Content tagged: COP15

Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, and Luc Bas, Head of Government Relations for The Climate Group, write an op-ed on The Climate Group’s States and Regions leadership in June's edition of Europe’s 'Parliament Magazine'...

The Climate Group's Damian Ryan reports back from Bonn, following the conclusion of the latest round of UN climate talks...

The Climate Group's Damian Ryan reports on the slow progress made during the first week of the latest round of UN climate talks, which began in Bonn on May 31st...

The Climate Group's Damian Ryan looks ahead to the UN climate talks in Bonn, discussing the likely focus of attention...

The Climate Group's Damian Ryan reports on the meeting of the BASIC group of countries, held in Cape Town at the end of April...

The Climate Group's Damian Ryan reports on the UN climate talks that took place in Bonn at the weekend...

The Climate Group's Damian Ryan reports on the ‘International Climate Change Action Plan’, released today by the UK government...

Thurstan Wright, Analyst, The Climate Group, discusses factors that could determine whether COP 16 will be a step in the right direction…

Financing to address the impacts and causes of climate change was one of the success stories of Copenhagen; having made the commitment, the challenge now facing the international community is agreeing how exactly to deliver and transparently use the funds.

Yvo de Boer today announced that he will resign from his post as Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC this July.

Following the UN climate Summit in Copenhagen, The Centre and The Climate Group convened a high-level panel in Brussels this week to discuss how the EU and the US should engage China in a dialogue on climate change...

Fifty-five countries have met the UN’s 31st January deadline for submitting their intended climate mitigation commitments under the Copenhagen Accord...

Business leaders have written to world leaders to warn them that the Copenhagen Accord will only be a success if it calls for more ambitious climate action at all levels of government...

The first official meeting of the BASIC group of countries (China, India, Brazil, South Africa) concluded in New Delhi yesterday. The Group, which played a central role in negotiating last month's 'Copenhagen Accord', set out a range of positions in a joint statement.

What exactly was agreed in Copenhagen? Our global policy team offers its take on the Copenhagen Accord - what it says and what it doesn't say, and what we might expect now.

"Will the Accord stop us going over 2 degrees? Not by itself. However, if countries now step up and register ambitious but achievable targets and commitments it will be a clear step forwards..."

As the dust clears from Copenhagen, the issue for many will be determining what this new arrangement means. It is clear that this is neither a perfect nor a final deal.

The final day of the Copenhagen Climate Conference was characterized by rumour and counter-rumour as leaders conducted closed-door, high-level discussions to seal a political agreement. The climax of the day was agreement amongst the US and leading developing countries on a so-called 'Copenhagen Accord'.

Jeffrey Swartz, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Timberland Company and The Climate Group's CEO Steve Howard speak their support for the US commitment.

California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was awarded The Climate Group and South Australia's first annual Regional Leadership award by chair of The Climate Group's States and Regions Alliance Premier Mike Rann of South Australia.

The penultimate day of the Copenhagen climate conference saw resolution of Wednesday's procedural deadlocks; an important US announcement on financing; continuation of formal country statements; and the conspicuous absence of practically all observer organizations.

The United States today announced in Copenhagen that they would contribute to the $100 billion per year needed by 2020 to help developing countries adapt to climate change...

Corporate and state leaders assembled to discuss the benefits of high-level commitment to innovative technologies and policies in energy efficiency...

The Climate Group and Global CCS Institute hosted a meeting on the sidelines of the UN climate summit (COP15) in Copenhagen this week to report on the significant and growing momentum governments around the world are putting behind the development of the first generation of CCS demonstration projects.

Confusion and delay characterized events both in and outside the Copenhagen climate conference today.

Representatives today signed a statement of intent to support the territorial approaches to climate change with the UNDP, a further indication of the success of north-south partnerships.

Businesses want a strong, clear global deal that will promote and protect investment in low carbon technologies, promote clean technology innovations, and protect economies from climate impacts.

Representatives from sub-national governments and business leaders from major power companies and renewable energy developers yesterday came to two major conclusions...

Negotiations accelerated into their final phase today with parties agreeing to open the High Level Ministerial session half a day early.

Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, said the pledges and actions reported in Copenhagen will make a very large contribution to a greener planet: "The states and regions taking part in todays summit can make a huge difference and represent 360 million people, a combined GDP of USD$10.5 trillion, and businesses of every sector with a collective turnover of USD$620 billion."

The Climate Leaders Summit 2009, convened by international non-profit The Climate Group, gave platform to HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Shai Agassi, Founder & CEO of Better Place, First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, Premier Rann of South Australia and Premier Charest of Quebec, among others. Each made an individual announcement on new low carbon initiatives in front of 60 leaders and ministers from around the world.

Johnson Controls Inc. have announced today at the Climate Leaders' Summit in Copenhagen that it has joined The Climate Group...

Google, GE, The Climate Group and NRDC are among a group of companies and organizations calling on governments to support citizens' access to real-time home energy consumption information...

The Planetary Skin Institute was launched today as a unique cross-sectoral collaboration aims to research and develop near to real-time monitoring of global environmental conditions and changes. This move embodies an unprecedented level of collaboration between the public, private, NGO and academic sectors to meet the major environmental challenges facing the world.

Representatives from the world's largest developers of clearn technologies - China, the US and Europe - agreed that a global framework was urgent to speed up technology transfer...

The second week of climate negotiations in Copenhagen got off to a bumpy start today with both Convention and Protocol talks suspended for much of the day.

A group of 25 mayors and heads of regional governments, policy makers, manufacturers and bankers from over eight countries met in Copenhagen today on the sidelines of the climate change negotiations to discuss electric vehicle development around the world.

The Climate Group, BT and the Digital Energy Solutions Campaign (DESC) today launched 'SMART 2020: Pathways to scale' a website that will track progress made by the information and communications technology (ICT) industry in tackling climate change.

Tony Blair talks about the new Breaking the Climate Deadlock report that was released earlier today...

The Office of Tony Blair and The Climate Group today launch "Doing the Deal: key elements for a Copenhagen Climate Agreement", the latest report from their joint Breaking The Climate Deadlock initiative.

Given the potential flashpoints that could have seriously undermined talks in the first week, the progress reported is encouraging.

Friday's EU Council's pledge of 2.4 billion a year for the next 3 years to help developing countries combat climate change sent a message of hope to next week's negotiations - but on the more important issue of the mid-term finance package the EU failed to come up with concrete numbers...

Negotiations took an important step forward today with the release of draft 'Chairs' texts under both the convention and protocol negotiating tracks.

With ministers now beginning to arrive, and an informal mini-ministerial planned for the weekend, the intensity of negotiations is likely to pick up.

Mark Kenber, Policy Director for The Climate Group, writes on what we need from Copenhagen, and what we can expect.

With three days now gone, thoughts of negotiators will have no doubt turned to whether things are on course. While it remains a mugs game to predict an outcome, the first signs of movement will need to emerge in the coming few days.

The Copenhagen climate talks moved up a gear today with the first substantive meetings of the two core negotiating groups.

Overall, this was a day of formalities. Statements from parties at the opening sessions of the key negotiating groups were formal and gave little away.

The decision enables the EPA to move forward with regulations that would limit greenhouse gas emissions from cars and large industrial sources, without new Congressional legislation.

An email chain may cause concern, but doesn't change the fundamental laws of science.

As countries gather in Copenhagen this week, Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, takes a look at what should be left out of a deal, rather than what should be put in...

The Government of India's pledge last week to cut the carbon intensity of its economy by 20-25% below 2005 levels by 2020 means that all the world's major countries have now brought forward their initial offers on how they plan to cut their emissions.

After their historic meeting last week, both President Hu and President Obama have now come forward with real targets that can serve as the basis for further negotiations in Copenhagen", said Mark Kenber, The Climate Group's Policy Director. The key now is to use this as the basis for an ambitious binding global agreement that sends a clear signal to investors that the world is firmly on a low carbon path.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent visit to the United States culminated with the launch of a new "Green Partnership to Address Energy Security, Climate Change, and Food Security..."

"While Obama has said that climate change is a priority for his Administration, his attendance in Copenhagen will underscore his commitment to driving investment into low carbon technologies," says The Climate Group's US Director, Amy Davidsen.

But with the short time remaining until Copenhagen, it is now up to the US and China to translate these promises into clear commitments for the negotiations.

The press is now portraying this as a "major blow" that puts a global deal on climate change in jeopardy. But all hope is not lost....

Copenhagen is an important milestone, but not the end of efforts, on this journey.

The Catalan Government and The Climate Group convened this high-level conference in Barcelona

And 79 per cent want their governments to commit to 'meet or significantly exceed' a 50-80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050

The London MEF meeting ended with an upbeat communiqué but recognition that there are still major obstacles to agreement on a new climate deal.

The Climate Group's Damian Ryan reports from the Bangkok climate talks

US Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) released their Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act yesterday. The Climate Group's Evan Juska comments.

Rt Hon Tony Blair and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon join key climate negotiators to launch Climate Week NYC

The week of events will provide a platform for business, government and citizens to underscore the urgency of, and demonstrate their support for, a global deal in Copenhagen.

Global business leaders assembled in Copenhagen today called for ambitious, global action on climate change...

Initial comments by ministers and special envoys attending the 1st meeting of the Major Economies Forum (MEF) in Washington DC earlier this week suggest that, while there is still much headway to be made on a range of key issues, the Forum is serving its primary purpose of building trust and confidence between the major protagonists on the road to the major UN Climate Summit in December...

The Climate Group's Breaking the Climate Deadlock April 2009 update details key priorities and action in the run-up to Copenhagen.....

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said this week that, despite the current economic crisis, world leaders must stay committed to tackling global warming at crucial UN climate talks in Copenhagen at the end of the year...

China President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama will meet tomorrow on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in London. The meeting is the first time the current leaders of the world's two biggest emitting countries have met. Hammering out agreements on the economy and climate change will be central to discussions and the outcome may well determine the level of international ambition and pace of international co-operation ahead of the UN climate summit in Copenhagen in December...

As Chair of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Climate Change, I fielded countless versions of the same question: is it still possible to achieve a global agreement on climate change in Copenhagen this December?

The °Climate Group has welcomed the news that G8 leaders have agreed a long-term target of halving global emissions by 2050 but cautioned that this must just be the beginning of further concerted work over the next 18 months...

TOKYO, JAPAN - It is not overly dramatic to say we stand at a cross roads, between an uncertain future of rising pollution and climate chaos, or a green technology revolution that delivers a clean and prosperous world. In a few days time world leaders will gather in Japan...

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair visited China to promote our joint Breaking the Climate Deadlock initiative.

We now have a road map where we didn't have one before, but we don't yet have the resolution needed to know where it will take us.