*[Enwl-eng] here is the latest news from the High-level Climate Champions!
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Tue Jul 6 23:40:55 MSK 2021
UN Climate Change
Global Climate Action
6 July 2021
High Level Climate Champions
Newsletter
Net Zero: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The term ‘net zero’ has broken into the
mainstream lexicon in the past two years, thanks to the tidal wave of
commitments from countries, local governments, businesses and investors -
many as part of their recovery from Covid-19. We have reached a tipping
point at which, if you’re not readying your city, investment portfolio or
business strategy for a resilient net-zero world in the 2040s, you will soon
find yourself juggling stranded assets and battling ever-worsening impacts.
But not all net zero commitments are equal.
Some are good, some are bad, and some are even ugly, according to panelists
speaking at the Get Net Zero Right event during London Climate Action Week.
The risk is that net zero targets allows emitters to continue with business
as usual based on the promise that they will mitigate emissions later on - a
“burn now, pay later” trap, according to James Dyke, assistant director at
the University of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute.
Much of the talk around reaching net zero
emissions is based on “fantasies of future technological saviour,” Dyke
added, arguing that the window for limiting global warming to 1.5°C has
closed. “I would have some confidence that we were going to get to 1.5°C if
at the same time that we’re making all these promises we’re seeing large
near-term reductions in carbon emissions.” Instead, 2021 is on track to see
the second-largest increase in emissions on record, he said.
Yet, commitments to reaching net zero
emissions are still a necessary and crucial part of the race to create a
healthier, more resilient and more liveable future, panelists agreed. It’s a
logical approach: set the end destination, and then figure out how to get
there, said Richard Black, honorary research fellow at Imperial College
London. “I don’t agree with James that 1.5°C is over,” he said. “We are at a
time of maximum urgency but also a time of maximum feasibility.”
The challenge is to turn net zero
commitments into immediate, meaningful change that is rooted in science.
“We are now in a power fight for whether
net-zero can be a driver of change or if it’s going to be captured by the
fossil fuels industry and others to keep on doing what they’re doing,” said
Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace International.
The clearest and fastest way to cut
emissions is to phase down coal, oil and gas production, said Tzeporah
Berman, adjunct professor of environmental studies at York University,
international programme director at Stand.Earth and chair of the Fossil Fuel
Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. Some 80 per cent of emissions in the
atmosphere come from coal, oil and gas, and production needs to decline by
at least 6 per cent per year to meet the Paris Agreement’s goals, she added.
So Let's Get Net Zero Right
“How do we build political power to achieve
positive change in the world? Winning is easy, but governing is harder,”
said Thomas Hale, associate professor in public policy at the University of
Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government.
The success of net zero commitments hinges
on the right governance. And the right governance needs to be rooted in
immediate action, short-term targets, transparency and accountability.
The UN-backed Race to Zero campaign aims to
do just that - backing net-zero commitments from businesses, investors,
cities and regions with targets to halve greenhouse gas emissions between
2020 and 2030, as the science says is needed. It also requires commitments
to cover a company or government’s direct and indirect emissions - spreading
beyond its own operations to the entire value chain - and to prioritise real
emissions cuts over offsets. At present, it does not include a route for oil
and gas companies to join the campaign, because the race to zero is a race
away from fossil fuels.
In parallel, the UN-backed Race to
Resilience is mobilising businesses, investors, cities and regions behind
commitments to build resilience for the 4 billion people most at risk from
the climate crisis by 2030. It’s developing metrics to evaluate a credible,
robust commitment to resilience and measure progress - thereby ensuring that
we cut emissions while adapting to the impacts we’re already feeling.
This show of action from local governments
and the private sector is fuelling an ambition loop: the more ambition they
show, the easier it is for policymakers to be bolder, and the more space
that creates for non-state actors to go farther.
Ultimately, the quality of a net zero target
depends on what it achieves. “Fighting climate change helps us create a
better world,” said Farhana Yamin, lawyer, author, activist and expert
adviser for the Climate Vulnerable Forum.
Asia-Pacific Climate Week
Government, private sector and civil society
leaders from Asia-Pacific are coming together from Tuesday to Friday to
discuss climate action solutions and ways to incorporate them into the
Covid-19 recovery, as one of UN Climate Change’s regional meetings ahead of
COP26, hosted by the Government of Japan.
The virtual thematic sessions will focus on
three main tracks: national actions and economy-wide approaches; integrated
approaches for climate-resilient development; and seizing transformation
opportunities.
The High-Level Champions’ line-up of events
includes a session by Japan’s Ministry of Environment and ICLEI on Tuesday
on promoting zero carbon cities, expanding the “Decarbonization Domino
Effect” globally, and how to effectively collaborate with the Race to Zero
campaign.
On Wednesday there’s the High-Level
Champions’ Implementation Lab, looking at accelerating the establishment of
net-zero, resilient cement and steel plants and increasing the climate
resilience of smallholder farmers with smart-agriculture innovations. And on
Thursday there’s a deep-dive on unlocking the potential of green hydrogen in
collaboration with the Technology Executive Committee, Race to Resilience
events on protecting the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable people by
creating climate resilient dwellings and water supplies and the launch a
cities track, and a Climate Ambition Alliance event on Friday on developing
long-term strategies to net-zero in alignment with Nationally Determined
Contributions.
In Case You Missed It
a.. The UK government is offering Covid-19
vaccines to national delegations, observers and journalists registered to
attend the COP26 if they cannot get them through other means. The offer
opened this week and closes on 23 July.
a.. No major G7 stock indexes are currently
on a pathway to limit global warming to 2°C, much less to 1.5°C, according
to the UN Global Compact on behalf of the Science Based Targets initiative.
Four of the seven indexes are on dangerous temperature pathways of 3°C or
above.
a.. What is ‘nature positive’? It’s an
approach that enriches biodiversity, stores carbon, purifies water and
reduces pandemic risk - thereby enhancing resilience, according to the World
Economic Forum.
a.. The Arctic hit a new record high of
18.3°C in February 2020, up from 17.5°C recorded in 2015, the World
Meteorological Organization confirmed.
a.. In a first assessment of progress
towards emissions targets among local governments, businesses and investors,
only about half have been found to be on track to meet their goals,
according to the NewClimate Institute. The other half need to boost their
future emissions reductions to fulfill their commitments.
a.. The Climate Action Tracker has designed
a blueprint for transparent, comprehensive and robust net zero targets for
national governments, with 10 elements of good practice. The CAT will now
evaluate net zero targets for the 40 countries it regularly assesses.
a.. Race to Resilience Partner Initiative,
Efficiency for Access Coalition, announced the winners of the Efficiency for
Access Design Challenge with university teams from Bangladesh, India, Uganda
and the UK winning prizes for their innovative, affordable, clean energy
appliances. The challenge empowers teams of university students to help
accelerate clean energy access.
a.. While climate action momentum is
building, the movement of non-profit, funders and businesses working on
climate action remains fragmented and focused in developed countries,
according to research by the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. To
overcome these challenges in the 2020s, the movement needs to develop a
shared narrative, build trust, strengthen accountability and revamp funding.
a.. State and regional governments are in a
unique position to tackle climate change, through policies on transport,
energy, industry and the built environment. The new Net Zero Futures
initiative, launched by the Under2 Coalition, aims to increase efforts by
states and regions. It has also published new portals outlining how states
and regions can join the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience (through
RegionsAdapt).
a.. National urban policies can play a
powerful role in shaping more resilient, green and inclusive cities as part
of national recoveries from Covid-19, according to a report by the OECD,
UN-Habitat and Cities Alliance that reviews national urban policies in 162
countries.
a.. TED Countdown has launched an open call
for photography, as part of a new initiative to better visualize the story
of how climate change is affecting communities and how people are working to
find solutions. The initiative, run in collaboration with Climate Visuals,
will source, licence and elevate 100 powerful images - creating a free,
public database.
Enjoyed this round-up? Keep up to date with
daily news from the Race to Zero, Race to Resilience and our partners on
racetozero.unfccc.int!
Mark Your Calendars
a.. Vienna Energy Forum: 5-7 July
b.. Asia Pacific Climate Week: 6-9 July
c.. Race to Resilience: Building Climate
Resilient Housing in South Asia and Pacific: 8 July
d.. Launch of Cities Race to Resilience
Initiative: 8 July
e.. Climate Vulnerables Finance Summit: 8
July
f.. UN High-level Political Forum on
Sustainable Development 2021 (HLPF): 6-15 July
g.. Our Future in the Balance: The Role of
Courts and Tribunals in Meeting the Climate Crisis: 7-8 July
h.. Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE)
Youth Forum: 10-18 July
i.. G20 Venice Conference on Climate Change:
11 July
j.. 2021 Food Systems Pre-Summit: 26-28 July
k.. World Renewable Energy Congress - 26-30
July
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From: Global Climate Action
Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2021 12:20 PM
Subject: Vladimir, here is the latest news from the
High-level Climate Champions!
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