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Rocking the Boat, Flying to the Moon Palace
2 Dec 2010
Delegates arrive by plane and eat food that’s been shipped by boat – international transport has been part of the COP since the beginning. And while there are 100% biodiesel buses bringing delegates from the Messe to the Moon Palace, we are a long way (whether by plane or boat) from having international transport running […]
Protection for Peatlands
2 Dec 2010
Forest management is surely as important as everyone knows, but peatlands that have been drained for agriculture and other purposes are also important emissions hotspots globally. Yet incentives for Annex I countries to reduce these emissions under the Kyoto Protocol were minimal in the first commitment period. In fact, accounting for land use activities associated […]
Time to Get Rid of All That Hot Air
2 Dec 2010
ECO did some maths and was astounded to find that surplus Assigned Amount Units (AAUs) under the Kyoto Protocol range between 7 to 11 GT CO2 for the first commitment period. That’s well more than one-third of all 2020 emissions reduction targets currently pledged by Annex I countries! ECO thinks that is the definition of […]
UNEP Assesses the Gigatonne Gap
2 Dec 2010
Remember the Gigatonne Gap? It’s the gap of 9 gigatonnes of CO2-equivalent between country pledges in the Copenhagen Accord and the emission reductions needed to avoid a temperature increase above 2o C. A new UNEP report shows that many potential measures already exist to help close the gap, some of which are at stake at […]
Gender, Equitable Representation, Transparency
2 Dec 2010
Negotiations have started off strong this week on the establishment of a global climate fund and associated governance arrangements. There are high hopes for text to be agreed here in Cancun, but a fair and equitable fund must have principles of gender equality at its core. Women are on the front-lines of the climate crisis. […]
Looking Ahead: LCA Mitigation
2 Dec 2010
As we eagerly anticipate the release of an actual LCA mitigation text, ECO is confident that it is realistic to expect substantial progress here in Cancun. The new text will need to tackle some very controversial issues. One of the biggest debates currently underway is the inscription of emission pledges by parties. Not only does […]
Cancun Personals
2 Dec 2010
Dear Annex I Country, I read your ad with much interest – I am currently on holiday in Cancun and would be open to a no-strings attached romance. But you should also know that for a few years now I have been looking for a long term commitment. I am at a (tipping) point […]
Fossil of the Day
2 Dec 2010
#1 – Saudi Arabia, Norway, Kuwait, Algeria, UAE, Egypt, Iraq, Qatar & Jordan For continuing to propose the inclusion of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in the CDM. #2: Ukraine, Russia, New Zealand & Australia For blocking the discussion of solutions to the problem of surplus AAUs (hot air)
[Voice] To define or not to define?
2 Dec 2010
The beginning of the UN climate negotiations in Cancun, COP16 began with very low expectations by the majority of states. After the bursting of last year's bubble of COP15 in Copenhagen , states have entered this year with a sense of disappointment and an attempt to rebuild the trust that was lost. A common vision […]
High Time for Bold Moves on Legal Form
1 Dec 2010
Today, Parties are expected to consider the numerous proposals for a new legally binding instrument under the Convention as well as proposed amendments to the Kyoto Protocol in the COP and CMP Plenaries, respectively. ECO remembers that last year this discussion caused quite a fuss. In the end, the consideration of legal form was relegated […]