Posts tagged ‘Paris Agreement’
Greg Hunt signs the Paris Agreement at UN in New York
Greg Hunt signs Paris Agreement in New York
Our member John Englart stayed up to the early hours of Saturday morning following the UN signing ceremony of the Paris Agreement in New York. John attended COP21 in Paris as an NGO observer.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop broke the news via twitter message to John that Australia had joined the Coalition of High Ambition in Paris. Countries at the United Nations this week judged that Australia was all talk, no action and chose to not invite Environment Minister Greg Hunt to a meeting of the Coalition of High Ambition. It seems that you actually need to have high targets and policies that encompass high ambition, not just talk positively with low targets and ineffectual policies.
The signing ceremony set a new world record of attendance at a signing ceremony for an international treaty. 175 nations sent representatives to formally sign the Paris Agreement. 15 of those nations also lodged their intruments of ratification. Greg Hunt announced that Australia would ratify before the end of the year.
Read John’s commentary and analysis at his blog: As Greg Hunt signs #ParisAgreement, I am still ashamed of Australia’s abysmally low climate targets.
(more…)
As planet burns hot: New report shows Paris a relic of historic failure
Scientists say they are shocked and stunned by the “unprecedented” NASA temperature figures for February 2016, which are 1.65°C higher than the beginning of the twentieth century and around 1.9°C warmer than the pre-industrial level.
Stefan Rahmstorf of Germany’s Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research says we are now “in a kind of climate emergency”. Read his latest article at The Conversation: February’s global temperature spike is a wake-up call.
Like the dramatic and unexpected “big melt” in the Arctic in 2007, we are now in another moment of terrifying climate reality, for Nature cannot be fooled. The recent data suggests it has taken just three months for the Paris climate accord — with its escalating emissions to 2030 — to become a relic, completely disconnected to the task the world now faces.
So what is the reality after Paris?
David Spratt, a member of Climate Action Moreland, has just published this new discusion paper.
Climate Reality Check – After Paris, counting the Cost.
Download the report at Breakthrough
Australian Climate Justice movement: Pacific Perspectives
by Nic Maclellan
For much of the Australian climate movement, international solidarity has focused on travelling to the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COPs), or financing delegates from indigenous communities and the Asia-Pacific region to participate in global summits.
Photo from Pacific Island Climate Action Network
I want to suggest that there are other practical ways that we can work with our counterparts in the Pacific islands region, without just focusing on the COPs.
With the Paris Agreement creating the framework for action for the next decade, I suspect that there will be increasing focus by Pacific Island Countries (PICs) on implementation, and on forcing OECD countries to meet their pledges. This will see increased pressure on Australia through the Pacific Islands Forum.
(more…)
Reportback on Paris: Environmentality Interview with John Englart on North West FM
Our member John Englart popped into the studio of North West FM 98.9 on Friday for the Environmentality radio program. He discussed his experience at the Paris climate change conference, the implications for the climate movement, and the current cuts to climate research staff at the CSIRO.
See the Environmentality blog with details of the interview. A podcast of the program is also available to play. He expands on this interview in these notes on his blog.
The Paris Moment and beyond: John Englart reports back to Climate Action Moreland
Civil Society -supports 1o5C target at COP21
Climate Action Moreland member John Englart attended the UN climate conference in Paris, COP21, as an accredited NGO observer delegate for Climate Action Moreland as part of the Climate Action Network Australia delegation. On 18th January he gave a report back to our first monthly meeting of 2016. This article is based on his presentation at our meeting.
We went into Paris knowing there was already a substantial emissions gap /
temperature gap with national climate plans (INDCs) estimated to reduce temperature increase to 2.7C to 3.5C by 2100. This range is valid if all climate plans are implemented fully, many are conditional on finance or other support being met.
Audio: Discussion of Paris climate conference on Green Left Radio
Climate Action Moreland members John Englart and Andrea Bunting discussed the Paris conference, the Paris Agreement, and the civil society protests in Paris as part of the Green left radio Breakfast show on 22nd January (Full Show).
This is the 20 minute discussion excerpt on COP21 from the show:
Climate Action Merribek: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change 