Blog
Search blog
Coal and Health
18 Nov 2013
Only two days apart, Warsaw is playing host to two major conferences in parallel with COP19. You all know about the first one — the International Coal and Climate Summit starting today. The second was a climate and health summit over the weekend organised by the Global Climate and Health Alliance. Both are seeing involvement […]
Side-Stepping Finance
18 Nov 2013
Now that Parties’ proposals for decision text came in late on Saturday, negotiations on long term finance can start in earnest as we start the second week in Warsaw. But ECO wonders if some of the submissions were written in a rush on the way to the NGO non-party, considering how they drove past the […]
Qué tal, Costa Rica?
18 Nov 2013
ECO is quite disappointed with Costa Rica. While the country holds an international reputation of being environmentally sound, peaceful and actively engaged in the protection of nature, the current government began developing a huge petrol megarefinery some time ago. We appreciate that Costa Rica always pushes for good outcomes in these negotiations and says that […]
Uplifting News from Down Under
18 Nov 2013
At last, some great news from Australia. But you can bet your bottom Aussie dollar it doesn’t come from the coalition government. Action over the weekend demonstrated in the clearest possible terms how far off the track they are with the people of Australia. On Sunday 60,000 people, from all the state capitals and from […]
contest
18 Nov 2013
Excitement is growing as Ministers start arriving for the High Level Segment. The Bali Action Plan saw near-global inaction, the Copenhagen Accord covered over discord and Durban's platform is unsteady. Given this short-of-the-mark track record, ECO is responding by running a little contest to name the Warsaw outcome. Will it be a name to signify […]
Don’t Drop the Ball, Japan!
16 Nov 2013
Even with help from friends and governments around the world, ECO can’t quite convey its outrage at Japan’s latest actions. The newly revised 2020 target announced by Japan yesterday is a 3.1% increase of carbon emissions compared to 1990 levels. That’s a huge increase from Japan’s Kyoto first commitment period target (-6% from 1990). The […]
Equity: Building With Brazil
16 Nov 2013
No one will be surprised to hear that the Brazilian Proposal – which is to say Brazil’s move to reintroduce its classic 1997 analysis of historical responsibility – has been a bit controversial. But as a proposal to kick off a formal work program on Equity Indicators, Brazil’s move should be welcomed. Historical Responsibility, after […]
Bunkers: No More Evasive Maneuvers
16 Nov 2013
The way things are going, ships and airplanes will be able to cruise the seas and skies without serious emissions control measures for some years to come. Earlier this year the International Maritime Organization (IMO) indefinitely suspended its consideration of market based measures (MBMs) that can put a cap and a price on emissions in […]
Brazil Goes in Reverse
16 Nov 2013
There was rather astonishing news from Brazil this week. A report by the National Institute for Spatial Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais – INPE) reveals that deforestation in the Amazon region has increased by 28% from August 2012 to July 2013. This is the third largest rate of deforestation ever registered. The real number […]