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LULUCF: good rules before targets?
31 May 2010
ECO has always called for “rules before targets” when it comes to land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF). We certainly don’t want to repeat the mistakes of Kyoto, when LULUCF rules were negotiated specifically to allow countries to meet their emissions reduction targets, rather than to aid in climate change mitigation or adaptation. […]
Finance: Flashback or Fast Forward?
31 May 2010
While seriously short of the mark, some limited progress was made on climate finance in Copenhagen. Developed countries promised to mobilise $100 billion per year and resolved to establish a new fund to deliver it. All that opens the door to to fast-forward, not slow-walk, this building block in 2010. Cancún must offer more than […]
Where’s the bill?
31 May 2010
As delegates return to the Maritim today for another round of climate talks, the Gulf Coast is busy coping with the biggest environmental catastrophe in the history of the United States. This catastrophe was caused by oil, which likewise is a leading cause of the climate catastrophe all at the Maritim are working so diligently […]
EU study says -30% within reach… but how much will it grasp?
31 May 2010
Go Europe! It’s been a while since the EU came up with anything new on the climate front, so ECO is delighted to reveal that the Commission published a paper just last week, demonstrating unequivocally that a -30% target (from 1990 levels) is not only possible, but easily possible for Europe. All the same, the […]
Fast Start Finance
10 Apr 2010
‘Fast-start finance’, ‘kick-start finance’, ‘short-term finance’ — no matter the name, it must be a success if we are to rebuild trust on the broader climate agenda in the wake of Copenhagen, and lay the groundwork for the greatly expanded post-2012 climate finance regime. ECO noticed fresh new faces in the plenary yesterday, so […]
In Search of An Honest Response
10 Apr 2010
As usual, ECO has a lot of questions about what Saudi Arabia is really after. Just yesterday, they gave a free lesson to the chair of the LCA. She is not supposed to prepare new text, so it was said, but only facilitate discussions, since this is a Party-driven process and only Parties can work […]
Close the Gigatonne Gap!
10 Apr 2010
It doesn’t take much effort to see that a large and dangerous gap has opened up between the level of emission reduction pledges and the global carbon budget and emissions trajectory needed to maintain a high probability of keeping warming below 2o C, much less the 1.5o C limit demanded by highly vulnerable countries. This ‘Gigatonne Gap’ is at […]
High Level Finance
10 Apr 2010
Spring is in the air here in Bonn, and ECO, recovering some optimism after a long and well deserved break, hopes this season will usher in a cooperative and productive initial session. And of course with Spring comes spring cleaning. It’s time to dust off those Convention booklets and drag back into our minds all […]
Questions, Questions . . .
10 Apr 2010
Dear U.S. Delegation, We appreciate how much more approachable you have become since the Obama administration took office. So we hope you won’t mind responding to a couple questions that have gotten our attention lately. Over the years, ECO has had an interesting experience learning more about United States politics and your legislative process. We […]
Final Innings For a 2 Degree World !
10 Apr 2010
Dear Delegates, It is April 2010 and we are back . . . with a whimper? The bottom line: Copenhagen wasn’t the stuff of dreams after all. It certainly didn’t deliver up our dream of a climate threshold well below 2 degree C (let alone 1.5 degree C) for the planet! Meanwhile, the science is […]