great strength of WWF is that it is close to nature and close to people and that is the approach it will suggest to solve the climate crisis.”

“As President of WWF, I would like to help bring nature closer to humans and humans closer to nature. We must understand that we have only one planet and all share its biodiversity and the incredible resources it offers; if we don’t work together to protect it, we will all lose equally.”

Referring to the climate negotiations, she said that now more than ever conservation groups such as WWF have to take their message to decision makers.

Ms Kakabadse is known across the world for her outstanding role in resolving environmental conflicts between different sectors of society such as policy makers, industry and social groups. She has been an environment champion since 1979 when she co-founded Fundacion Natura in Ecuador, a successful NGO.

WWF Climate Business Action Day

2009-12-21

“Whatever happens as an outcome of the Copenhagen talks, this work must continue” said James Leape, Director General of WWF-International, referring to ambitious voluntary commitments by the business community to implement climate solutions. Mr. Leape was speaking at the WWF Climate Business Action Day, held in the WWF Arctic Tent in Nytorv Square, central Copenhagen, on December 10th.

Organised by WWF Climate Savers, the day reflected the voice of business pushing for a strong climate agreement at COP15. Mr. Leape emphasised that the ground-breaking, innovative and world-leading efforts of the WWF Climate Savers companies in cutting the carbon and growing the business will continue to be a driving force behind the transition to a low-carbon economy - whatever the politicians decide.

Representatives of 15 Climate Savers companies, as well as representatives of more than 50 other companies, took part in the series of events throughout the day. It was a chance for Climate Savers to share ideas and talk with other business leaders about their experiences in cutting carbon. Around them, the WWF Arctic Tent featured banners promoting the business case for implementing climate solutions as part of the Climate Savers campaign, which has appeared worldwide in such high-profile business media as the Financial Times, the International Herald Tribune and the Wall Street Journal.

How are the talks progressing?

How are the talks progressing? Kim Carstensen, Global Climate Policy Leader for WWF, gave a briefing on the progress of the climate negotiations to date, and was emphatic that we are now seeing “a level of commitment from governments that is unprecedented on any environmental issue”. This is in itself an achievement.

According to Mr. Carstensen, the message from progressive companies to policy makers is that clear rules are needed - “If you set the rules, we can do it. We’re asking you to set strong targets but do it in a way that is predictable for all of us.”

Mr. Carstensen focused on the key issue of mandating emission reduction targets, and made the vital point that long-term financing from developed to developing countries is central. “Without a long term mechanism for developed countries to provide funding to developing countries, no agreement can be reached on an effective international policy framework.”

Finance – driver of business: and driver of action on climate change?

The focus on finance led elegantly into the centrepiece of the day’s business: the roundtable on the financial sector and climate change mitigation.

Keynote speaker, Prof. Dr. Ottmar Edenhofer (Co-Chair of Working group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, and Deputy Director and Chief Economist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research) made it clear that in his view it is vital that from 2020 onwards, global emissions should be reduced by 2-3% per year. Without such a strong commitment, he said, we will not see a significant redirection of financial flows, which, according to Edenhofer, is key.

We would therefore need a legally binding and long term agreement for the creation of a global carbon market, to send a relevant price signal to investors.

Following Prof. Dr. Edenhofer, the other keynote speaker, Dr. Joachim Faber (CEO, Allianz Global Investors) immediately cut to the critical issue: whatever the costs of decarbonisation are likely to be, it will be completely impossible without the engagement of the financial sector.

Business depends on finance and the financial sector is crucial to making real the potential for maximising emission reductions.

Dr. Faber reminded the audience that businesses like Allianz take perspectives in looking at climate change both as an insurer and as an investor. The insurer looks at risk and risk prevention and the insurability of catastrophe risks - 40% of all industrial insurance claims are from catastrophe risks. This is clearly an important perspective in the context of increasing probability of extreme weather events.

The investor perspective focuses not just on new ventures but a significant rechanneling of existing ones. And at the heart of this, there is one vital fact: CO2 needs a price. Carbon, Dr Faber said, should be seen as a new global currency.

Climate change regulation, Faber indicated, will have to create markets for carbon to be priced and accounted for. Allianz investors are ready, he said – and stressed that this is not just a risk but that the further development of the carbon market is a substantial opportunity, particularly for investors: this could be the core of a low-carbon economy.

Finance – the practicalities

The panel discussion that followed, featuring several leading figures from the finance sector, covered a wide range of practical issues relating to the indirect impact of the finance sector on climate change: the finance sector has a critical role to play in helping channel investments towards a low-carbon economy.

Ulrik Dan Weuder (Beta Portfolio Manager, ATP) observed that as an asset owner, any investments that are medium or long term are at a huge risk due to the unpredictability of both the climate and the energy regulatory framework - but also represent an opportunity. James Wallace (Group Head, Corporate Responsibility, RSA Group) indicated that due to the EU climate and energy targets, RSA has new products in renewables all over the world.

Ludovica Lardera (Head of the Sustainability Unit, Unicredit Group), recognized the indirect carbon impact her company has in terms of lending and investments. Unicredit is developing a model that will help embed the risks linked to climate into their decision making process. She emphasised that it would be ideal for the sector to develop a joint and harmonized set of criteria and a core methodology to better take this responsibility into account. Taryn Fransen, Senior Associate of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative at the World Resources Institute (WRI), pointed out that WRI is designing new carbon accounting standards for indirect emissions. She hopes these standards will address some of the questions regarding indirect emissions from the finance sector. Paul Veendrick (Manager Sustainable Energy and Climate, Rabobank Nederland) noted that there is a challenge in finding out what methodology should be used to quantify indirect emissions. Because of this challenge, he asserted, finance sector players need to work together to better understand their carbon impact.

Shaping the future

James Leape concluded that the Climate Savers companies have found that responsibility in climate change is good business – and it was clear from the discussions that the same is true in the finance sector. The impact of the sector on climate change is caused by its core business: its investments, lending and other financial services. When it comes to assessing the climate footprint of financial services there is a pay-off for the sector in having a common approach in place, and Mr. Leape thought that there is also a pay-off in developing such an approach together. He said that WWF will work with the industry and stakeholders to accomplish this.

The Climate Business Action Day ended with an informal reception at the Arctic Tent, which was attended by more than 200 representatives from Climate Savers companies, other businesses, and several WWF offices. The event also premiered the 'Climate Conversations' video, airing on global CNBC networks and featuring climate strategies of several Climate Savers companies. Mr. Leape, Engelina Jaspers (VP of Sustainability, Hewlett Packard), and Simon Lee (Group Chief Executive, International Business, RSA Group) provided remarks to conclude the day’s discussions.

The reception provided the opportunity for conversation and discussion, and the mood - despite the huge challenges ahead – was optimistic as companies shared ideas and experiences.

We want the innovation and positive attitude of the Climate Savers companies to reach out across the corporate world. And there are real signs that this is happening. As Shane Robison, Chief Strategy and Technical Officer, Hewlett Packard, says in the Climate Conversations video: "I think the corporate world is really internalising what we have to do to leave a better planet for the next generations."

More information on WWF Climate Savers: panda.org/climatesavers

Copenhagen Accord: half-baked text and unclear substance

2009-12-19

Copenhagen, Denmark – The UN climate talks in Copenhagen were inches away from total failure and ended with an outcome far too weak to tackle dangerous climate change, WWF said today.

“Copenhagen was at the brink of failure due to poor leadership combined with an unconvincing level of ambition”, said Kim Carstensen, Leader of WWF’s Global Climate Initiative.

“Well meant but half-hearted pledges to protect our planet from dangerous climate change are simply not sufficient to address a crisis that calls for completely new ways of collaboration across rich and poor countries.”

Politicians around the world seem to be in agreement that we must stay below the 2 degree C threshold of unacceptable risks of climate change – in theory. However, practically what leaders have put on the table adds up to 3 degrees C of warming or more, according to WWF estimates.

“Millions of lives, hundreds of billions of dollars and a wealth of lost opportunities lie in the difference between rhetoric and reality on climate change action.”

Attention will now shift to follow up negotiations which need to fill out many details in the often vague accord – and, on a more positive note, to a host of initiatives by countries, cities, companies and communities that are starting to build low carbon economies from the base up.

WWF analysed the conference outcome against a 10 element scorecard, finding that none of the objectives needed to fulfil the political aim of keeping average global warming below the widely agreed 2 degree C high risk level had been met, although some had been partly fulfilled.

The draft Copenhagen Accord is a long way from developing into a legally binding framework for decisive action on climate change.

“We needed a treaty now and at best, we will be working on one in half a year’s time,” said Carstensen.

“What we have after two years of negotiation is a half-baked text of unclear substance. With the possible exceptions of US legislation and the beginnings of financial flows, none of the political obstacles to effective climate action have been solved.”

The lack of clarity is illustrated by a call for a global peak in emissions “as soon as possible”, in contrast to the 2007 call of the IPCC for emissions to peak in 2017.

Emissions reductions pledges remain far lower than what is required, with a leaked analysis by the UNFCCC secretariat showing a shortfall that would lead to 3 degrees C of warming even without considering extensive loopholes.

“We are disappointed but the story continues,” said Carstensen. “Civil society was excluded from these final negotiations to an extraordinary degree, and that was felt during the concluding days in Copenhagen.”

“We can assure the world, however, that WWF and other elements of civil society will continue engaging in every step of further negotiations.”

They say it’s over but it’s not

2009-12-18

Looking at the text that 25 countries have agreed, Kim Carstensen, the leader of WWF Global Climate Initiative said:

“They tell us it’s over but it’s not. The latest Copenhagen Accord draft mainly reproduced what leaders already promised before they arrived here.”

“The biggest challenge, turning the political will into a legally binding agreement has moved to Mexico.”

“After years of negotiations we now have a declaration of will which does not bind anyone and therefore fails to guarantee a safer future for next generations.”

“What was good about Copenhagen was the level of national pledges for climate action in most countries.”

“Politically, we live in a world that agrees to stay below the danger zone of two degrees but practically what we have on the table adds up to 3 degrees or more.”

“A gap between the rhetoric and reality could cost millions of lives, hundreds of billions of dollars and a wealth of lost opportunities.”

“We are disappointed but remain hopeful. The civil society will continue watching every step of further negotiations. The leaders have to get back to work tomorrow.”

“Getting a strong outcome of the follow-up process will take a lot of bridge-building between the rich and the poor countries. We expect that the Mexican hosts will be ideally placed to play that role.”

World leaders can still save Copenhagen

2009-12-17

Copenhagen, Denmark - Leaders arriving to sign a Copenhagen climate agreement and finding that they now need to salvage it need to take a global rather than national approach to the numerous outstanding issues, WWF said today.

“It looks like The Copenhagen Climate Summit could have made it through the valley of death”, said Kim Carstensen, Leader of WWF’s Global Climate Initiative.

“It’s encouraging that some new offers are starting to hit the table. Now is the time for Heads of States to show their leadership skills. We need to turn the positive dynamic into a real domino effect, so that actions by countries add up to a global effort that protects us from climate change.”

Carstensen said that after days of deadlock there was renewed movement on the long term climate financing issue. If the renewed finance discussion also leads to willingness for more ambition on emissions reductions targets, there could still be a Copenhagen climate deal with some substance.

Opportunity for Europe to play leader

“Europe has often claimed a leadership role on climate and now is the time to exercise it,” said Carstensen.

“A bold step forward on emissions cuts to 2020 – moving to at least the necessary 30% cut from 1990 levels – could be the deal making gesture the climate talks need at this point. The developing world would be able to see that some of the developed world is listening to their concerns.”

Carstensen said it was welcome to hear US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tell the Copenhagen climate conference that the US stands ready to do its fair share.

“US help in mobilising an additional $100 billion annually by 2020 to help climate change initiatives and adaptation in the developing world is also extremely welcome”, Carstensen added.

However, we need to know that this is new and additional money and not a reshuffling or double counting of existing aid.”

To back up the positive signals sent to the international negotiations in Copenhagen, WWF calls on President Obama to make domestic climate and clean energy legislation his top priority.

WWF hopes that positive moves by the US and the EU could also inspire China to up the ante.

“The levels and conditions of transparency of emissions cuts in the emerging economies are another sticking point in Copenhagen that’s still clouded in silence” said Carstensen.

“A move from China on this highly contentious issue could break a real deadlock.”

For further information:

Natalia Reiter, WWF International, nreiter@wwfint.org +41 79 873 8099

30,000 young Malagasy back strong Copenhagen deal

2009-12-17

Antananarivo, Madagascar – Malagasy youth have mobilized to draw attention to the effects of climate change in Madagascar in a first-time signature pledge.

"When we talked about climate change a few years ago, it still seemed like something abstract, happening in the major industrialized countries only,” said Ralimihanta Sidonie, a pupil at St. Louis private school in Ambositra, a village situated on the plateaus of Madagascar. “Yet the changes are taking place before our very eyes in our everyday environment.”

Sidonie is one of 30,000 Malagasy youth who have signed a statement delivered to the Copenhagen summit demanding a fair and binding climate deal. The signatures were collected by youth like Sidonie who are members of the Vintsy Club.

With the slogan ‘To love and protect nature,’ Vintsy Clubs are a key element of WWF’s environmental education program in Madagascar. There are about 270 clubs in action on the big island, with each one counting about 50 members.

All on their own, the members of Vintsy clubs have managed to collect over 21,000 signatures. Since the beginning of the school year, they have created a real information campaign and have raised awareness among thousands of other young people to take action for the planet.

"I did not hesitate a moment to sign as climate change and its effects on our planet are more than obvious," said Sidonie. "In Madagascar, particularly in the area of Ambositra, fires ravage thousands of hectares of forest each year. Because of deforestation, we are depriving ourselves of the services of an important ally in the fight against CO2 emissions, not to mention other damage such as erosion. "

Nine thousand scouts in Madagascar also have signed the declaration calling for a fair, ambitious and binding climate deal during the current summit in Copenhagen.

"Signing this declaration is an act of citizenship, but also a decision to share with the world's youth, a common concern about the fate of future generations,” said Ramaroson Domoin, a member of the female Scout Movement "Mpanazava".

For this young Malagasy," the major industrial countries must realize that their prosperity should no longer be at the expense of developing countries. These really need a fair and equitable cooperation to address problems caused by climate change. "

With more than 30,000 signatures, young Malagasy can boast of being the third major group of signatories worldwide.

“This is an action that gives much hope," said Rachel Senn Harifetra, head of the Vintsy Project at WWF Madagascar and West Indian Ocean Program, "it reinforces our belief that young people may well be among the drivers of change to address the threat to our planet, in both rich and poor countries. "

Voice of the people crucial in fight against climate change

2009-12-16

20:00 (CET), 16 December, Copenhagen, Denmark: As the lights were turned back on at the conclusion of the special Earth Hour Hopenhagen, Vijay Nambiar, the Chief of Staff of the Secretary General UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said:

“Climate change may be bigger than each of us but it is not bigger than all of us.”

The citizens of the UN climate summit host city turned off their lights for an hour in a special Earth Hour which recalled the global event in March of this year in which hundreds of millions of people from 88 countries and 4000 cities and towns Voted Earth for decisive action on climate change.

WWF Director General James Leape and 10-year-old Anne-Katrine Bisgaard Håkansson from Denmark handed to Vijay Nambiar a shimmering globe, The People’s Orb, which contains a 350-gigabyte mosaic of the hopes, dreams and experiences of people from every continent of the world, from diverse communities in desert, forest and by the sea, to create a global mandate for action on climate change was handed over to.

The People's Orb is a symbol of the collective effort of all the major climate campaigns, including Seal the Deal, tcktcktck, Raise your Voice, 350.org, Hopenhagen and Vote Earth. Unveiled in Sydney, the Orb travelled to Copenhagen via The Climate Express and was delivered to the host city by honorary custodian, UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner. A series of citizen and official custodians have cared for and showcased The Orb in the lead up to its presentation.

Vijay Nambiar said the international gathering of families, politicians, media and mayors in Copenhagen City Hall Square that the dedication to action on climate change by the people of the world has given him hope.

“The size of the challenge has not daunted your commitment,” he said.

“With this Orb - with the voices you have raised - you are urging your leaders to protect people and the planet. Together, let's make Copenhagen the place where the world came together to usher in a new era of hope."

Mr Leape said the time to act is now.

“Action on climate change has been debated for far too long,” Mr Leape said.

“It is imperative that on 27 March 2010 – Earth Hour 2010 – the people of the world will feel confident that we are heading in a positive direction to protect our planet and make it a safer, cleaner, healthier future for all.”

On track to the curse of Copenhagen, cure of Copenhagen still within reach

2009-12-16

Copenhagen, Denmark – Little of substance has been decided in the texts now being passed to ministers and soon to go before Heads of State in Copenhagen, WWF warned today.

“In many ways the final sessions have produced more disagreement rather than less on key issues as national negotiators dig in,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF’s global deal. “As the really hard decisions go forward to higher levels, it becomes more likely we will end up with high words on principal and less likely we will get detailed words that will work in tackling climate change.

Carstensen said the competitiveness and intransigence of large powers was largely responsible for the mess the talks had become.

“At the higher levels, it is lawyers building loopholes for the sake of large interests rather than nations negotiating the moral and effective ways to enact the measures that science says are necessary,” Carstensen said.

WWF said that the world is currently on track for runaway climate change, with commitments put forward by parties adding up to levels of global warming that may well reach 4 degrees C above pre-industrial levels – a recipe for disaster.

“Large nations can bully and spin their way out of effective climate action, but there will be no way to spin or bully our way out of climate change.

“The world will look back on this conference from a state of climate chaos or from a state of narrowly averted climate crisis. When we look back, will we be talking of the cure of Copenhagen or the curse of Copenhagen.”

In the latest developments, all night sessions failed to produce a financial framework for assisting developing nations to adapt to climate change and reduce emissions.

The debate on strengthened emission reduction targets for the historically biggest emitters from industrialized countries has not progressed beyond the utterly insufficient offerings made by the developed world before Copenhagen.

“Texts in almost all crucial areas of the negotiations - such as technology cooperation, adaptation and forest protection – has been seriously stripped of anything firm over the last 24 hours”, said Carstensen.

“Negotiators from the US have been trying to hold the line on too many things big and small and in the process the big picture has been lost – it is time for the moral leadership of US president Barack Obama to assert itself in line with the hopes and expectations of the world,” Carstensen said.

“China also has to take a higher moral ground and face the contradiction between it requiring international scrutiny of the greenhouse gas inventories of other nations while declining it for itself.”

“Europe could act boldly in line with the scientific imperatives rather than act incrementally on the basis of what others are doing.”

“We have three days left. Our planet can’t afford delay, so leaders have to take over and rescue the process.”

Small emissions reductions and large loopholes add up to world on way to disaster

2009-12-15

Copenhagen, Denmark - Pledges for emissions reductions now on the table from developed nations at the Copenhagen climate change conference could be lost in loopholes being built into an agreement, WWF warned today.

“It is possible for developed nations to spin their way out of real emissions reductions, but they can’t spin their way out of climate catastrophe,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF’s global climate initiative.

“That is the track we are on if the industrialised worlds find ways to increase emissions while saying they are reducing them through creative accounting which allows us to not count emissions, count them twice or count them in strange ways.”

WWF’s analysis identified a possibility that various loopholes could lead to industrialised country emissions increasing to 4 to 10 per cent over 1990 levels by 2020 – a stark contrast with the pledges of 15 - 19% emissions reductions so far tabled by industrialised nations in Copenhagen.

Chief among the loopholes is a lack of provisions governing where emissions reductions can be achieved – in the countries claiming them or as offsets in developing countries where carbon accounting can be much less rigorous. Based on WWF’s assessments, around one and a half billion tonnes of emissions reductions could be compromised in this way.

Current UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) rules can allow for the delivery of real emissions reductions – but also for developed nations to claim credits for projects that would have been implemented in developed nations in any case.

“To avoid an overall zero sum game, WWF is seeking for the overwhelming majority of developed country emissions to be made at home,” Carstensen said.

Another loophole emerges when countries carry emissions reductions credits forward into new commitment periods – a danger in particular from the “Hot Air” provisions given in abundance to Russia and eastern European economies during negotiation of the Kyoto protocol. Altogether, purchases of such Hot Air could result in sham emissions reductions claims of up to 1.4 billion tonnes of CO2 a year by 2020.
Other loopholes include shoddy rules on forestry and land use change emissions as well as the omission of continuously rising emissions from international shipping and aviation.

WWF is working with delegates to close loopholes by strengthening rules – and is maintaining a watching brief on the creation of new loopholes.

Adaptation support key to a climate deal at Copenhagen

2009-12-14

Copenhagen, Denmark - The world's wealthy nations have a long way to go on the key negotiating element of climate change adaptation at Copenhagen, WWF warned today "Climate change adaptation mechanisms and measures and especially finance must be a key part of any successful deal reached at Copenhagen, but it is an issue starved of attention, commitments and funds," said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF global climate initiative.

"With climate impacts already severely impacting those countries least able to cope with them, we have the example of wealthy countries who have made commitments on adaptation support and finance in the past but consistently failed to fulfil their promises.

WWF today presented an outline of what adaptation measures should be included in a new climate treaty, together with case studies of its work on climate change adaptation around the globe.

Key findings include the fundamental role of supporting functioning natural landscapes and ecosystems for securing freshwater supplies in the face of longer and more severe droughts and in providing flood and storm protection in the face of the more frequent and severe extreme weather events that are already and will increasingly impact vulnerable communities.

The global environment organisation also stressed that limiting climate change impacts through cutting emissions and deforestation and adapting to climate impacts should not be viewed - or negotiated - separately.

“Although we have masses of political declarations from world leaders, agreeing that they will keep global warming below two degrees, the actual emissions reduction offers now on the table at Copenhagen have us on track to a three degree or more world,” Carstensen said.

“Adaptation in a three degree world includes the costs of moving huge numbers of people out of harm’s way, or starvation’s way or, in the case of many islands, low lying coasts and heavily populated deltas, out of the sea’s way.”

WWF maintains that adaptation requires secure, transparent and accountable funding with new money rather than cosmetic reshuffling of existing aid packages. This should provide immediate near term support for highly vulnerable countries to immediately start implementing essential adaptation measures.

Also needed is international “insurance” funding to provide financial aid to countries at risk of being overwhelmed by climate change impacts or coping with disaster emergencies. WWF is also supporting calls from many of the worlds most vulnerable countries calls for seeking a multilateral mechanism to compensate for long term loss and damage such as the loss of entire small island nation states through sea level rise – a risk at just 1.5 degrees of average global warming.

“While there are some limited offers for short term adaptation funding on the table, there is little longer term vision or commitment,” said Carstensen. “We need to ensure that Copenhagen does not become the venue where getting some initial pledged money for adaptation takes precedence over setting up a secure international framework for adaptation.”

WWF’s adaptation work reflects the global to local nature of the organisation and covers helping to establish adaptation policy and capacity at national levels down to working with communities to improve the resilience of local environments to climate change impacts and extreme weather events.

In the Himalayas, the watershed for more than one billion people, WWF is helping to research glacial melt, identify potential dangerous glacial lakes and in Bhutan, is helping to drain a high risk glacial lake. The program also includes commissioning climate vulnerability assessments, providing community information and trialling ways to collaborate with farmers and villagers to safeguard their environment, food and water supplies and livelihoods.

WWF supporters and partners in its climate adaptation work include banking giant HSBC and the UK Department for International Development.

“These cutting edge examples of in-country climate change adaptation in practice are showing again and again that it is the environment that absorbs the main impacts of climate change and a more resilient environment that best protects communities from climate impacts,” said Pablo Herrera, Director of Conservation and Sustainable Development of Argentina’s WWF affiliate Fundación Vida Silvestre, who has been analysing the global on the ground adaptation work.

WWF poziva ministre na Konferenciji u Kopenhagenu

2009-12-14

Apel je upućen ministrima koji pristižu na high-level segment Konferencije UN o klimatskim promenama u Kopenhagenu, da ne zaborave da je cilj ovog skupa spašavanje sveta od klimatske katastrofe.
WWF je pozvao ministre da usvoje zajedničku viziju gde će se porast temperature na globalnom nivou ograničiti na ispod dva stepena i stabilizovati na 1,5 stepeni.

"Da bi se smanjio rizik prekoračenja zacrtane granice od dva stepena, WWF predlaže da se bilo koje mere usvojene na ovoj konferenciji podvrgnu naučnom tunačenju najkasnije do 2015", rekao je Kim Karstensen, lider Globalne klimatske inicijative WWF.

"Ovo naučno tumačenje, ili pregled stanja, treba da bude deo ovog sporazuma, jer će biti indikator za uspešnost mera koje budemo sprovodili."

Stav WWF-a je da ishod Konferencije u Kopenhagenu treba da bude zakonski obavezujući za sve članice i da se sastoji od izmena Kjoto protokola, sa novim i adekvatnim ciljem za smanjenje emisija kod razvijenih zemalja. Takođe, potrebno je napraviti i Kopenhagen Protokol za uspostavljanje međunarodnog pravnog okvira o klimatskim akcijama u SAD i u zemljama u razvoju.

"Svaki sporazum o finansiranju treba da se pozabavi ne samo brzom početnom finansiranju, već mora i da nevede kako neposredna sredstva mogu da se koriste za stvaranje potrebnih kapaciteta i institucija da bi se efikasnije rukovalo sa rastućim nivoom finansiranja u narednim godinama.

"Sporazum takođe treba da detaljno navede nove izvore finansiranja, kao što su porezi na međunarodni aviotransport i izdavanje tzv. dozvola za zagađivače ugljenikom, ali potrebno je pojasniti kako i kroz koje institucije novac treba da se distribuira".

WWF smatra da postoji potreba da se uspostavi međunarodna metodologija za praćenje smanjenja emisije, kako u razvijenim zemljama tako i u zemljama u razvoju.

"Države članice moraju jasno da dokažu njihove stvarne redukcije, a podaci moraju da budu jasni i transparentni i moraju da budu u skladu sa dogovorenim međunarodnim standardima", rekao je Karstensen. "Opšti cilj mora da postavi osnovu za ishod koji će usmeriti svet na put ka budućnosti gde se globalna temperatura neće povećati za više od dva stepena."

“Don’t get distracted,” WWF urges ministers

2009-12-14

Copenhagen, Denmark – Ministers arriving for the high level segment of the UN climate summit in Copenhagen are being urged to not get distracted from a goal of preserving the world from climate catastrophe.

WWF called on ministers to adopt a shared vision where the rise in average global temperature rise was limited to below two degrees and stabilises at 1.5 degrees.

“To minimize the risk of overshooting two degrees, WWF believes any measures decided at this conference should be subjected to a science review finishing no later than 2015,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF’s global climate initiative.

“This review, to see if what we are doing matches what we need to do, needs to be part of the agreement.”
In WWF’s view, the Copenhagen outcome should be legally binding on parties and consist of a an amended Kyoto Protocol with new and adequate emissions reductions targets for developed countries, and a new, linked Copenhagen Protocol establishing the international legal framework around climate action in the US and in developing countries.

“Any agreement on funding needs to deal not only with fast start funding, but must also specify how the immediate funding can be used to create the capacity and the institutions needed to be able to handle rapidly growing levels of funding in coming years.

“The agreement should also detail new sources of funding such as levies on international aviation and shipping and auctioning of carbon pollution permits, and it should make clear how and through what institutions the money should be distributed.”

WWF believes that there is a need to establish an international methodology to track emission reductions both in developed and developing countries.

“Parties must clearly state what their real reductions are, and the data must be clear and transparent and must follow agreed international standards” Carstensen said. “The overall objective must be to lay the basis for an outcome that will put the world on track to a less than two degree future.”

When life was good: A climate witness account from the Maasai in Tanzania

2009-12-13

Longido, Tanzania – Life used to be good, according to Kariungi Leng’ese, a Maasai elder in northern Tanzania.

“When I was young, we never had droughts like this. Life was good,” he said. “Nowadays, things are really tough. It never rains enough now.”

Cattle are the main source of food and wealth for the Maasai, who led semi-nomadic lives in East Africa for hundreds of years. But with rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall, the Maasai’s traditional ways of life and coping strategies are proving insufficient in the face of climate change.

In September this year, Kariungi says he lost 150 of his 450 cows. He then sent the remaining herd away to an area known to be good for grazing, but this area is also degraded now due to the prolonged drought. The only places where grass can still be found is in the national parks, where it is forbidden for livestock to enter. However, faced with the shame of returning home without any cattle, many Maasai try to enter these parks, even for just a few hours, so their cattle can feed.

Such situations are creating new conflicts - not only between the Maasai and the park guards, who must enforce the law, but also between the Maasai and the park’s lions, who attach the weak cattle. As a result, dozens of lions have been killed near one park alone.

“If all the cattle die, we will be devastated. We will not be able to feed our children,” said Jacqueiline Nampana, a Maasai women from the Erworendeke Village. “If the drought continues, we will not be able to clothe our children. We can’t afford to send them to school.”

In Maasai culture, the cattle are an important source of food, clothing and income, as well as a status of wealth. “If they die, we all die. The Maasai community dies. Our lives will be finished,” Jacqueiline said.

Situations like this are being played out across drought-affected East Africa. There have always been periodic droughts in this part of Tanzania, but the climate is now getting hotter and drier. Data from the Tanzanian Meteorological Agency (TMA) indicates that over the past 50 years, the annual temperature in the northern Tanzania town of Arusha has risen by more than 1 degree Celsius and the rainfall has declined by over 25 per cent.

These climatic changes are having a dramatic impact on people’s lives. In the case of the Maasai, traditional coping strategies are no longer effective and it is resulting in additional threats, such as resource-use conflict around the national parks.

This story is one of eight short videos produced by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and WWF Tanzania, in cooperation with the United Republic of Tanzania’s Office of the Vice President. The videos feature first-hand accounts from Tanzanians already feeling the impacts of climate change is their daily lives. These testimonials are intended to spur the climate change negotiators in Copenhagen to agree a global deal on climate.

Negotiators deliver the framework, now ministers need to come up with the numbers

2009-12-12

Copenhagen, Denmark – Negotiators at the UN climate summit have delivered a framework that can be developed to ensure a fair, ambitious and binding Copenhagen climate deal, WWF said yesterday.

“It is the job of the ministers now arriving to fill in the numbers against both the cuts in emissions and the money to make the deal possible,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF’s global climate initiative.

“Putting in the numbers is where we can bridge the divide between the ambitions governments have shown so far and what we really need to do to stay out of the climate catastrophe zone.”

WWF warned that texts presented by the chairmen of the negotiating group don’t answer questions on the legal format of the future agreement.

“Adding ambitious numbers to the framework texts and purging the remaining loopholes that could undermine the integrity of the deal is important”, said Carstensen,“but to make it a reliable and watertight, we also need to have it legally binding.”

Carstensen said ministers and later heads of state would be able to address issues that negotiators had little freedom to move on.

“If we can bridge the divide between what the developed nations are prepared to do and what the emerging and developing world want to see happen, we will have a Copenhagen climate deal,” Carstensen did. “Clearly there has to be action on all sides for the greater global outcome.

“For the wealthy world, the science and the equity arguments all point to increased cuts in emissions and more money on the table for those who have contributed little to the problem of climate change but will suffer the most of the consequences.”

“From the emerging economies we welcome the commitments made, but we need their efforts to be included in and measured as part of the global effort.”

Growing China industry helps clean energy boom

2009-12-11

Copenhagen, Denmark – Clean energy technology is on track to become the third largest industrial sector globally with a rapidly increasing share taken up by China, predicted a WWF report released at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen today.

Clean Economy, Living Planet - Building Strong Clean Energy Technology Industries is a first ever worldwide country ranking by clean energy sales, finding that relative to GDP it is wind energy and insulation pioneer Denmark and bio-ethanol giant Brazil that are leading the way. Germany, trading on a substantial manufacturing base and public support for wind and solar energy, is in third place.

The report predicted that by 2020 the industry would be worth €1600 billion a year in 2020, ranking behind automobiles and electronics as the third largest industrial sector. In 2007, clean energy technology had a sales volume of €630 billion and was already larger than the global pharmaceutical industry.

Sale revenues from energy efficiency products in 2007 were more than five times the revenues from renewable energy products, but this will change significantly by 2020 with the growth rate for renewables at 15 per cent a year being three times the still respectable five per cent annually of efficiency product and process revenues.

“This is the clean economy growth happening now with only a partial Kyoto protocol international framework supporting clean energy development, patchy national support for green energy and huge subsidies to fossil fuel use,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF’s global climate initiative.

“Imagine what is possible with a successful Copenhagen climate deal and the national mechanisms to deliver its outcomes – clean energy is where the money is going to be and this is where energy security is going to be.”

The report advocates countries seeking to develop their clean energy technology sectors should “follow the leaders” with technology action plans to take technologies from research to demonstration and bridge the gap between research institutions and industry.

Central banks could help by encouraging the inclusion of “carbon risk” into financial modelling. Access to seed or venture capital has also been a factor in the success of clean energy in the leading countries

The report also emphasises the importance of developing a strong domestic market in technologies with a strong domestic fit.

“It allows companies to experiment, gain experience and quickly traverse the learning curve – both giving them a competitive lead and providing them with reference and showcase projects,” the report said. Governments can support such domestic markets with subsidies, renewables targets and procurement policies.

Countries which could benefit from such moves include the US, ranked 18 on the GDP weighted rankings and behind Germany even in absolute terms, and the UK, ranked 19. Illustrating opportunities lost, Australia - which squandered an early technical lead in solar energy – is ranked 28.

China is ranked fourth in terms of absolute sales, and sixth relative to its GDP.

“Clearly, from a national perspective there is much to gain and nothing to lose from investing in clean energy,” said Donald Pols, Head of the Climate Programme at WWF-Netherlands.

“Forgoing these opportunities for the sake of propping up an aging, polluting fossil fuel sector for as long as its lobbying power remains significant is acting for vested interests not the national interest.”

Peace has a prize, it's time to pay it!

2009-12-10

Carter Roberts, CEO of WWF US, statement following President Barack Obama's awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize.

“We congratulate President Obama on this prestigious award. It’s a testament to his ability to lead, inspire and work toward solutions to the serious challenges facing our world.

We were pleased to hear the President in his acceptance speech state in no uncertain terms that taking swift and forceful action on climate change is core to building a just and lasting peace.

The President’s first opportunity to act upon this principle will come quickly as he returns to Scandinavia next week to assert his leadership in Copenhagen in the fight against dangerous climate change.

Disruptions in climate will lead to eruptions in conflict-prone areas around the world as sea levels rise, food and water shortages and other impacts force people from their homelands.

The President has expressed his resolve to address the climate threat.

Now the world is looking for assurance that the US will follow through on commitments made in Copenhagen, which can only come in the form of legislation.

When the President arrives in here next week, the world will be looking for him to announce that passing a climate bill through the Senate in early 2010 will be his next legislative priority.”

Cuando comenzó la COP15

2009-12-10

A las 10.41 am hora local el pasado lunes 7 de diciembre un grupo de panelistas de alto nivel tomó asiento en la plenaria de inicio en el Bella Center en Copenhague. Yvo de Boer, Secretario Ejecutivo del secretariado climático de las Naciones Unidas, llegó con una amplia sonrisa. Se sentía optimismo en el aire.

Antes de arrancar los discursos, sin embargo, un breve video recordó a los delegados que el mundo está pendiente y demandando un acuerdo. En el video, una pequeña niña es acosada por pesadillas en las que se veía atrapada en una catástrofe, después de haber visto noticias sobre los impactos devastadores del cambio climático en TV. Al final la niña despierta y toma una cámara para grabar un mensaje a los líderes sobre la escalofriante realidad de nuestros tiempos y las visiones oscuras de sus sueños. Ella dice a la cámara: “¡Por favor, ayuden a cambiar el mundo!”. Fue un momento bastante conmovedor y dramático, que desencadenó en fuertes aplausos por parte de toda la audiencia.

Ve el video haciendo clic aquí.