Advanced Search
September 26, 2016
The Paris climate accord was ratified by an additional 31 countries during this week's United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York. Image courtesy of IIP Photo Archive via flickr.com.
On September 21, President Obama signed a presidential memorandum requiring climate change be considered in the future development of national security policies and plans. The memo orders 20 federal agencies and offices to share information and collaborate on addressing issues overlapping climate and security. The memo will create a Federal Climate and National Security Working Group to be staffed by National Security Council and Office of Science and Technology Policy staff. The working group's task is to identify climate security priorities and propose steps to enhance science and intelligence sharing to better inform policies. An action plan outlining these actions will be published by the group within 90 days. Individual agencies will be responsible for developing their own implementation plans to identify climate-related threats, economic implications, and international outcomes relevant to their missions. The National Intelligence Council also released a report detailing the risks climate poses to national security operations and facilities over the next two decades, including country destabilization, food access, human health, economic disruptions, and extreme weather events.
For more information see:
White House Fact Sheet, NIC Report
On September 19, a pivotal law applying new standards to black carbon, methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and tropospheric ozone was signed by California Governor Jerry Brown. The standards require a 50 percent reduction in black carbon and a 40 percent reduction in methane and HFCs by 2030 versus 2013 levels. These "super pollutants" exacerbate the effects of global warming at a much higher rate than carbon dioxide (CO2). Since the 1960s, California has been able to cut black carbon emissions by more than 90 percent through the regulation of car and truck emissions, as well as a ban on new open-hearth woodstoves. The new law will ramp up efforts to reduce pollution from the state's large freight industry. A compromise with the dairy industry did not cap livestock methane, but advised controls be implemented "when economically viable." According to Gov. Brown, the emissions reduction law is the strictest in the nation targeting black carbon and methane.
SF Gate
Twenty-seven states are challenging the Clean Power Plan (CPP) in court, arguing that the EPA has overstepped its boundaries in regulating carbon dioxide emissions. Yet, analysis by M.J. Bradley & Associates and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) indicates that 21 of these states are already on-track to meet their CPP obligations due to pre-existing infrastructure and investments. EDF's Texas director John Hall, said, "The CPP would enable Texas to make money by exporting wind and solar electricity," given the state's recent construction boom of renewable energy projects. States contesting the plan say the main weakness of the CPP is its unrealistic and stringent timelines. They argue the EPA should provide states with enough time to naturally transition to cleaner forms of energy through market trends, without forcing spending in order to comply. With the Supreme Court's stay of the CPP’s implementation, states are now uncertain as to whether they should move forward with compliance measures or not.
Reuters
On September 21, 31 additional countries ratified the Paris climate accord, surpassing a major threshold necessary for the agreement's entry into force. In order for the agreement to take effect, at least 55 countries accounting for 55 percent of global emissions must ratify it. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was "convinced that the Paris Agreement will enter into force before the end of 2016." The Paris agreement has progressed at an unprecedented rate for a modern international treaty and has a chance to enter into force before the start of the next climate conference (COP-22) to be held this November in Morocco. Swift action has been motivated by the urgency to act on climate change and uncertainty about the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. Among the countries officially joining the agreement were Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates.
CBC News, New York Times
As part of a continuing effort to reduce global carbon emissions, the United States and China are participating in a transparent peer review assessment of their domestic fossil fuel subsidies. According to Peter Wooders, director of the energy program at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, “This gesture of openness signals a genuine desire to remove subsidies that are both environmentally and economically harmful.” Of the $8.2 billion in fossil fuel subsidies issued by the United States, $4.8 billion were deemed inefficient (a major exception was the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP). The Obama administration has presented eleven proposals to Congress since 2010 to end fossil fuel subsidies, but all have died in the House. An international review panel determined that American citizens needed to be better informed and motivated to exert pressure on Congress in order for subsidy reform to occur. Chinese officials have yet to lay out a timeline for altering their current subsidy policies, but encouraged other nations to also submit their subsidy practices for review.
Climate Home
On September 20, The Guardian published a leak revealing conflicts between the proposed Trade in Services Agreement (Tisa) and implementation of the Paris climate agreement. Tisa aims to widen trade channels between the European Union and 22 other countries while promoting “energy neutrality” between renewable and fossil fuel energy sources. Supporters of climate change action fear this could jeopardize nations’ abilities to reach their climate action goals by discouraging the use of renewable energy. This viewpoint was underscored by Barry Gardiner, a spokesman for the British Parliament's opposition party, who declared "every effort should be made to promote business and trade, [but] not be at the expense of the protection and enhancement of workers’ rights, environmental safeguards and the wider interests of the British people.” The proposed Tisa language will likely require approval by all European Union member states, in addition to the European Parliament before taking affect.
Guardian
Scientists warn that ice in the Arctic region is thinning at an unprecedented rate, opening up navigable channels and leading many countries to quickly stake claim to the territory. Based on current emission rates, scientists estimate that the Artic will have only about one million square kilometers of sea ice remaining by 2050 – most of which will be concentrated on the outer edges allowing for the North Pole’s central Artic Ocean to be “completely open.” The receding ice offers new shipping lanes, as well as access to untapped natural gas and oil reserves. To date, Russia, Canada, and Denmark have all claimed ownership of the region, prompting the United Nations to evaluate these claims within the context of international law. China also has become involved by declaring itself a "near-Arctic state" and investing in newly exposed ores in Greenland. Another source of conflict could be the neglect or exploitation of the region's indigenous peoples as powerful entities seek to carve up the Arctic.
Many of the countries most vulnerable to climate change are too financially strapped to fend off the environmental effects of increasing temperatures. While billions of dollars are available to aid these regions in adapting to climate impacts, the funds are wrapped in bureaucratic red tape which largely prevents nations with limited administrative capacity from accessing them. As a result, many communities in susceptible regions remain exposed to rising sea levels and worsening natural disasters. Meanwhile, the United Nations Commonwealth Secretariat is working to provide guidance for these countries to ease access to what funds they have. The Green Climate Fund has accumulated $10 billion in pledged funds, but has approved only $424 million in projects since November 2015. Jitoko Tikolevu, Fiji's high commissioner, said, “We have many climate adaptation projects identified, to move villages and other settlements, but they depend on getting climate money. We know what we need to do, but to do it we need to understand the process."
The Canadian government announced plans to adopt a new national carbon price by October 2016. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna discussed the upcoming regulation during a CTV interview on September 18. According to McKenna, Canada's 10 provinces would be allowed to pursue emission reductions on their own terms, but must ultimately comply with the national standard. The four largest provinces of Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta have already established either a carbon tax or cap and trade system. Provincial authorities have requested autonomy over crafting their own carbon reduction policies. Under the proposed regime, provinces that fail to implement their own regulatory schemes would be subject to a carbon price determined by the federal government.
An investigation by the SEC into the asset evaluation formula employed by Exxon Mobil to value petroleum reserves and projects may have a significant impact on energy firms moving forward. Exxon is under investigation for how the firm calculates the effect global climate change regulation will have on the business operations of the firm. For instance, the price of carbon is used by Exxon to calculate how their profits would be affected by the implementation of a cap and trade program. These calculations have implications for the overall value of an energy firm, since they can dictate whether it would be profitable to pursue future activities, such as oil exploration and drilling, within the global regulatory and economic landscape. The investigation has come on the heels of mounting pressure from members of Congress and advocacy organizations demanding increased efforts by the SEC to accurately assess risks associated with climate change.
Wall Street Journal
Over 100 Countries Call for "Ambitious" Montreal Protocol Amendment to Phase-Out HFCs
Sen. Merkley Announces Legislation to Reach 100 Percent Renewables by 2050, Calls for Fee on Carbon
MA Governor Orders State Officials to Draft Climate Mitigation Regulations by Next Year
Preview of September 27th's Oral Arguments for Clean Power Plan Case
Los Angeles Becomes Largest U.S. City to Approve 100 Percent Clean Energy Goal
Writers: Sasha Galbreath, Tyler Smith, and Brian La Shier Editor: Brian La Shier
Top-Rated Climate Nonprofit – 4-Star Charity