Climate Change Reference Guide
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Managing the Risks: International Level and 7 Integration Across Scales
Managing the Risks: International Level and 7 Integration across Scales Coordinating Lead Authors: Ian Burton (Canada), O. Pauline Dube (Botswana) Lead Authors: Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum (Switzerland), Ian Davis (UK), Richard J.T. Klein (Sweden), Joanne Linnerooth-Bayer (USA), Apurva Sanghi (USA), Ferenc Toth (Austria) Review Editors: Joy Jacqueline Pereira (Malaysia), Linda Sygna (Norway) Contributing Authors: Neil Adger (UK), Thea Dickinson (Canada), Kris Ebi (USA), Md. Tarik ul Islam (Canada / Bangladesh), Clarisse Kehler Siebert (Sweden) This chapter should be cited as: Burton, I., O.P. Dube, D. Campbell-Lendrum, I. Davis, R.J.T. Klein, J. Linnerooth-Bayer, A. Sanghi, and F. Toth, 2012: Managing the risks: international level and integration across scales. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation [Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. A Special Report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA, pp. 393-435. 393 Managing the Risks: International Level and Integration across Scales Chapter 7 Table of Contents Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................396 7.1. The International Level of Risk Management..........................................................................398 -
The Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism
Parliament of Australia Department of Parliamentary Services Parliamentary Library Information, analysis and advice for the Parliament BACKGROUND NOTE www.aph.gov.au/library 23 April 2009 The Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism Anita Talberg Science, Technology, Environment and Resources Section Leslie Nielson Economics Section Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 What is the Clean Development Mechanism? ............................................................................ 1 The aims of the CDM ............................................................................................................. 2 How it works .......................................................................................................................... 2 Potential supply of CER units to the CPRS ........................................................................... 3 The CDM projects....................................................................................................................... 4 Countries ................................................................................................................................ 4 Activities/technologies ......................................................................................................... 11 Project scales ........................................................................................................................ 14 Criticisms -
Reprint 707 Climate Change
Reprint 707 Climate Change - Meteorologists in Action C.Y. Lam International Conference on Climate Change, Hong Kong, China, 29-31 May 2007 CLIMATE CHANGE – METEOROLOGISTS IN ACTION LAM, Chiu Ying Hong Kong Observatory Hong Kong SAR, China Summary Meteorologists were the first group of people to sound the alarm about global climate change attributable to human beings. This paper describes a number of events in the past three decades, to illustrate how the international meteorological community under the championship of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) responded to the emerging signs of human-induced climate change, both in a rational approach to understand the phenomenon and in an active way to engage a wide spectrum of partners and stakeholders. The work of Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), as an example of the meteorological services which constitute the WMO, in studying the regional impact of global climate change and in reaching out to the community to motivate them to take actions in the face of climate change is also described. Keywords Climate change, meteorologists, WMO, meteorological services 1. Introduction The climate on Earth has always been changing, associated with various natural causes such as orbital changes, moving continents, evolving biological composition, fluctuating solar radiation output, etc. The rate of such changes would be very gradual and almost imperceptible at the time scale of decades. However, in the early 1970s, the occurrence of climatic extremes such as rain and drought persisting for months or even years led to speculations that a major climatic change might be occurring on a global scale. Much debate arose as to whether the observed phenomena were part of the “natural” short-term variability of climate or whether they were due to climate change resulting from human activities. -
The Bali Action Plan: Key Issues in the Climate Negotiations
THE BALI ACTION PLAN: KEY ISSUES IN THE CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS SUMMARY FOR POLICY MAKERS AN ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY GROUP PUBLICATION CHAD CARPENTER SEPTEMBER 2008 2 THE BALI ACTION PLAN: KEY ISSUES IN THE CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS – SUMMARY FOR POLICY MAKERS THE BALI ACTION PLAN: KEY ISSUES IN THE CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS – SUMMARY FOR POLICY MAKERS 3 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT THE BALI ROAD MAP The UNDP project, “Capacity development for policy into national development and economic planning. At At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in financing and capacity-building, in a measurable, makers to address climate change” seeks to strengthen the the international level, an assessment of investment and Bali in December 2007, governments from around the reportable and verifiable manner. national capacity of developing countries to assess climate financial flows will help maximize national participation in world – both developed and developing countries – agreed change policy options across different sectors and econom- the international climate negotiations by providing more to step up their efforts to combat climate change and Other subjects for the future discussion include the use ic activities. The project will run in parallel with the “Bali accurate estimates of funds needed for mitigation and adopted the “Bali Road Map”, which consists of a number of sectoral approaches; approaches to enhance the Road Map” process agreed at the UN Climate Change adaptation. By providing useful inputs to the international of forward-looking decisions that represent the various cost-effectiveness of mitigation actions, including market Conference in December 2007, which includes the “Bali debate, a financial flows assessment can help provide that tracks that are essential to reaching a secure climate future. -
EU ETS Handbook ©Istock
EU ETS Handbook ©iStock Climate Action Contents Using the guide 3 What is the EU ETS? 4 Benefits of cap-and-trade 5 History of the EU ETS 7 EU legislative structure and the EU ETS 9 How does the EU ETS contribute to meeting the EU’s climate policy goals? 12 How does the EU ETS contribute to a competitive economy? 14 How does the EU ETS work? 16 Main EU ETS features over the years 18 Design structure 20 What GHG emissions does the EU ETS cover? 20 What is the cap on GHG emissions? 22 How are allowances allocated? 24 How allocation has evolved 26 Auctioning in the EU ETS 28 Auctioning bodies and venues 29 Distribution of auctioning rights 31 Auctioning in practice 32 Use of auction revenues 35 Transitional free allocation for modernisation of the power sector (Article 10c) 36 NER300 fund for demonstration projects 38 Free allocation in the EU ETS 40 Timing of determining free allocation 41 Free allocation shifts compliance costs 42 From national allocation to EU-wide allocation; NAPs to NIMs 43 Calculating free allocation using benchmarks 44 Limit on total free allocation: Correction factors 46 What is a benchmark? 47 The process of developing the benchmarks 48 Product benchmark curves and values 49 Product benchmark for free allocation 51 Fall-back approaches for free allocation 53 Historical Activity Level 55 Cross-boundary energy - Who should receive free allocation? 56 Capacity changes/Changes in emissions 58 When is an installation a new entrant? 59 Addressing the risk of carbon leakage 60 Addressing the risk of carbon leakage: Compensation -
Climate Change: a Research Brief
CLIMATE CHANGE: A RESEARCH BRIEF June 2021 Introduction The Centre of Expertise of Global Governance project named “Global Challenges in 365 Days” has come to life. This project aims at creating a database about Global Challenges, to be informed about them, know factual background, and find interesting topics for research. The following briefing provides a historical overview and scientific findings at base level on the global challenge of Climate Change. It also defines the legal grounds of this issue, and finally explores the still unanswered issues that could be of interest for further research. 1. Historical overview The scientific concern regarding the impact of human activities on global climate kept growing in intensity and information overload over the past 100 years. Climate change has always been part of the human evolution, considering ice ages and changes on the planet. Yet due to numerous factors induced by anthropogenic impacts climate changes are happening unnaturally rapid. From the historical perspective, the development of humankind and our activities are tied to our better understanding, and therefore the increasing concern about the evolution of the climate system.1 Reflecting upon climate change and its correlation with the human behaviour brought a gradual, but overwhelming amount of international apprehension from governments, organisations, and general public. The great concern was, and still is, manifested among various historical events and developments. Firstly, the effects of increasing amounts of CO2 atmospheric concentration were taken under serious consideration starting from 19582, and therefore providing, by the mid- 1970', compact and thorough scientific data analysis on the said issue3. The following timeline shows the details on how climate change became more and more important in history. -
Bali December ‘07 Ngo Newsletter
CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS BALI DECEMBER ‘07 NGO NEWSLETTER 13 DECEMBER PIVOTAL ISSUE ECO has been published by Non-Governmental Environmental Organisations at major international conferences since the Stockholm Environment Conference in 1972. This issue is published cooperatively by Climate Action Network (CAN) groups attending COP13 and COP/MOP3 in Bali in December 2007. ECO email: [email protected] – ECO website: http://www.climatenetwork.org/eco – Editorial/Production: Nithiyananthan Nesadurai/ Nugroho Nurdikiawan, Arief Darmawan Bali: Road map Technology: Phoenix rising? or road-kill? After the debacle in the technology Outside the luxurious surroundings of the decided to reduce emissions by 40 per cent by transfer negotiations on Tuesday night, Bali climate negotiations, with its leisurely 2020 compared to 1990. He then noted that ECO is relieved that the COP President Ministerial receptions overflowing with food, “a reduction of 20 per cent by 2020 should be is resuscitating the patient. Technology drink and talk of leadership, there is a real acceptable for all of us in the industrialised transfer may yet be coming on track as a world. Things are happening. Carbon dioxide world, and also for our friends and colleagues fundamental element of the negotiations emissions and concentrations are rising faster in the US.” – both for current implementation and than ever. Droughts are worsening. Arctic sea One might hope that the Bush Admin- the post-2012 framework. Parties and ice is disappearing faster than was believed istration, still marching to a different drum, Ministers now have an urgent responsi- possible. New projections reported in recent will change their tactics here in Bali. -
Climate Change Update
Winter 2011 Climate Change Update In This Issue As 2011 comes to a close, it might seem to some that climate law remained static over the past 12 months. There was no controversial 1 Australia Passes New Climate federal legislation, á la Waxman-Markey, seeking to impose a new Legislation regulatory regime on greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters. EPA failed to 3 California’s Cap-and-Trade promulgate final standards under the Clean Air Act aimed at reducing Regime Set to Come Online GHG emissions from power plants and refiners, missing several deadlines over the past year. Negotiators at the United Nations Climate Change 3 Quebec Establishes Conference in Durban failed to agree on little more than continuing to Cap-and-Trade System work with hopes of agreeing on a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol 4 UNFCCC in Durban Ends with at some point in the future. This notwithstanding, developments both Agreement to Agree domestically and internationally have set the stage for potentially significant changes in the next 12 to 24 months. Australia, California and Quebec are each on the verge of implementing new laws establishing cap-and-trade programs to regulate GHG emissions, and EPA is expected in 2012 to finally promulgate rules establishing standards on the amount of GHGs that power plants and refiners may emit before facing fines under the Clean Air Act. These new programs likely will impose significant new regulatory compliance obligations on certain GHG emitters. In addition, the new GHG cap-and-trade systems are being designed with an eye towards “linking up” with similar programs in other jurisdictions, creating the possibility of a complex international market for GHG compliance instruments. -
Ipcc), 1979-1992
Negotiating Climates: The Politics of Climate Change and the Formation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 1979-1992 A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of PhD in the Faculty of Life Sciences 2014 David George Hirst Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Declaration ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 Copyright Statement ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ 7 Key Figures in Thesis .................................................................................................................................... 8 List of Acronyms............................................................................................................................................ 10 Chapter 1 – Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 11 1. Aims of thesis .................................................................................................................................... 14 2. -
Second World Climate Conference INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE
--SECOND. _______, \VOI<LD CLlM.ATE CoNFEI<ENCE GENEVA- 29 OCTOBER· 7 NOVEMBER 1990 CONFERENCE STATEMENT ~SI I J'&1 ~"I tAJ{)P, ,qqo ~ Second World Climate Conference INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE GENEVA, SWITZERLAND 29 OCTOBER - 7 NOVEMBER 1990 o~ - l~~o Sponsors World Meteorological Organization (WMO) United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) Financial Supporters The Second World Climate Conference has benefited from the encouragement and support of many countries and organizations. The sponsors are pleased to acknowledge m particular the substantial financial support of: Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the European Community, the Stockholm Environment Institute and tne Environmental Defense Fund (USA) CONFERENCE STATEMENT FOREWORD The Second World Climate Conference was convened in Geneva, Switzerland, from 29 October through 7 November, 1990, under the sponsorship of the World Meteorological Organization; the United Nations Environment Programme; the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization and its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission; the Food and Agriculture Organization; and the International Council of Scientific Unions. This Statement was adopted by the participants -
Energy Forum
ENERGY FORUM A QUARTERLY JOURNAL FOR DEBATING ENERGY ISSUES AND POLICIES CONTENTS Issue 72 February 2008 Gas as a Transitional Fuel Jonathan Stern Michael Stoppard Burckhard Bergmann Some thirty years ago, Nordine Aït-Laoussine famously labelled Thierry Bros natural gas as oil’s little brother. Gas was then seen as a fuel whose Simon Pirani – page 3 place in the energy slate would always lag behind oil. Later, gas Assessments of Bali was increasingly seen as the transitional fuel that would eventually 2007 replace oil as the leading energy source. Have these perceptions Benito Müller changed? And more broadly, what are the problems now facing David Robinson – page 16 gas and the challenges ahead? These are the topics addressed by Personal Commentary distinguished experts in five articles in the first debate. Nader Sultan – page 22 Jonathan Stern asks whether we expansion of gas use increasing in Asinus Muses – page 24 should be concerned about future the decades ahead. He argues in fa- gas supplies in international trade. vour of a mix of long-term imports To be sure, there is a remarkable contracts and trading spot cargoes expansion of gas trade that will as important for supply security continue until 2012 or thereabouts. and competitiveness. The worry is that new gas projects that will take us beyond that date Beware of unintended consequences are not given high priority by of ideologically inspired poli- exporting countries. To provide a cies Thierry Bros warns us. The context Michael Stoppard details liberalisation of the gas market in the characteristics of the current the UK benefited consumers when expansion: by 2010, LNG supplies domestic supplies were abundant; will have increased by one third, no longer when the UK became a tradable supplies will double and net importer of gas. -
Climate Change: the IPCC 1990 and 1992 Assessments 1
CLIMATE CHANGE: The IPCC 1990 and 1992 Assessments CLIMATE CHANGE: The 1990 and 1992 IPCC Assessments IPCC First Assessment Report Overview and Policymaker Summaries and 1992 IPPC Supplement June. 1992 Published with the support of:* Australia Austria Canada France Germany Japan The Netherlands Norway Spain United Kingdom United States of America WMO UNEP © Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 1992 Printed in Canada Climate Change: The IPCC 1990 and 1992 Assessments 1. Climate Changes I. Title II. IPCC ISBN: 0-662-19821-2 ® Tills paper contains a minimum of 60% recyded fibres, mduding 10%posn»nsumei fibres ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Cover Photographs Top Image A composite colour image of GOES satellite using visible and infrared channels. This image was produced by the Data Integration Division, Climate Adaptation Branch, Canadian Climate Centre. Middle Image A full global disc satellite image (Channel Visible 2) for 4 September 1983 reproduced with the permission of EUMETSAT. Bottom Image A full earth disc view of cloud patterns over the Australian region on 19 February 1991 from the Japanese Geostationary Satellite (GMS4). This image is a colour enhanced composite of information from the visible and infrared channels produced by the Australian Centre for Remote Sensing of the Australian Survey and Land Information Group. *Notes Spain - Instituto Nacional de Meteorología üi TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface vü Foreword ix 1992 IPCC Supplement 1 IPCC First Assessment Report: 47 Overview 51 Policymaker Summary of Working Group I (Scientific Assessment