Australiaâs Climate Commission, the official body that advises the countryâs government, has warned that 80 per cent of global fossil fuel reserves will have to stay in the ground, if we are to avoid dangerous climate change.
G8
Harper to Lobby Obama On KXL at G8
Next week at the G8 meeting in Northern Ireland world leaders will focus on three main themes, summed up by 3 words beginning with T: trade, tax and transparency. But now you can add a fourth T to the list: tar sands.
Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Gaining Momentum Internationally
23 May 2012 Ahead of upcoming meetings in June of the G20 in Mexico and the United Nations Rio + 20 Summit, the pace of activity around worldwide efforts to phase out subsidy reform is quickening. Last weekend, the G8 leaders reaffirmed their commitment to phase out fossil fuel subsidies in their statement coming out … Read More
G8 Cooks Up a Good Political Fudge
First some good news: The G8 has agreed for the first time agreed that it must limit worldwide temperature rises to no more than 2C, the minimum rise to prevent irreversible climate change. The richest industrialised countries also agreed for the first time that they should collectively cut emissions by 80% by 2050, and that … Read More
Can politicians really tackle the greatest peril to humanity?
It is already being billed as the most chaotic G8 ever. And thatâs before it has even started. The Italian host, Silvio Berlusconi is facing a political crisis at home over his private antics as well as questions about hosting the venue in an active earth quake zone. All the back-stage bickering threatens to undermine … Read More
World Bank lending for coal up 256%…
Relying exclusively on the World Bankâs own figures, a new analysis shows World Bank Group lending to coal, oil and gas is up 94% from 2007, reaching over $3 billion. Coal lending alone has increased an astonishing 256% in the last year. This is the same World Bank that would like to lead – and … Read More
T. Boone to the RescueâŠ
After a meeting today of the G8 and leading developing countries, the two groups finally said they shared a âjoint visionâ for action on climate change. But the statement made no mention of any specific target for cutting emissions, and gave no baseline date from when the cuts might begin. Yesterday the G8 called for … Read More
G8 Agrees Deal to Halve Emissions by 2050
Its tough being a world leader. Imagine turning up at the G8 Summit in the midst of a one of the worst crises over food prices in many years and having to discuss the issue over an eight-course, 19-dish dinner prepared by 25 chefs. Whilst agonizing over the poor, they had to endure amuse-bouche of … Read More
G8: Halve Emissions by 2050
Environment ministers from the G8 have urged their leaders to set a global target to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a small but vital step in the fight against climate change. But they stopped short of suggesting specific interim targets ahead of 2050, a key demand of developing countries in tough U.N.-led talks to … Read More
Nowhere Near Far Enough
If you look at the headlines this morning you would be forgiven for thinking that yesterday we witnessed an historic deal on the climate. The words âhistoricâ, âbreakthroughâ and âsubstantialâ were used to describe the deal, that was âfar more ambitious than many expectedâ. Tony Blair called it âa huge step forwardâ and that âThis … Read More