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Waxman and Markey Unveil Draft of Comprehensive Energy and Climate Bill On March 31, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), Chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, released a 648-page “discussion draft” of a bill that would reduce U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 20 percent from 2005 levels by 2020. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 includes a longer-term target of reducing emissions 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050, the same goal proposed by President Obama. The bill would require 25 percent of the nation’s electricity demand to be met with renewable energy sources. It also calls for modernization of the electrical grid, production of more electric vehicles and efficiency increases for buildings, appliances and the electricity generation. It includes a $10 billion allocation for financing the development of technology to capture and store CO2 emissions from coal power plants, as well as a provision that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating GHG emissions under the Clean Air Act. “Our goal is to strengthen our economy by making America the world leader in new clean-energy and energy-efficiency technologies,” Waxman said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and the United States Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) were supportive of the draft, but House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said, “The Democrats' plan to raise energy taxes in the midst of a serious recession is the wrong thing to do and the worst possible time to do it.” Following the Easter recess, the House Energy and Commerce Committee plans to hold hearings to further discuss the legislation, including significant issues such as how the pollution permits would be distributed and how revenue from the program would be spent. For additional information see:
Obama to Hold Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate On March 28, the Obama administration invited 16 “major economies” to a climate and energy meeting in Washington to be held at the end of April. A White House statement said, “The Major Economies Forum will facilitate a candid dialogue among key developed and developing countries, help generate the political leadership necessary to achieve a successful outcome at the UN climate change negotiations that will convene this December in Copenhagen.” Dubbed the “Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate,” the April 27-28 meeting resembles similar gatherings organized by the Bush administration in previous years. The meeting will include both developed and developing countries, as well as the European Union. Delegates from Denmark and UN Secretary GeneralBan Ki-moon also were invited. The preparatory session hosted by the U.S. State Department will culminate in a second major forum in Italy in July, prior to a Group of 8 (G8) meeting. “Our goal is to use this forum very much as a key part in how we reach an overall agreement,” a senior administration official said.
UN Climate Talks Begin in Bonn in Lead-up to Copenhagen From March 29 through April 8, 175 countries are meeting in Bonn, Germany, to discuss the upcoming global climate treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which ends in 2012. Talks began this week as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which hopes to finalize negotiations in Copenhagen in December. Among the issues discussed were greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets pledged by developed nations, along with assurances that developed nations will offer financial support for poor nations that are heavily reliant on carbon-intensive energy sources. President Obama has announced his goal to cut U.S. emissions back to 1990 levels by 2020, a cut of 16 to 17 percent from current levels. Delegates from China, India and other developing nations called upon developed nations to make deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions than planned by 2020. “We believe that by 2020 the (developed nations) should reduce their emissions by at least 40 percent below 1990 levels,” Chinese delegate Xu Huaqing told negotiators at the meeting. An alliance of 43 island states, backed by more than a dozen nations in Africa and Latin America, urged developed countries to cut emissions by “at least 45 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.” Representing the small island states, Selwin Hart of Barbados said, “Recent scientific information and analysis has painted a bleaker picture.” Climate change “will result in the demise – if we don't take urgent action – of many small island states.” Jonathan Pershing, the U.S. deputy special envoy for climate change, said, “It is not the point in time in 2020 that matters – it is a long-term trajectory against which the science measures cumulative emissions.” It is clear that the less we do in the near-term, the more we have to do in the long-term. But if we set a target that is unmeetable technically, or we can't pass it politically, then we're in the same position we are in now . . . where the world looks to us and we are out of the regime. We want to be in (the regime), we want to be pragmatic, we want to look at the science. There is a small window of where they overlap. We hope to find it.” For additional information see:
EU Carbon Trading System Shows Signs of Working On April 1, the European Commission released a preliminary analysis on the state of the European Union’s (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) which reflected an overall reduction in emissions in 2008, after two subsequent years of increases. Henrik Hasselknippe, the global head of carbon analysis at Point Carbon, observed an emissions drop of 6 percent for 2008 that was attributed to declines in economic activity as well as actual carbon market forces. “What we’re seeing today is that it is easier to meet the emissions targets in the short term because of lower economic activity in the world, but it doesn’t change the fact that carbon markets do work,” Hasselknippe said. Part of this reduction is attributed to a switch to natural gas in the first half of the year by a significant number of power utilities as a result of increased coal prices from carbon trading. Prices for carbon allowances responded positively with the Commission’s release, rising over 4 percent. Emmanuel Fages, an energy market analyst at Orbeo, estimated emissions covered by the ETS had reduced by 4.3 percent in 2008. Though more conservative than Hasselknippe’s analysis, Fages also believed the carbon market forces showed signs of working, stating, “Measuring the impact of the existence of the carbon market is very difficult . . . but the constraints on emissions are tightening.” For additional information see:
Maryland House Passes Global Warming Bill On March 27, the Maryland House of Delegates passed a bill that would require the state to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 25 percent below 2006 levels by the year 2020. The state senate approved a similar bill earlier in the month, and Governor Martin O’Malley is expected to sign a final version into law. The House bill requires the Maryland Department of the Environment to establish a GHG emissions reduction plan by December 2010. Delegate Kumar Barve, House Majority Leader and a proponent of the bill, said “Doing nothing is no longer an option. . . . We can no longer treat the atmosphere as if it were a big free garbage dump.” The bill passed 107-31, with some resistance from Republicans on grounds that it would do little to affect climate change and may raise electricity prices. Businesses and labor organizations generally supported the bill, in part because the state’s manufacturing sector is exempt from the emissions restrictions. Manufacturing accounts for about 5 percent of total state emissions, with the vast majority coming from electricity consumption and transportation. Barve said, “Maryland, with its 3,100 miles of shoreline, is directly threatened by rising sea levels and flooding caused by global warming. . . . We have the technological ability to clean up our air, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and move to a future free of foreign energy dependence.” For additional information see:
California Senate Passes Bill to Expand Renewable Energy Requirements On March 31, the California Senate passed a bill that requires 33 percent of the electricity delivered by the state's utilities to be renewable power by 2020. State Senator Joe Simitian (D), lead author of Senate Bill 14, said, “Renewable energy provides an immediate response to the threat of global warming, cuts air pollution, reduces our dependence on foreign energy and helps to limit the threat of another energy crisis.” The state currently requires investor-owned utilities (IOUs) to supply 20 percent of their electricity generation with renewable sources by the end of 2010. Although the three primary IOUs are not expected to meet that target, regulators are accepting contract commitments for renewable power as justification to avoid penalizing the companies. The Senate bill now goes to the state assembly. Electricity generation accounts for 32 percent of California’s gross CO2 emissions, and are increasing twice as fast as any other sector, including transportation. “Senate Bill 14 sends the clear and unambiguous signal that California will continue to be the world´s leader in promoting new clean technologies, jobs and economic activity,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg.
Report Shows Extent of Impacts from Climate Change in California On April 1, California’s Climate Action Team (CAT) released a report for public comment that assesses the potential overall impacts of global warming on the state. Ordered by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the document synthesizes 37 research papers that cover an array of climate related issues, such as water supply, air pollution and property loss. Tony Haymet, Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said, “This report represents one of the most valuable products that the environmental research community can deliver to the people of California.” By 2050, the report predicts more grim forecasts than those made just two years ago, including a reduction in water supply, resulting in $3 billion in revenue losses, an increase in electricity demand by 55 percent, and increased susceptibility to wildfires which could add $2 billion per year in home losses. Sea level rise is also a great concern, particularly for San Francisco, where projections for an increase peak at 1-1 ½ feet sea level rise by 2050 and as much as 4 ½ feet by the end of the century. The state is developing its first Climate Adaptation Strategy (CAS) based on the research papers used in the report. “Delay in preparing for climate change is not an option. . . . Based on the best and most current science, these new scenarios used in the CAT report will help California plan and manage against the potential impacts of a changing climate,” said Energy Commission Vice Chair James Boyd. For additional information see:
Carbon Capture and Storage Moves a Step Closer On April 2, Nature published a study showing CO2 has been stored naturally in underground water for millions of years. The finding has significant implications for the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and concern over the uncertainty of the gas leaking back into the atmosphere. Dr. Stuart Gilfillan, a researcher from the University of Edinburgh who worked on the study, said, “It suggests that underground storage of carbon dioxide, in the correct place, should be a safe option to help us cope with emissions until we can develop cleaner sources of energy not based on fossil fuels.” The team of researchers found that CO2 can either dissolve in underground water, or it can react with minerals in rock to form new carbonate minerals. Although mineralizing the CO2 would make it more stable, the mineral deposits block pores in rock, which would limit the size of the overall carbon sink. When the CO2 dissolves in water the solution becomes denser than non-carbonated water and sinks. Dr. Gilfillan added, “It's good news in terms of the understanding of the system of carbon dioxide storage. . . . [It] suggests that it is possible to achieve the 10,000-year storage widely quoted as being necessary for effective carbon sequestration.” For additional information see:
Greenpeace Report Argues Deforestation Efforts Could Undermine Carbon Market On March 30, a report issued by Greenpeace International warned that the inclusion of permits for preventing deforestation in carbon markets could drop carbon prices by as much as 75 percent by 2020. Greenpeace International used the report, which was developed by KEA 3, at UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany, to argue that such a devaluing of carbon would make it easier for industrialized nations to avoid making energy efficiency and renewable energy investments. Roman Czebiniak, a Greenpeace forest advisor, said, “It’s an issue of the sheer mass of these credits that are potentially out there. . . . For developing countries like China and India, it would crowd out financing for clean-technology projects.” Reducing deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries is a key element in global negotiations to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because the destruction of tropical forests alone account for 20 percent of global emissions. The report was challenged by some who contended that the demand for forestry credits will be high enough, particularly with U.S. participation in the agreement, to prevent a crash in carbon prices. Steve Schwartzman of Environmental Defense said, “We think it's a terrible idea to preclude the option of creating positive economic value for standing forests.” Greenpeace proposed an alternative approach whereby industrialized countries can meet part of their emissions reduction goals with cheaper “tropical deforestation units,” so long as it is in addition to deep cuts in domestic emissions. “Forests are the wild card in these negotiations – it could be used to bring us closer to our goals, or to water them down,” Czebiniak concluded. For additional information see:
Air Industry Officials Call For Global Emissions Deal On March 30, delegates at a two-day “Aviation and Environment” conference in Geneva, Switzerland, called for a global emissions scheme for the aviation industry. Leaders from airlines, plane and engine manufacturers, air traffic control organizations and airports, urged the United Nation’s (UN) International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to shape a policy out of fear that a patchwork of regional and national systems could hurt the industry. Swiss International Airlines chief executive Christoph Franz said the lack of a universal system could actually increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by incentivizing airlines to fly longer routes. “It is urgently necessary to create a global scheme,” he said. Airlines expressed concern about the European Union's (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which caps emissions by carriers operating in and out of the bloc starting in 2012. International air transport, though not previously regulated, contributes around two percent of global CO2 emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Aviation leaders are hoping the ICAO will provide leadership in representing the industry at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen in December. “If we don't see progress at Copenhagen, I think the industry will suffer,” warned British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh.
Study Finds Black Carbon Responsible for Half of Arctic Warming On March 31, Nature Geoscience published a study showing black carbon (soot) is responsible for 50 percent, or almost 1ºC of the total 1.9ºC increased Arctic warming from 1890 to 2007. An aerosol produced from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass, the short lifetime of black carbon makes it an ideal target for quick emissions reductions. The study was conducted by Drew Shindell of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space (GISS) and Greg Faluvegi of Columbia University and is the first to quantify the Arctic’s sensitivity to black carbon emissions from various latitudes. The study noted that most of the Arctic warming – 1.48°C of the 1.9°C – occurred from 1976 to 2007 and concluded that the Arctic responds strongly to black carbon emissions from the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes, where the emissions and the forcing are greatest. “We need to broaden climate policy to include reductions in black carbon, given its critical role in Arctic warming and overall global warming,” said Durwood Zaelke, president of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development. “Black carbon is part of a package of fast-action strategies that can achieve mitigation in the near term and slow Arctic warming, including targeting short-lived, non-CO2 climate forcers such as HFCs, methane, and tropospheric ozone, as well as increasing carbon sequestration through forest protection and production of biochar.” For additional information see:
Dust Plays Major Role in Ocean Surface Temperatures For additional information see:
Other Headlines EU Report Finds Europe Will Suffer Despite Climate Measures
Events April 9, 2009 Wood-based Bioenergy: Implications for Forest Sustainability The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing to discuss sustainability issues and stewardship opportunities arising from the use of woody biomass for energy. Speakers for this event include Robin O’Malley, the Program Director at The John H. Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment and V. Alaric Sample, the President of the Pinchot Institute for Conservation. The briefing will be held Thursday, April 9, from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. in 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building. This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, contact Jesse Caputo at (202) 662-1882 or jcaputo [at] eesi.org.
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Amy Sauer This EESI publication is a free, weekly electronic newsletter intended to inform interested parties, particularly the policymaker community, of the latest climate change-related news. Permission for reproduction of this newsletter is granted provided that EESI is properly acknowledged as the source. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute is a non-profit organization established in 1984 by a bipartisan, bicameral group of members of Congress to provide timely information on energy and environmental policy issues to policymakers and stakeholders and develop innovative policy solutions that set us on a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy path. |
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