Canadians embarassed about Canada's climate change position

A survey compiled by Hoggan & Associates (a Vancouver-based public-relations firm) has found that three-quarters of Canadians are embarrassed that Canada hasn't played a leadership role in cutting global greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the Globe and Mail, even in Alberta, 65 per cent of respondents agreed with a statement that “it's embarrassing that we are not doing more to curb emissions.” Support for the view favouring more action was highest in Quebec, at 86 per cent.

The polling also found an overwhelming majority of the public shares the assessment of the scientific community that global warming is a major threat to the planet. A total of 72 per cent thought the impacts of climate change “are going to be very serious,” compared to 28 per cent who agreed with the statement that such concerns “are exaggerated.”

Naomi Klein: Seattle activists' coming of age

I was forwarded a fascinating article by Canadian journalist Naomi Klein discussing the upcoming 10 year anniversary of the protests that shut down the World Trade Organization summit in Seattle and the upcoming Copenhagen conference.

It's a compelling read, and certainly sets the stage of how significant the Copenhagen summit can and wil be, despite the fact that world leaders are tempering down the very high expectations.

"There is certainly a Seattle quality to the Copenhagen mobilisation: the range of groups that will be there; the diverse tactics that will be on display; and the developing-country governments ready to bring activist demands into the summit. But Copenhagen is not merely another Seattle. It feels, instead, as though the progressive tectonic plates are shifting, creating a movement that builds on the strengths of an earlier era but also learns from its mistakes," Klein writes.

Read the full article here.

Earth heading for 6 degree warming - BBC

An article written by Richard Black of the BBC has declared that the world is now heading for 6 degrees of warming without urgent action to curb CO2 emissions.

According to lead scientist Corinne Le Quere, the new findings should add urgency to the political discussions at Copenhagen.

"Based on our knowledge of recent trends and the time it takes to change energy infrastructure, I think that the Copenhagen conference next month is our last chance to stabilise at 2C in a smooth and organised way," she told BBC News.

Read the full article here

US and China rekindle hopes for Copenhagen

Obama told reporters today in China that the U.S. and China — the two largest carbon emitters in the world — agreed to "work towards a successful outcome in Copenhagen."

Obama, who is in the midst of a four day visit to China, said that the two countries were aiming for "not a partial accord or a political declaration, but rather an accord that covers all the issues in the negotiations and one that has immediate operational effect."

Obama also went on to say: "As the two largest consumers and producers of energy, there can be no solution to this challenge without the efforts of both China and the United States."

Copenhagen treaty now 'unlikely'

Leaders at the APEC summit in Singapore, including US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, agreed that next month's international climate change meeting in Copenhagen will not be the place where a new worldwide treaty to tackle climate change will be created. 

Stephen Harper also talked at the meetings about emerging economies taking responsibility for the rising global emissions.

"If we don't control those, whatever we do in the developed world will have no impact on climate change," Harper said.

Harper said that there are also 'significant differences' over how to tackle climate change, but he said every leader he's spoken to at the summit agrees on the need for a long-term plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Gordon Brown to attend Copenhagen climate negotiations

Britain Prime Minister Gordon Brown confirmed on Thursday that he will be attending the Copenhagen climate negotiations set to begin next month. 

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen had written to 191 world leaders urging them to make the trip to Copenhagen arguing that their presence would be pivotal to securing a world climate agreement. Rasmussen is particularly hoping that US President Barack Obama will make the journey across the Atlantic.

At least 40 leaders have said they plan to attend the conference, including the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

No word yet on whether Stephen Harper plans to make an appearance...

Conservatives creating a 'Climate Change War' room in Copenhagen?

According to the Sierra Club of Canada, Environment Minister Jim Prentice will be establishing a 'Climate Change War Room' in an attempt to control the anticipated negative coverage during the Copenhagen climate change conference. The so called 'War Room' is apparently located down the hall from the Minister of Environment's offices, and will have more than a dozen staff dedicated to countering fallout from Canada’s position at the Copenhagen conference.

Last week in Barcelona, Spain during preliminary negotiations ahead of Copenhagen, Canada was declared the most obstructionist country by more than 400 environmental organizations attending the conference.

Obama heading to Copenhagen?

US President Barack Obama said on Monday that he'd be willing to attend the UN Climate Change summit in Copenhagen in December if he think that his presence there would clinch an international climate agreement.

"If I am confident that all of the countries involved are bargaining in good faith and we are on the brink of a meaningful agreement and my presence in Copenhagen will make a difference in tipping us over the edge, then certainly that's something that I will do," Obama said in an interview with Reuters.

One the one hand, it would be great if Obama's mere presence can change the trajectory of the climate change talks for the better. One the other hand, I can imagine the headache of security and the mass hysteria that would be created if Obama did step foot in Copenhagen...

This is neat - Climate Action Tracker

A new website now provides an up-to-date assessment of commitments and actions proposed by individual countries for greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The Climate Action Tracker (www.climateactiontracker.org) was launched last week in preparation for the UNFCCC conference in Copenhagen.

It enables the public to track the emission commitments and actions proposed by countries for a Copenhagen climate agreement. It allows us to evaluate the progress towards limiting global temperature increases to two degree Celsius. 

Click here to check out the website.

 

 

'Politically binding', not 'legally binding'?

Lately top UN officials and developing nations have begun reframing a successful outcome in Copenhagen as one that is 'politically binding' as opposed to 'legally binding'.

Yvo de Boer, the UN's most senior climate official, said last week: "It is physically impossible, under any scenario, to complete every detail of a treaty in Copenhagen." He added: "It is absolutely clear that Copenhagen must deliver a strong political agreement and nail down the essentials."

Danish Environment Minister Connie Hedegaard said, “We should use the opportunity, as the pressure has been building up. We must make a politically binding deal or else the poor people will have to pay the highest price.”

Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, said that several key countries were not ready to sign up to binding targets and that the best the world could hope for from the summit would be “political commitments”.

The implications? Well basically, a 'politically binding deal' is the equivalent to a politician's promise, and certainly does not have the strength and the impetus to act that a legally binding agreement would. This seems to be a part of the trend of downplaying expectations at the Copenhagen conference, as everyone is soon realizing that perhaps nothing large will be accomplished...