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December 7, 2015
In lieu of outlawed scheduled marches on climate in Paris, protesters placed thousands of shoes in the Place de la Republique to call for ambitious action on climate. Image courtesy of Takver on Flickr.
SPECIAL EDITION: Paris COP21
On November 30, President Obama joined 19 other nations in announcing the launch of Mission Innovation, which seeks to double the amount of public investment in clean energy research and development over the next five years from $5 billion to $10 billion. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz stated in an op-ed for The Boston Globe that the participating countries account for close to 80 percent of total global investments in clean energy R&D, so doubling that amount will be “significant.” The 19 countries in Mission Innovation include Australia, Brazil, China, India, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. Mission Innovation will facilitate public-private partnerships, and was announced in conjunction with the Breakthrough Energy Initiative, an effort to increase private sector funding for clean energy R&D.
For more information see:
The Boston Globe, Engadget, Mission Innovation, WRI, The White House
On November 30, the White House announced that 73 more businesses had joined its American Business Act on Climate pledge, which requires its signatories to support an ambitious deal on climate out of Paris and demonstrate “an ongoing commitment to climate action.” There are now a total of 154 companies with $4.2 trillion in annual revenues and operations in every state signed onto the pledge. The new company sign-ons include Amazon, Verizon, and Volvo.
The White House, Bloomberg
On December 2, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two resolutions to block Environmental Protection Agency regulations on carbon emissions from power plants. Senate Joint Resolutions 23 aims to block EPA rules regarding new, modified, and reconstructed power plant emissions, while S.J.Res. 24 would block the Clean Power Plan, which covers existing power plants emissions. Votes fell largely along party lines, although ten Republicans broke from the party and voted against S.J.Res 23, and two Republicans voted against S.J.Res. 24. Four Democrats also broke from their party to vote in favor of both bills. The resolutions passed the Senate in November. The votes are largely symbolic, since the President has said he will veto the measures, but were strategically timed to coincide with international negotiations on climate in Paris and show Congressional disapproval of President Obama’s climate policies.
International Business Times, National Journal, North American Wind Power, Syracuse.com, US News & World Report (1, 2), The New York Times, Politico
On December 2, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo directed the State Department of Public Service to ensure 50 percent of electricity consumption in New York State comes from renewable energy sources by 2030. “As discussions continue in Paris, we are taking enforceable actions in New York to lay the foundation for a thriving clean energy economy,” said Cuomo. Cuomo also directed the Department of Public Service to look into processes to stop the early retirement of upstate nuclear power plants. A press release announcing the measure stated that New York “cannot lose ground in the fight to reduce carbon pollution through the unnecessary retirement of safely operating nuclear power plants.”
Press Release, Letter
On November 29, Parisian police took 174 climate protesters into custody and placed 24 climate activists on house arrest, as part of the French government’s efforts to limit public demonstrations after recent terrorist attacks that left 130 dead in Paris. Despite the crack-down in Paris, over half a million protesters took to the streets in cities all over the world to show their support for a strong climate agreement at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP 21). Some organized protests redirected their efforts, such as the thousands who placed their shoes on the Place de la Republique in Paris to exhibit their support for climate action. In total 11,000 shoes, including those of Pope Francis and United Nations Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon, were on display in order to represent “a collection of millions of steps marching toward the same direction,” said Parisian citizen Gloria Montenegro.
The New York Times (1) (2), Reuters
On November 30, during a flight from Africa to Rome, Pope Francis stated that the time is “now or never” to reach an international deal on climate change, and that the world is close to “suicide” in terms of negative climate impacts. Pope Francis made the observation that politicians have “done little” to address climate change, but that he trusts the negotiators in Paris “have goodwill to do something.” In June the Pope published a 192-page encyclical regarding the environment, which called laid out his observations and perspectives on the links between Catholicism and climate change.
National Catholic Reporter (1, 2), Reuters, The Washington Post
On December 1, United Nations climate chief Christina Figueres gave an interview to CNN where she stated that the world is working to create an international deal on climate change out of “economic self-interest, not a desire to save the planet.” Figueres said that economics are a “much more powerful political driving force,” and that this motivation marks a “fundamental” difference from previous United Nations conferences on climate change. From November 30 to December 11, nations are participating in the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris to negotiate an international deal on climate.
CNN
On November 30, a New York Times and CBS poll showed that two-thirds of Americans support an international treaty to curb greenhouse gas emissions, with a slim majority of Republicans opposing such a measure. Sixty-three percent of adults surveyed said they support the Clean Power Plan, but on the impacts of global warming and other climate-related issues, Americans’ opinions differed based on their political affiliation. Despite partisan divide on climate policy, this poll demonstrates a shift in perception, with a growing number of Americans acknowledging the need to fight global warming. “If you just look over the past five or six years since Copenhagen, there’s been a shift,” said David Waskow of the World Resources Institute. “There’s much more awareness of issues like sea level rise, water scarcity and climate instability,” providing an incentive for a strong international agreement. The nationwide poll was conducted from November 18 to 22 with a total of 1,030 participants.
The New York Times, The Hill, Poll Results
On November 29, the eve of the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris, Bill Gates announced the launch of the Breakthrough Energy Initiative, a group of 28 of the world’s wealthiest investors that pledge to fund research and development for clean energy technology. The initiative will address the growing need for affordable clean energy, especially in the developing world, citing the need to produce 50 percent more energy by 2050 than today. “Private companies will ultimately develop these energy breakthroughs, but their work will rely on the kind of basic research that only governments can fund. Both have a role to play,” stated Bill Gates, noting that this initiative will tackle climate change while providing energy to the world’s poor. It is unclear how much the group will invest. The Initiative was announced in conjunction with Mission Innovation, a public sector project to fund clean energy R&D.
US News, Forbes, The Washington Post, Gates Notes
On December 1, Monsanto Chief Executive Officer Hugh Grant announced the company will become carbon neutral by 2021. To achieve this goal, Monsanto will implement stricter emissions control, increase energy conservation at its offices, and use more fuel-efficient vehicles. Through incentive programs that encourage environmentally-sound practices, the company will also work with farmers who use its seeds and pesticides to help them reduce carbon emissions. Grant added that the agriculture industry is already working hard to address climate change, especially farmers. “[Farmers] have an opportunity and a part to play in mitigation around climate change. Rather than being the problem, I think there's a growing realization they can be a big part of the solution," Grant said.
San Jose Mercury News
On December 1, Steve Coll, dean of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, issued a letter in response to ExxonMobil accusations of ethics misconduct and demands for a formal inquiry into a professor and some of her students. Coll stated that the ExxonMobil accusations were “unsupported by evidence.” ExxonMobil was taking issue with Columbia University journalists who worked with the Los Angeles Times on two stories that found ExxonMobil knew about climate change decades ago and deliberately confused the public about the science.
InsideClimate News, LA Times, Politico, NPR, The New York Times
On December 3, the top executives of seven large global clothing companies released a statement supporting a “strong climate change agreement” out of United Nations climate negotiations taking place in Paris from Nov. 30-Dec. 11. The statement, organized by nonprofit Ceres, was signed by Levi Strauss & Co., Gap Inc., VF Corporation, H&M, Eileen Fisher, Adidas Group and Burton Snowboards. “We came together . . . to acknowledge that climate change is harming the world in which we operate,” the letter states. “Therefore, we call on you [world leaders] to reach a global agreement that provides the certainty businesses need and ambition climate science demands.”
Ceres
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Authors: Michael Martina, James Richmond, Gabriela Zayas and Laura Small
Editor: Laura Small
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