Crib Notes 4-9 April: ICAO primed for EU meet, World Bank to release new climate plan, G20 sherpas gather in China
The US military – which insists that its tanker aircraft meet civil certification requirements – may have lobbied against tougher standards (Pic: Pixabay)
By Ed King
The UN’s aviation body will hold consultations on a new greenhouse gas deal for the sector in the Netherlands and Mexico this week, as it seeks to develop a consensus on a proposed global pact.
Last month the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) visited Egypt, Senegal and Indonesia to register views.
In 2009 the industry pledged to cap emissions at 2020 levels, but is yet to agree on a market-based approach to deliver this.
According to the Brussels-based Transport and Environment group, planes are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions the size of Germany’s, with the amount set to roughly triple by 2050.
On 1 April, 80 environmental NGOs called on the UN body to accelerate work. They argue plans to offset most emissions will come at the expense of bypassing policies designed to restrict aviation growth.
Banking plans
Expect the World Bank to deliver a new climate action plan on Thursday, and a new strategy from the Inter-American Development Bank at its AGM at the end of the week.
UN finance talks
On a linked issue, the UN’s standing committee on finance meets in Bonn this week. The name – I admit – sounds boring, but this group has a critical role.
They have been charged with working on what does and doesn’t count as climate finance.
If you thought that was settled I refer you to the spat over an OECD report late last year which said north-south finance flows neared $60 billion a year. Not everyone was convinced.
Talking renewables
Research outfit BNEF host a two-day meeting in New York from Monday aimed at convincing Wall Street’s finest their future investments will have wind turbines and solar panels.
Last year broke new ground, with more investment in clean energy than fossil fuels, according to the annual UNEP clean power report.
Our Global #BNEFSummit kicks off tomorrow! Follow the hashtag and join the conversation https://t.co/9dBnKTYCgN pic.twitter.com/yTeVxXiOFs
— BloombergNEF (@BloombergNEF) April 3, 2016
G20 sherpa’s meet
From Wednesday to Friday the top diplomats tasked with ensuring the G20 meet in China later this year delivers meet to talk tactics.
Climate change may not be top of the list but it is on it, with a Financial Stability Board report commissioned by the group due to call for companies to disclose the risks they may face from climate change and the transition away from fossil fuels. More on that here.
Next week…
Is packed: There’s a G7 foreign minister’s meet from Sunday, a UN General Assembly debate on the Sustainable Development Goals from Monday, a G20 finance minister’s pow-wow from Wednesday and three days of ‘informal’ negotiations in Paris ahead of the 22 April UN climate pact signing ceremony.
Iran rejects oil cap
Tehran’s oil minister Bijan Zanganeh has rejected a deal among major producers to limit output, announcing exports have passed 2 million barrels a day. Saudi Arabia had said it could curb exports if others – including Iran – would do the same, in an effort to boost faltering prices. More in the Wall Street Journal ($).
Trump scares fossils
When he’s not picking on women or explaining what his favoured verse of the bible is [this is a must watch from 7.19] it appears The Donald is terrifying big oil and shale gas producers.
He has criticised his main opponent Ted Cruz for taking cash from fossil fuel companies, and mocked his lagging rival John Kasich for “getting lucky” with fracking. More in the FT ($).
Incidentally, it’s not just Ted who’s getting flak for taking the oil cash.
https://twitter.com/davidsirota/status/716673208179564546
Trump excites sceptics
For those who missed 1 April, the good team at Carbon Pulse produced a cracking April Fool claiming Donald wanted to use carbon credits to build his much-vaunted wall on the Mexican border.
“I’m surprised no one’s proposed a market-based solution to fighting climate change until now. In any case, no one does market-based solutions better than me,” he was quoted by the Pulse.
It was too good to be true for the UK-based Global Warming Policy Foundation who proceeded to go large on the news.
@edking_CH @CarbonPulse and we thought it was true … 🙂https://t.co/7N0GZIQDmn
— Net Zero Watch (@NetZeroWatch) April 1, 2016