Blog
Search blog
No Nuclear for Mitigation
13 Jun 2011
Nuclear power has long been promoted as one of the tools to mitigate climate change. Japan has always been one of the biggest promoters of this theory and has not only tried to get nuclear power accepted in the CDM, but has also developed its own “bilateral crediting mechanism,” to include nuclear. ECO assumed that […]
Did Anyone see the Elephant in the (Workshop) Room?
11 Jun 2011
While ECO found it extremely pleasant to hear Chile, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Kenya, Bolivia and Cote d'Ivoire’s plans to contribute to global climate action during yesterday's workshop on Non Annex 1 mitigation action, ECO wonders why some of the big emitters from the developing world tried to hide under their desks. You can’t hide an elephant… […]
Does Anyone think that there is no gap?
11 Jun 2011
Hearing no objection it is so decided. So can ECO take it then, that, thanks to the challenging question by the European Union in Thursday’s workshop on developed country mitigation pledges, there is universal agreement that there is a gap? Fine. So let’s move to the next step: looking at ways to increase ambition (to […]
CDM “Appeal” for justice
11 Jun 2011
Over the past few days, many Parties have acknowledged the need for greater public participation in the UNFCCC process – now it is time to translate words into actions. Parties are currently negotiating who should have the right to appeal against decisions of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Executive Board. ECO was quite content with […]
Umbrella Series Part 3: Ukraine Needs Realistic Goal Posts Urgently!
11 Jun 2011
As an economy in transition, Ukraine, a member of the Umbrella Group, is a country with a special status in the UNFCCC framework. Nevertheless, this special treatment cannot extend to the setting of 2020 targets. Experts from the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) analyzed and compared the pledged emissions reduction targets of all […]
The Adaptation Committee: A Direct Link to the COP is Crucial!
11 Jun 2011
Good news, everybody! ECO is pleased to see that negotiations on the Adaptation Committee have started and that there are a number of convergences. Important elements for its procedures will be broad expertise, openness to observers, and a clear mandate to strengthen adaptation under the Convention. ECO also suggests that non- governmental stakeholders should be […]
NAMA Dreaming / Dreaming of NAMAs
11 Jun 2011
Do you sometimes wake up at night, thinking: I wish I knew what a credited NAMA was…? (If you do, you’ve clearly been here far too long – ECO recommends a cup of herbal tea and a walk along the Rhine.) Sadly, you are not alone. The wonderfully fuzzy clouds called NAMAs (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation […]
Historic Landmark in German Energy Policy
11 Jun 2011
ECO clearly missed a presentation by Germany in Thursday’s workshop on developed country mitigation. Germany could have taken the opportunity to present its package of wide reaching energy and infrastructure legislative proposals, presented this Monday, as a response to the nuclear disaster in Fukushima. While these negotiations rarely deal with nuclear energy, delegates would surely […]
LULUCF Rules… Which Rules?
11 Jun 2011
It is tough to spot the actual emissions reduced through the current thicket of different Annex I country pledge formats. And many countries suggest to further obscure the actual impact by including complex means of accounting for sources and sinks from land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF). In the Annex I mitigation workshop […]
Bioenergy: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
9 Jun 2011
Renewable energy is playing a starring role in new energy policies, but ECO fears that bioenergy may be seen as ‘carbon neutral’ under false pretences. Many forms of bioenergy have a substantially unrecognised carbon footprint. Under existing IPCC guidance, GHG emissions from bioenergy are not accounted for in the energy sector. Rather, the guidance assumes […]