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[____]: What this holds for the world?
9 Nov 2016
Don’t worry, ECO gets out of the (UNFCCC) house every now and then. Or at least enough to know that there’s something going on in America right now, and it could mean good or bad news for the climate. The Paris Agreement was a watershed moment for the world: it signified a global commitment to […]
First Rule of Holes: When You’re in One, Stop Digging
8 Nov 2016
Now that the Paris Agreement has been signed by 193 parties and ratified by over 100, one message is very clear: the era of fossil fuels is over. But it seems that not everyone has gotten the message. In many countries, the coal lobby stubbornly believes it can delay the inevitable. Let’s take Brazil as […]
All Hands on Deck!
8 Nov 2016
Many of us have spent years in the UNFCCC bubble, where every bracket, and every comma (especially the commas) matter. Slowly, though, we are lifting our gaze and seeing that there is more to action already occurring on the ground. One concrete example is right in this COP’s backyard—the Ouarzazate Solar Power Station. It is […]
Four Conclusions on BA2016
8 Nov 2016
Now that the Standing Committee on Climate Finance (SCF) has presented its 2016 Biennial Assessment (BA2016) of climate finance, the report’s key findings and recommendations are meant to guide negotiators through the next two weeks’ worth of climate finance agenda items. ECO finds four items to be particularly noteworthy: First, the SCF had the interesting […]
Moving Transparency in the Right Direction
8 Nov 2016
With transparency coming into focus in the APA, here are three cheat sheet answers to help with the transparency eye chart. Transparency is a cross-cutting issue and Article 13 has many facets, making it a complicated piece of the Paris Agreement puzzle. To deal with this complexity, Parties need a boost of strong modalities, procedures […]
Year of the Turkey
8 Nov 2016
Everyone loves a good COP — so much so that even though delegates are roaming around a half-finished conference centre. And although we don’t know where the 2017, 2018 or 2019 COPs will be hosted, we do know one thing: 2020 could be Year of the Turkey. The Government of Turkey’s bid for the 2020 […]
Marrakech: Going Beyond Shoulder Patting to Action
7 Nov 2016
The past year was tremendous for climate action. The Paris Agreement entered into force on Friday. HFCs are finally on their way out., The international shipping and aviation industries have started to reduce their emissions. With this success echoing through the COP halls, there couldn’t be a better time for a pep rally for COP22. […]
Shipping Emissions: Sailing in Circles
7 Nov 2016
The UN’s shipping body, the International Maritime Organization, had a mixed meeting last month. Where does this now leave the sector’s pledge to act? The IMO met to discuss air quality, as well as GHG emissions, but how does this level up from agreements made in Paris? We saw long awaited action on air quality, […]
It’s easy as 1, 2, 3:
7 Nov 2016
There’s a simple truth for what’s needed in technology transfer at COP22. Here are some suggestions on how to make it so: 1. The massive scale of technology deployment that is needed to meet the 1.5°C goal with pre and post 2020 action requires that the Climate Technology Centre and Network, the operational arm of […]
WIM: The Next Generation
7 Nov 2016
Loss and damage (L&D) has earned its place in the climate change playbook, alongside adaptation and mitigation. With its own stand-alone article (8!), as well as a commitment that there will be international support for loss and damage, COP22 can boldly go where no COP has gone before. And bold steps are sorely needed. Despite […]