Blog
Search blog
More Good Steps From AFB
5 Apr 2011
The Adaptation Fund Board (AFB) convened its 13thsession three weeks ago and some areas of progress gives us real reason for optimism. The AFB has helped expand adaptation efforts in developing countries when it approved projects in Ecuador, Eritrea, and Solomon Islands. Unfortunately expanding direct access to the funds remains a challenge. The AFB decided […]
China and Germany Climate Policies Draw Clean Energy Investment at Expense of U.S.
5 Apr 2011
In his most recent State of the Union address, President Obama introduced the idea of “winning the future” to the American public. ECO welcomes this race, and humbly suggests a focus on climate policies could help him achieve this seemingly paradoxical goal. To win the race, the U.S. will need to actually join it. A […]
Bioenergy Is Not A ‘GET OUT OF JAIL FREE’ Card
5 Apr 2011
Bioenergy had a starring role in this week’s workshop on developed country emission reduction targets. The theme of many parties was reducing energy sector emissions by substituting bioenergy for fossil fuels. At last, Mexico sounded a note of caution in their presentation in the workshop on NAMAs, pointing out that reliance on biofuels is difficult […]
A Tale of Two AWGs
5 Apr 2011
While waiting (and waiting) for the AWG-LCA to begin, ECO thought it prudent to educate itself on the topic that seemed to be keeping everyone up late into the evening. Turns out that one word was holding everyone up: “Agenda”. What does it really mean? Why does such a seemingly simple word cause such consternation […]
Fossil of the Day
5 Apr 2011
Extra Extra! The US wins the first Fossil of the Day for 2011! This fossil is formally presented for their complete refusal to accept the concept of a common/standardized accounting system for measuring national emissions reductions towards their target. During Sunday’s workshop on national mitigation targets and strategies, the US made it exceptionally clear that […]
Building a Strong Adaptation Committee
5 Apr 2011
Getting an effective and credible Adaptation Committee up and running in Durban will be a chance for parties to show their commitment to dealing with the consequences of climate change. ECO believes that the Committee is urgently needed to ensure coherence in implementation of the Cancun Adaptation Framework. The Committee needs to get to work […]
Important Lessons From My Tuk Tuk Driver on Technology Transfer
5 Apr 2011
1. Make sure you agree with your passengers from the outset on their destination. Otherwise everyone will end up unhappy and short changed. Start by establishing the key issues and objectives for the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) and Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) and their respective roles and interaction, including with national bodies. The […]
ECO’s Agenda for Adoption
5 Apr 2011
3. (TOO NARROW) Global goal for emission reductions and global peaking. Expand this item to include a discussion on an equitable effort sharing agreement as this will allow Parties to agree on ambitious and science-based long-term goals by Durban. 3bis. (CURRENTLY MISSING) Mitigation. While the workshops have been useful in clarifying assumptions (and clarity is […]
Design by Committee
5 Apr 2011
It seems incredible. In the age of super-advanced information technology, where communications of all kinds fly around the world and across borders in an instant, the countries in the UN Asian regional group felt that the only way they could agree their nominees to the Transitional Committee (TC) to design the Global Climate Fund was […]
Developing Country Mitigation Getting on Track but not Quite There Yet…
5 Apr 2011
Yesterday’s second mitigation workshop put the spotlight on developing country actions. ECO was intrigued that developed countries didn’t use the opportunity to get payback for being grilled the day before on their pledges. This may have been, ECO speculates, because many developed countries are quite aware that their own pledges are pathetically below the 25-40% […]