International Leaders Seek Breakthrough in Climate Change Deadlock

On February 14-15, leading US politicians - including Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-VT), Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) - met in the US Senate with political leaders from around the globe to seek a breakthrough in the international climate deadlock.  The two-day forum, put together by Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE), serves as a lead up to address climate change issues before this summer's G8 summit in Germany.  Environmentalists in the United States believe this forum is a good indication that US policies are beginning to shift towards rejoining international efforts to quell climate change; however, many still see the Bush administration's attitude toward international agreements to be an obstacle. 

One suggestion put forth by forum participants includes developing a special fund to facilitate the transfer of low-carbon technologies to developing countries.  Ander Wijkman, the European Parliament's climate rapporteur, suggested that the fund should be established as a complement to the Kyoto Protocol's existing Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).  Chinese and Indian delegates were the most supportive, emphasizing that rapid development of low-carbon power generation is crucial for economic development without increasing emissions.  Ultimately, the forum is expected to formulate a policy statement that will be used to guide negotiations at the G8 summit this year.

Governor of Illinois Announces Goals to Dramatically Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

On February 13, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced a statewide goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and 60 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, adding to the increasing number of US governors endorsing state action on climate change.  The announcement comes as Gov. Blagojevich's Climate Change Advisory Group prepares to meet over the next six months to identify cost-effective strategies for reducing GHG emissions.  The advisory group, comprised of business leaders, labor unions, academia, scientists, and environmental and consumer groups, will make direct recommendations to Gov. Blagojevich who has openly stated his targets are meant to encourage action on the federal level. 

These GHG goals are part of a long-term strategy and build on previous measures taken by the state to combat climate change such as the Illinois Global Warming Blueprint.  This report details 13 specific policy strategies, including aggressive investments in energy efficiency and renewable technologies, adopting clean car standards, adopting more stringent building and appliance codes, and expanding transit and commuting options to reduce reliance on cars for transportation.  Illinois has already shown progress in these steps having reduced the overall number of state vehicles by 11 percent since 2003, increased the number of flex-fuel vehicles to 16 percent of the state fleet, and increased the use of renewable and cleaner burning fuels.  Since April 2004 more than 1 million gallons of biofuels have been consumed by state vehicles.  All of the state's efforts are meant to curtail GHG emissions as well as save the taxpayers millions of dollars by reducing use of electricity and petroleum-based transportation fuels. 

Governor of New Jersey Announces Goals to Dramatically Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

On February 13, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine signed an Executive Order to adopt ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 (approximately 20 percent) and 80 percent below 2006 levels by 2050.  This plan closely resembles other states' climate initiatives such as California and Illinois, the latter of which announced similar goals and strategies on the same day.  In his announcement, Gov. Corzine suggested promoting mass transit, introducing more hybrid vehicles onto New Jersey's roads, and investing in alternative technologies as the first steps toward reducing GHG emissions.  To reach these goals, a collaboration of state agencies and various stakeholders will make economic evaluations and the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental (DEP) will make specific recommendations to meet the reduction targets.

The order also calls on the DEP to develop a 1990 greenhouse gas emission inventory as well as a system for monitoring current greenhouse gas levels to ensure progress towards the goals can be tracked.  As a member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cooperative effort of Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states working to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the state of New Jersey has agreed to set up a cap-and-trade program to limit CO2 emissions from electric power plants.  Under RGGI, the administration has promised to devote excess funds derived from this process towards energy efficiency and renewable technologies, though this is not expected to occur until 2009.  The next step for the administration will be to call on other states to join in its efforts and work with the state legislature to pass legislation to support and strengthen the targets set out in Corzine's Executive Order.

Stern Warns US Officials on Global Warming

On Tuesday, February 13, Sir Nicholas Stern, Head of the UK Government Economic Service, and two American economists testified before the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee regarding various policy reforms they think could head off predicted catastrophic effects of global warming.  Stern is a former World Bank chief economist and author of the recently released "Stern Review: The Economics of Climate Change", a comprehensive report discussing ethics, costs, and policy responses to climate change.  During his testimony Stern said, "Leadership in the world's largest markets sets the pace elsewhere.  Now is the time to act, urgently, strongly and internationally."  He added, if nothing is done, "...it will make life very difficult not only for ourselves but for people right across the world."  Instead, Stern suggested that an international cap-and-trade system would be more likely to get collective support, allowing individual nations to develop their own systems and trade across borders.  

Despite pleas from Stern and many others, lawmakers still have their differences, which could make it difficult to pass legislation this year in the closely divided Senate where Democrats hold a 51-49 majority.  Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, said, "I believe there's an opportunity for us to move forward with legislation on global warming this year, [but] The challenge now will be to get a majority of the Congress to agree on specific proposals."  Sen. Bingaman is currently working on legislation that would set up a national cap-and-trade system for carbon pricing. 

Still, others believe momentum for action on climate change is gaining significant strength on Capitol Hill.  Phil Clapp, president of the non-profit National Environmental Trust, said, "It's clear now that there is going to be a major shift in US environmental policy, if not under George Bush then immediately under his successor. Bush is totally isolated. He's now at the point where senior members of his own party in Congress do not agree with him on global warming."  Many of the 2008 presidential hopefuls, including Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), have sponsored legislation to address climate change.

Exxon Begins to Warm Up to Idea of Global Warming

In a series of public announcements over the past few weeks, oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. has begun to show signs that they are embracing the notion of global warming.  Keith Cohen, Exxon's vice president of public affairs, recently told reporters on a conference call, "Climate is changing.  It's a serious issue.  The evidence is there."  When pressed, Cohen acknowledged that, "there is no doubt that human activities are the source of carbon dioxide emissions."  At a conference hosted in Houston for energy leaders, Rex Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon, told a room of more than 500 guests, "We know the climate is changing and greenhouse gases are increasing," adding, "Our industry has a responsibility to contribute to discussions on the policy issues... and take concrete actions ourselves."

These comments - long-awaited by environmentalists - mark a distinct change in public policies relating to global warming.  Exxon has notoriously been the poster child of denial among those convinced of global warming; it opposed the Kyoto climate change treaty; it pressed the Bush administration to remove an outspoken scientist from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; it hired a White House official accused of altering scientific reports to cast more doubt on global warning; and it has been accused of financing policy groups that have undermined the science of global warming. 

Despite the company's history on global warming, Exxon is beginning to shift its rhetoric in the wake of increasing support and legislation at the state, national and international levels.  Asked whether the company would favor a cap-and-trade method of limiting greenhouse gases, Cohen said, "The devil's in the details. That's neither a yes nor a no. It's a definite maybe."  Additionally, unlike its industry counterparts which have stepped up massive investments in alternative fuel technologies, Exxon's Tillerson said the company would stick to what it knows best, fossil fuels.  "We are a petroleum and petrochemical company," he said.  "That's what we know how to do."  It remains to be seen what actions the company will take and what type of legislation the company may support involving global warming initiatives. 

New European Union Emission Standard Shocks Japanese Automakers

Major Japanese automakers took a blow after a recent announcement by the European Union (EU) that all auto manufacturers selling cars in the bloc must reduce the amount of vehicular carbon dioxide emissions 35 percent from 1990 levels by 2012.  Although Japanese manufacturers are well ahead in the development of hybrid cars, EU regulations on car emissions put more emphasis on reducing CO2, while Japan and the United States stress the importance of reducing nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.  Commenting on the EU's decision to toughen regulations, a Toyota Motor Corp. official said, "Though the details are still unclear, we think it's very severe."  The planned introduction of the new EU standard aims to speed up measures to combat global warming under the Kyoto Protocol, and it is possible that the legislation will include such measures that will ban the sale of models that fail to clear the new standard.  Despite the anxiety of Japanese automakers, Honda, Isuzu, Toyota, and Nissan all have plans to increase funding research and development of diesel technologies that emit lower carbon dioxide emissions. 

Companies Find Climate Solutions Lead to Profits

On February 14, The Climate Group released their third edition of "Carbon Down Profits Up," which highlights leadership in the area of climate change and points to the action, innovation and concrete results from those organizations that have done most to cut their carbon emissions.

Amongst the headline findings are that: the 137 leading corporations, cities and states selected for coverage in the report are drawn from 20 countries and have reduced carbon emissions by an average of 14 percent. This is nearly three times the percentage cut required of participating economies under the Kyoto Protocol. The 27 corporations reporting on the cost savings from their actions reduced emissions further, by an average of approximately 18 percent. The five highest achievers - Catalyst Paper Corp., DuPont, AstraZeneca and the governments of Seattle (US) and Woking (UK) - each report cutting operational emissions by over 60 percent.  Successful cities and regions reported saving $64 billion of taxpayer money through carbon reduction.

Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, said, "While efforts to cut carbon emissions across the economy are still far from commensurate with the scale of the problem, the evidence presented here clearly points to the fact that cutting emissions can make economic sense. The path to a low carbon future represents both responsibility and opportunity."

Businesses Urge Mandatory Carbon Caps

On February 13, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) held a hearing on the U.S. Climate Action Partnership Report. At the hearing a number of corporate executive witnesses urged Congress to cap emissions blamed for global warming.

Peter Darbee, chairman and chief executive officer of PG&E Corp. - parent of California's largest utility, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. - called for the United States to be "at the forefront of addressing global climate change" by approving a mandatory program to reduce greenhouse gases.

Charles O. Holliday Jr., chairman and chief executive of DuPont Co., said "...voluntary efforts alone will not solve the problem - we need sound policy that takes broad, coordinated action across the entire economy. To achieve this, climate protection policy must be coupled with U.S. energy policies that result in diverse and adequate low-carbon energy supplies."

Steve Elbert, Vice Chairman of BP America Inc., said "I am pleased to be here today to express BP's support for the adoption of a mandatory and national climate change control program... In addition to curbing our own emissions, we are focusing on developing low carbon power, including natural gas, hydrogen, biofuels, solar and wind technologies."

Glacier Loss Threatens Peruvian Water Supply

The ice atop Cordillera Blanca, Peru's "White Mountain Range" and the largest glacier chain in the tropics, is melting fast because of rising temperatures and peaks are turning brown. The trend is highlighting fears of global warming and, scientists say, is endangering future water supplies to the arid coast where most Peruvians live.

Glaciologists consider the health of the world's glaciers an indicator of global warming and they warn that what is happening in the Andes signals trouble ahead. "To me it's the rate of ice loss that's a real concern, because when melting accelerates, the ice cannot replenish itself," said Lonnie Thompson, a leading glacier expert at Ohio State University.

In Peru, home to 70 percent of Earth's tropical glaciers, the Andes mountains have lost at least 22 percent of their glacier area since 1970 and the melt is speeding up, according to Peru's National Resources Institute, INRENA, a government agency.

Venezuela Starts Climate Campaign

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is increasingly talking up environmental causes and urging the world to cut back on oil use to fight global warming. As reported by the Denver Post, Chavez wants to use some oil revenues in a venture to manufacture solar panels and has begun distributing millions of energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs to homes nationwide. "Venezuela is one of the countries that least contaminates the environment, but nevertheless we want to give an example and be at the vanguard," Chavez said in early February.

Some critics say Chavez's campaign is mostly rhetoric, noting this is a country where government subsidies have gasoline prices at 12 cents a gallon. "I don't see clear environmental policies in Venezuela," said Venezuelan activist Deborah Bigio, who heads the Foundation for the Defense of Nature. She said Venezuelans need to be given more concrete incentives to encourage them to save energy and protect their natural surroundings.

Al Gore Launches "Live Earth" Climate Concert

On February 15, in an effort to engage billions of people across the globe, Kevin Wall, Former Vice President Al Gore, Pharrell Williams, Cameron Diaz, and the MSN Network launched Save Our Selves (SOS) - The Campaign for a Climate in Crisis. SOS is designed to trigger a global movement to combat our climate crisis. It will reach people in every corner of the planet through television, film, radio, the Internet and Live Earth, a 24-hour concert on July 7 across all 7 continents that will bring together more than 100 of the world's top musical acts. Live Earth alone will engage an audience of more than 2 billion people through concert attendance and broadcasts. MSN has partnered with SOS to use its reach to make the Live Earth concerts available across the globe.

"In order to solve the climate crisis, we have to reach billions of people," said Gore. "We are launching SOS and Live Earth to begin a process of communication that will mobilize people all over the world to take action. The climate crisis will only be stopped by an unprecedented and sustained global movement. We hope to jump-start that movement right here, right now, and take it to a new level on July 7. We have to get the message of urgency and hope out."

EU Announces Biofuels Target as Part of Climate Package

In its energy and climate change package, the European Commission proposed that the European Union commits now to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020, in particular through energy measures. To reach this goal, the Commission proposed a number of concreted actions based on a determinate reduction of energy consumption (20% energy savings by 2020, according to the objective of the Energy Efficiency Action Plan adopted in November) and the development of an energy mix based in low carbon technologies.

The Commission proposed a binding target of 20% of its overall energy mix will be sourced from renewable energy by 2020. This will require a three-fold growth in all renewable energy sectors: electricity, biofuels and heating and cooling. This renewables target will be supplemented by a minimum target for biofuels of 10 percent. The Commission left to member states the choice or the refusal of nuclear energy but recommends that where the level of nuclear energy reduces in the EU this must be offset by the introduction of other low-carbon energy.

Speaking after the conclusion of the European Energy Council Meeting Irish Minister for Communications, Marine & Natural Resources Noel Dempsey said, "I am very pleased that the [biofuels] target set today is binding. It is a welcome further step towards getting countries on the sustainable energy path. Ireland has already committed to reaching a 5.75 percent biofuel target by 2009 and meeting or exceeding the EU's 10 percent 2020 target by continuing to promote the development and use of biofuels."

Rep. Peter Welch Offsets CO2 with Renewable Energy

On February 5, Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) announced an initiative that will make his congressional offices in Vermont and Washington carbon neutral. By providing financial support for two Vermont renewable energy projects, Welch will offset the greenhouse gas emissions related to his office activities so they will not contribute to global warming.

Welch also announced he will be an original co-sponsor of Rep. Henry Waxman's (D-CA) Safe Climate Act, which calls for an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and boosts automobile mileage standards. "The crisis of global warming is real, it is urgent, and it requires our immediate action," said Welch.  "By embracing the challenge of global warming we can open the door to innovative local approaches as we work toward solutions."

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