CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK EUROPE 2013 Contents
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK EUROPE 2013 Contents 2013: Building Momentum for a New Global Treaty .................. 2 CAN Europe: 2013 at a Glance ...................................... 3 Our International Work ............................................. 4 Bolstering the EU ETS .............................................. 6 Phasing out Coal ................................................... 8 Adaptation and Development ....................................... 9 Saving Energy in Europe ..........................................10 Climate Impacts in Europe and the IPCC ............................11 Renewables and Energy Markets ...................................12 Networking and Communications ..................................13 Other Networks ...................................................14 Transparency and Finance .........................................15 ...........................................16 CAN Europe Membership (April 2014) ..............................18 CAN Europe’s Board of Directors ...................................19 Climate Action Network Europe Annual Report 2013 CAN Europe gratefully acknowledges support from the European Commission. The contents of this publication are the sole responsi- of the European Union. Published in June 2014 by Climate Action Network Europe, Brus- sels, Belgium. Any reproduction in full or in part must mention the title and credit the above-mentioned publisher as the copy- right owner. © Text 2014 All rights reserved. Printed with soy-based ink on 100% recycled paper. Graphic design: www.puistolagraphics.com Photo credits Cover: Puistola Graphics – p.5: Adopt A Negotiator – p.6-7: CAN Europe/WWF/Lode Saidane, European Voice – p.8: courtesy Bohe- mian Traveler via creative commons licensing – p.9: Neil Palmer, CIAT via creative commons licensing – p.10: Coalition for Energy Savings – p.11: CAN International/GCCA – All other photos: CAN Europe. CAN CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK EUROPE ANNUAL REPORT 2013 1 2013: Building Momentum for a New Global Treaty In 2013, one could almost hear a starting gun sounding the run-up to a global climate agree- ment, which will be signed in Paris at the end of 2015. While the drafting of a new global agreement is moving forward slowly, governments, in particular in the EU, have started to terms of mitigation targets. There were a number of important milestones in the climate world in 2013 that reinforced the sense of urgency to act, maybe more than that created by the deadline for a global agreement. In May, CO2 in the atmosphere passed 400 parts per million, a level not seen - put into the atmosphere if we want to keep global warming below catastrophic levels. As it turns out, 2/3 of known fossil fuel reserves need to stay in the ground to keep us within this “carbon budget.” CAN Europe worked closely with our international partners to make sure this crucial information from the IPCC was communicated to a wide audience in the most useful way possible. shows that every country in the EU is being impacted by climate change. The report was presented publicly twice, in the European Parliament and at the Conference of Parties in Warsaw, with a keynote address from Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, Vice Chair of the IPCC. - yond its 2020 emission reduction commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. We also worked hard to see the EU ETS “backloading amendment” passed, which saved the EU’s cornerstone now working to make sure the ETS is reformed and the EU post-2020 climate ambition is raised to the level required to address the climate crisis. Outside of the EU policy arena, in 2013 we secured dedicated funding to spearhead de- velopment of a European strategy to phase out existing coal. We also hosted several suc- player in the more technical energy market debate by the European Network of Transmis- sion System Operators of Electricity (ENTSO-E). Last year also marked the moment when China put three new carbon-trading schemes in three largest economies are all on board with their intentions, we can get down to the real Wendel Trio Director 2 CAN CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK EUROPE ANNUAL REPORT 2013 CAN Europe: 2013 at a Glance 127 members 19 press releases position27 papers and 53 web articles institutions 876 1 128 tweets TOP media hits* FACEBOOK POST 474 1 000 days to Paris and counting – new facebook followers Liked, Shared or Commented (1 644 followers as of on 91 times 31 Dec 2013) 14 8 letters EU and UNFCCC 13 stakeholder conferences consultations organised * From January – December 2013 CAN E released 19 press releases and media advisories with 90 media mentions of CAN Europe. We also recorded 1 128 mentions of CAN Europe members of staff, however some of these overlap with the CAN Europe hits so have not been counted together. CAN CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK EUROPE ANNUAL REPORT 2013 3 Our International Key Achievements - WorK Parliament event around climate damage with expert speakers from Bangladesh to discuss climate impact challenges and solutions in vulnerable countries. workshops and an informal dinner. the German government with the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and KfW, a German-government owned development bank, as well as think tanks and trade unions (February). The second workshop in Paris was co-hosted by the French Govern- ment (September). in Warsaw: 1) European climate NGOs join in a loud call to Stop impacts; and 2) EU preparations Climate Madness at COP19 for the 2030 climate and energy framework. - the European Parliament resolu- ing sessions in 2013, including inter-sessionals in tion on COP19 in Warsaw and vot- ing recommendations were taken Bonn and COP19 in Warsaw, once again coordinat- on board by MEPs. ing the work of European NGOs inputting into the - tional network to move to a new UNFCCC process. emissions target of 0 emissions by 2050, a position which was 2013 was a critical year for developing the basic substantive el- ultimately adopted in 2014. ements of the new global climate agreement that will be signed in Paris in December 2015. Two key elements of the around COP19 in Warsaw, with a webpage to showcase the video and give members the opportunity to take of mitigation and adaptation amongst “This meeting is action by writing their countries. CAN Europe initiated a Ministers. process for updating CAN’s long- important because the EU has said we need to make 2050, a position and target that were adopted by the CAN Interna- sure countries will start tional network in 2014. CAN Eu- working on what they are rope also put forward proposals on how the EU should progress in going to commit to operationalising the concepts of in 2014.” fairness and equity under the UN- Ulriikka Aarnio hard during COP19 in Poland to help RTCC, 17 October 2013 thwart the Polish governments many at- tempts to derail the COP. 4 CAN CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK EUROPE ANNUAL REPORT 2013 During 2013 the EU adopted many constructive positions on the functions and form of the new agreement that are very much in Publications line with CAN Europe’s own positions. These include the link to sci- and Campaigns ence and the 2°C target, the need for a legally binding agreement and common accounting, among many others. The EU’s proposal for a stepwise approach of putting forward mitigation targets in 2014, with assessment and revision of targets before COP21 in Par- is in 2015, was also very helpful, even though not fully endorsed CAN Europe website by the Parties at the UNFCCC COP19. in Warsaw (November) In early 2014, the EU released its draft post-2020 climate and en- ergy framework. Once agreed, this framework will provide the ba- Warsaw (November) sis for the EU’s commitments in the new international agreement. Subsidies Stunt at COP19, Warsaw throughout 2013 (work that continues in 2014) to urge the EU to (November) raise the ambition of their currently weak proposal for Paris. ministers in advance of the ECOFIN Climate Finance council (November) Climate Change Performance In 2013, CAN Europe continued to push for developed countries to Index 2014 (with Germanwatch – November) countries, which remains one of the key sticking points in the international climate negotiations. CAN Europe was part of the civil society demand existing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). In ad- prior to the UNFCCC negotiating sessions. Last year CAN Europe coordinated many visual resources to help communicate about climate video, a web page where people could take ac- media stunts at the COP. CAN CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK EUROPE ANNUAL REPORT 2013 5 CAN Europe and WWF host an open air “climate auction” in Brussels “Right now industry lobbyists pay more for a Bolstering the hamburger than for a tonne of carbon, which is not putting the right price on pollution.” EU ETS Julia Michalak The “backloading” proposal was meant to be a European Voice, 10 April 2013 on the EU’s carbon market, but it turned out to be erupted over the measure, CAN Europe spent part of 2012 and all of 2013 working to get the “back- Key Achievements loading” proposal approved. approved and adopted, paving the way for much-needed long-term step in real structural reform of the EU Emissions Trading System structural reform of the EU ETS - ments, even though the measure itself would have little impact on advocacy work on the EU ETS activities on the European Parliament (EP), which undertook as many as eight votes on backloading. Parliament eventually sup- December. 6 CAN CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK EUROPE ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MEPs bid for the climate in Strasbourg before the backloading vote Publications and Campaigns CAN Europe and its members targeted MEPs with letters, campaign EU ETS at a crossroads (January) to support the measure in op-eds published in Brussels media and Options to strength- successfully generated attention by organising a media stunt: a en the EU Emissions Trading System colourful open-air “carbon auction” in Brussels. In March we or- (February) ganised a lobby workshop attended by number of our members Turning point for ETS who came to Brussels to promote ambitious backloading with their European Voice by CAN Europe and MEPs.