(ABC) United States President Joe Biden Launches Global Climate Summit By Pledging To Cut Us Emissions In Half By 2030

ABC News

The pledge nearly doubles that of President Obama's. (AP: Evan Vucci)

Key Points The world has agreed to keep emissions from rising by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius by the year 2100 To achieve that, many of the world's biggest polluters need to drastically cut emissions Mr Biden's announcement has sought to re-establish US leadership on climate action

US President Joe Biden has pledged to slash US greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, amid an American-brokered Earth Day summit featuring leaders from 40 countries across the globe.

The United States, the world's second-leading emitter after China, seeks to reclaim global leadership in the fight against global warming after former president Donald Trump diminished US credibility in this policy area throughout his term. 

"This is the decade we must make decisions that will avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis," Mr Biden said at the White House.

 

President Biden: "The United States sets out on the road to cut greenhouse gases in half, in half, by the end of this decade...these steps will set America on a path of net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050." pic.twitter.com/HyjHt45g0J — CSPAN (@cspan) April 22, 2021

The IPCC, the UN's climate science panel, has calculated the global 2030 and 2050 emissions reduction targets need to give the world a "high likelihood" of keeping the Earth from warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2100. 

If temperatures rise between 1.5C and 2C of warming, the IPCC predicts that coral reefs will decline from 70-90 per cent to more than 99 per cent.

Sea level rise will displace a further 10 million people by the end of the century at 2C compared with 1.5C, and animal extinctions — as well as heat related mortality in people — will be far greater at 2C.

Scott Morrison's opening remarks not heard

World leaders representing almost all of the world's continents were invited to the summit. (AP via Yonhap: Lee Jin-wook)

Mr Biden was joined by political leaders including China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern. Other leaders including Pope Francis and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, are also due to speak. 
Prime Minister Scott Morrison also made an appearance, but suffered a temporary setback after he could not be heard at the beginning of his address — something that was only corrected after the intervention of US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

Jair Bolsonaro denounces rainforest destruction, after overseeing a large increase in it, and now Scott Morrison is stuck on mute — Oliver Milman (@olliemilman) April 22, 2021

Mr Morrison did not make any new pledges, and said Australia was "on the pathway" to net-zero emissions through new technologies.

Unlike other countries, Australia has not set a concrete deadline to achieve net-zero emissions, which has fuelled long-standing perceptions from abroad that the country has been a laggard on climate change action. 

At the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron said the world couldn't afford to dawdle.

Mr Macron broadcast his address from the Elysee Palace. (AP: Ian Langsdon, pool)

"There is only one goal for the coming weeks and months: to move more quickly," Mr Macron said.

"We need to move more quickly to implement the commitments for 2030. A plan of action that is clear, measurable and verifiable.

"Basically, 2030 is the new 2050."

Mr Macron's sense of urgency was heeded by two other countries at the summit: Canada and Japan.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga raised Japan's target for cutting emissions to 46 per cent by 2030, up from 26 per cent.

Environmentalists wanted a pledge of at least 50 per cent while Japan's powerful business lobby has pushed for national policies that favour coal.

Meanwhile, Canada's Prime Minster Justin Trudeau raised his country's goal to a cut of 40-to-45 per cent by 2030 below 2005 levels, up from 30 per cent.

'The US is back'

America is back. We rejoined the Paris Agreement and are ready to rally the world to tackle the climate crisis. Let’s do this.

— President Biden (@POTUS) April 22, 2021

The Biden Administration has come under heavy pressure from environmental groups, some corporate leaders, the UN secretary general and foreign governments to set a target to cut emissions by at least 50 per cent this decade to encourage other countries to set their own ambitious emissions goals.

The US climate goal also marks an important milestone in Mr Biden's broader plan to decarbonise the US economy entirely by 2050 — an agenda he says can create millions of good-paying jobs but which many Republicans say they fear will damage the economy.

Mr Biden's recently introduced $US2.3 trillion infrastructure plan ($2.98 trillion) contains numerous measures that could deliver some of the emissions cuts needed this decade, including a clean energy standard to achieve net zero emissions in the power sector by 2035 and moves to electrify the US Federal Government's vehicle fleet.

The US emissions cuts are expected to come from power plants, vehicles, and other sectors across the economy, but the White House did not set individual targets for those industries.

The target nearly doubles former President Barack Obama's pledge of an emissions cut of 26-to-28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2025. Sector-specific goals will be laid out later this year.

The American Petroleum Institute, a large US oil and gas lobbying group, cautiously welcomed Mr Biden's pledge but said it must come with policies including a price on carbon, which is a tough sell among some politicians.

A Biden Administration official said with the new US target, enhanced commitments from Japan and Canada, and prior targets from the European Union and Britain, countries accounting for more than half the world's economy were now committed to reductions to keep global temperatures from rising above 1.5 degrees.

"When we close this summit on Friday, we will unmistakably communicate … the US is back," he said.

Links

• United States President Joe Biden launches global climate summit by pledging to cut US emissions in half by 2030
• US President Joe Biden pauses oil and gas leases, cuts subsidies in 'bold' climate steps
• Scott Morrison inches Australia towards 2050 net zero emissions, but distances himself from 'inner city' types
• Will we make it? Are Australia’s efforts to curb global warming enough to meet our Paris target?
• IPCC issues dire climate warning, says coal must go to save Great Barrier Reef
• The Paris climate agreement explained

(AU The Guardian) Scott Morrison Seeks International Partners To Develop Low-Emissions Technology At Biden Climate Summit

The Guardian - Katharine Murphy | Adam Morton

Coalition is under pressure for lack of action on climate change and has pledged $565.8m to develop technologies including hydrogen and CCS

Scott Morrison visits Star Scientific, a hydrogen research facility on the Central Coast, NSW. Australia is under pressure going into Joe Biden’s climate summit for lack of ambition on climate action. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Scott Morrison will use a global climate action summit organised by the United States president Joe Biden to foreshadow a spend of $565.8m over the next eight years to build international collaboration to drive development of some low-emissions technologies.

The Australian prime minister will tell the virtual summit during a contribution expected on Thursday night that he wants to build practical, project-based international partnerships to accelerate new energy technologies and drive down costs. The spending, to be confirmed in the May budget, will be accompanied by additional domestic investment in hydrogen hubs and carbon capture and storage projects.

The government says priority countries for future international collaboration on investments in low-emissions technology include the US, UK, Germany, Japan, Korea, and Singapore, as well as India, Canada and New Zealand.

Priority technologies include hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, low- or zero-emissions steel production, low carbon alumina and aluminium production, and zero carbon liquefied natural gas production and shipping to Asian countries.

Australia is under acute pressure going into Biden’s summit about its comparative lack of ambition on climate action, and experts suggest the Morrison government will have to increase spending on technological development significantly if it is to keep pace with new energy economy investments happening in the US, Britain and Europe.

The Biden administration is set to announce a 2030 pledge to cut emissions twice as deep as Australia’s as the president hosts 40 world leaders at the virtual summit. New announcements are also expected from Japan, Canada and South Korea, with the possibility of China following later this year ahead of a major climate conference in Glasgow in November.

China has confirmed it will attend Biden’s summit, and the UK – the host of Cop26 in Glasgow in November – signalled on Wednesday it would boost its ambition for emissions reduction.

Following recommendations of the government’s statutory climate advisers, Britain will cut carbon dioxide by 78% by 2035 compared with 1990 levels – an increase from the current target of a 68% reduction by 2030. Australia’s emissions reduction target for 2030 is a cut of between 26 and 28% on 2005 levels.

While Morrison hyped the potential for hydrogen during a visit to a marginal electorate on the Central Coast of New South Wales on Wednesday, declaring Australia could develop “hydrogen valleys” like Silicon Valley in the US, recent research conducted for the United Nations environment program quantifying “green recovery” spending by major economies put Australia at the bottom of the list.

Morrison has this week foreshadowed spending of $275.5m over five years to accelerate the development of four additional clean hydrogen hubs, with some of the funding to be allocated in the run up to next year’s federal election. But the recent research from Oxford University’s Economic Recovery Project showed Germany – a likely partner with Australia in one of the projects – spent $9bn on hydrogen alone as part of the Covid-19 recovery.

The investor community has told the Morrison government it needs to increase ambition by 2030 if Australia is to comply with the Paris agreement goal of attempting to limit global heating to 1.5C and hold capital in the country when other jurisdictions have more stable climate change policies. But the government is not expected to make new concrete commitments at the Biden summit.

The government has identified new battery technologies and critical minerals as potential avenues for collaboration between Australia and the Biden administration, as well as soil carbon projects.

Australia could also pursue collaborative research and development on small modular nuclear reactor technologies with the UK and the US. The government says the aim is to “catalyse between $3 and $5 of co-investment for every dollar invested”.

Australia’s former chief scientist Alan Finkel is an enthusiastic backer of hydrogen. In a statement about the funding for international collaboration, Finkel said collaboration with other like-minded countries on development and deployment of new technologies would lower the cost of any transition to net zero emissions and “accelerate their adoption”.

Links

• Scott Morrison signs $1bn deal to shore up energy reliability in South Australia
• Coalition to divert renewable energy funding away from wind and solar
• Green steel industry could secure jobs future for Australia's coalmining heartland
• Coalition pumps $1bn into clean energy projects to stabilise grid
• Coalition quietly appoints expert panel to salvage emissions policy
• Morrison government has not ruled out supporting coal, energy minister says
• Coalition launches push for hydrogen power in energy policy reboot
• Australia’s ambition on climate change is held back by a toxic mix of rightwing politics, media and vested interests: Kevin Rudd | Malcolm Turnbull
• Tonight I do want to address the elephant in the ballroom – climate change:  First Dog on the Moon

(AU Guardian) Tonight I Do Want To Address The Elephant In The Ballroom – Climate Change

The Guardian - First Dog On The Moon

It will be dealt with by salt of the earth scientists and farmers - the sort of Australians people like you only ever have to think about when you fire them

Cartoon by First Dog on the Moon

LARGE IMAGE

Links

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(United Nations) Green Transformation Will Rival Industrial Revolution: US Climate Envoy

UN News - Climate and Environment

The transition to a global economic model which will slow down climate change and create jobs will be the “biggest economic transformation since the industrial revolution” according to John Kerry, the US climate envoy.

IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva and US Climate Envoy John Kerry discuss climate action on the CNN news channel. IMF

Mr. Kerry expressed the view in a discussion with Kristalina Georgieva, the head of the International Monetary Fund as part of the 2021 Spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank. They agreed that a “green and resilient recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic is possible but economic growth globally is likely to be slow and uneven.

‘No bank will fund a new coal plant’

John Kerry: There are many ways that we can address the climate challenge in America. President Biden has put a $2 trillion plan on the table, which will result in 500,000 charging stations for electric vehicles being built in the country, thousands of electric buses, including school buses, and a target of 100 per cent carbon-free power, by 2035.

All these measures will generate actions in the private sector. The decisions of some of the largest financial institutions in the world are being driven by environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, and trillions of dollars is going to be invested in this new sector to avoid sheer catastrophe. We're way behind, but we believe that this is going to be the biggest economic transformation since the industrial revolution.

In Europe, no bank or financial institution or even private source will fund a coal-fired power plant, but we have to move away from coal faster. Many old coal-fired plants are operating at less than 50 per cent efficiency. They are losing money and are not even sending energy to the main grid. They could be phased out over a period of time. Gas will, to some degree, be a bridge fuel [to renewables].

The United States could help mobilize finance to reduce risk, and then bring more money to the table for a commercial investment in alternative fuel sources.

Coal-fired power stations in Nottingham, England. Unsplash

Kristalina Georgieva: At the IMF we have identified three pillars in the transition to a low-carbon economy. First of all, put a price on all carbon emissions. Today only 23 per cent of emissions are being priced. The average price is $2 per ton. By 2030, we need to be at $75 a ton.

Carbon Pricing and Climate Change Carbon Pricing is seen as the most cost-effective and flexible way to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The cost of carbon is calculated according to its cost to society, in land lost to rising sea levels, crop damage resulting from changing rainfall patterns, or health costs associated with heat waves and droughts. Under this scheme, responsibility of paying for the damages of climate is shifted from the public to the producers of greenhouse gas emissions. This provides a strong financial case for shifting investments away from high-emission fossil-fuels based technology towards cleaner technology.

Second, funding is needed for public investment in green infrastructure. The IMF can support countries in this regard. Five per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) invested now, would generate an additional 0.7 per cent growth every year. This means that the investment would pay for itself within 15 years and create at least 12 million net jobs.

The third, hugely important pillar, is to lessen the impact on those who are currently employed in the high carbon economy. For example, there must be a just transition for miners, so that they can have benefit from new job opportunities.

If we raise revenues from carbon pricing, some of that money must be used to provide a buffer, to soften the pressure on those businesses that need to move away from carbon dependency. This is doable, and it must be done.

China and the US

John Kerry: Right now, China is saying that they are going to reach peak emissions by 2030, and that they may be able to reach that target earlier, maybe by 2025. The problem is that the current models shows China peaking but then basically staying at a plateau, rather than sufficiently lowering emissions.

Some 30 per cent of all the emissions on the planet are produced by China, so if we don't see a reduction between 2020 and 2030, we lose the capacity to keep the global temperature to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, and we lose the capacity to hit net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Every nation must work together on this. If the United States went to zero emissions tomorrow, it wouldn't make the kind of difference we need because we all have to reduce at the same time. That's the struggle we’re facing.

China obviously has a need to continue to grow and to develop. We want that, and we're not begrudging that. We want to work with China and other countries to make sure that they don’t make the mistakes that we made, and that we work together to develop new technologies such as hydrogen fuel, and biofuels for aircraft.

A Critical Year for Climate Action: A Conversation between IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and US Climate Envoy John Kerry. IMF

Doing nothing is too expensive

John Kerry: The United States is the number two emitter in the world. We need to do a better job at reducing emissions on an accelerated basis. President Biden is stepping up to do that.  He's hosting a virtual climate summit in April, he has rejoined the Paris climate agreement, and he has put together a $2 trillion piece of infrastructure legislation.

Climate action means jobs, whether in the creation of new energy sources, or transitioning out of the existing ones, building new cars or retrofitting homes. Those are jobs for workers in all countries. We should embrace this.

The economists have warned us again and again: doing nothing is more expensive to our citizens, our taxpayers, than responding to the climate crisis. We spent $365 billion cleaning up after three storms a couple of years ago, but we haven't invested the $100 billion in the Green Climate Fund that would have provided resilience and adaptation to climate change, and prevented some of that damage from being done. We're just not making the right choices.

Kristalina Georgieva: We’ve already started offering a helping hand, especially to countries devastated by natural disasters.  We have put measures in place to help countries to be in a better position when disaster hits. For example, we are discussing with our membership a provision that will make $650 billion available for countries to not only take the necessary measures to deal with the pandemic and its impact, but also to take on the investments necessary for transformation of their economy.

The urgency to act is evident, and vivid: over the last six months, 10 million people were displaced by floods and other forms of natural disasters. Fast-forward to a world in which there are more climate-related disasters, and more migration.

We have a chance to take advantage of a transformation for growth and for jobs. But we are also under tremendous pressure to prevent a future that would be bleak for those we love the most: our children and grandchildren.

Links

• ‘Embrace the transformation’ to a carbon-neutral world by 2050, UN chief tells COP25
• RBA to investigate economic effects of climate change
• CBS News poll: Eye on Earth — can fighting climate change be good economics?
• How can we ensure a just transition to the green economy?
• Nobel prize-winning economics of climate change is misleading and dangerous – here’s why
• Lack of climate action over 50 years will cost Australian economy $3.4tn and 880,000 jobs – report
• Climate crisis: Is it time to ditch economic growth?

(International Energy Agency) Global Energy Review 2021: Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions Are Set For Their Second-Biggest Increase In History

International Energy Agency

New IEA report sees global energy-related CO2 emissions rising by 1.5 billion tonnes in 2021, driven by a strong rebound in demand for coal in electricity generation

   

Global Energy Review Overview Economic impacts of Covid-19 CO2 emissions Oil Coal Natural gas Renewables Electricity Nuclear Notes and Acknowledgements

Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are on course to surge by 1.5 billion tonnes in 2021 – the second-largest increase in history – reversing most of last year’s decline caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, a new IEA report released today shows.

This would be the biggest annual rise in emissions since 2010, during the carbon-intensive recovery from the global financial crisis.

The IEA’s Global Energy Review 2021 estimates that CO2 emissions will increase by almost 5% this year to 33 billion tonnes, based on the latest national data from around the world as well as real-time analysis of economic growth trends and new energy projects that are set to come online.

The key driver is coal demand, which is set to grow by 4.5%, surpassing its 2019 level and approaching its all-time peak from 2014, with the electricity sector accounting for three-quarters of this increase.

“Global carbon emissions are set to jump by 1.5 billion tonnes this year – driven by in the resurgence of coal use in the power sector. This is a dire warning that the economic recovery from the Covid crisis is currently anything but sustainable for our climate,” said Fatih Birol, the IEA Executive Director.

“Unless governments around the world move rapidly to start cutting emissions, we are likely to face an even worse situation in 2022. The Leaders Summit on Climate hosted by US President Joe Biden this week is a critical moment to commit to clear and immediate action ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.”

Global energy demand is set to increase by 4.6% in 2021 – led by emerging markets and developing economies – pushing it above its 2019 level.

Demand for all fossil fuels is on course to grow significantly in 2021, with both coal and gas set to rise above their 2019 levels. Oil is also rebounding strongly but is expected to stay below its 2019 peak, as the aviation sector remains under pressure.

The expected rise in coal use dwarfs that of renewables by almost 60%, despite accelerating demand for renewables. More than 80% of the projected growth in coal demand in 2021 is set to come from Asia, led by China. Coal use in the United States and the European Union is also on course to increase but will remain well below pre-crisis levels.

Electricity generation from renewables is set to leap by over 8% in 2021, accounting for more than half of the increase in overall electricity supply worldwide.

The biggest contribution to that growth comes from solar and wind, which are on track for their largest annual rise in history.

Electricity generation from wind is projected to grow by 275 terawatt-hours, or around 17%, from last year. Electricity generation from solar PV is expected to increase by 145 terawatt-hours, up almost 18% from last year. Their combined output is on track to reach more than 2 800 terawatt-hours in 2021.

Renewables are set to provide 30% of electricity generation worldwide in 2021, their biggest share of the power mix since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and up from less than 27% in 2019.

China is expected to account for almost half of the global increase in electricity generation from renewables, followed by the United States, the European Union and India.

The Global Energy Review is the IEA’s annual update on the latest trends in world energy and CO2 emissions. It covers all the main fuels and technologies, providing insights across regions, economies and countries.

As the world enters a second year of the Covid-19 pandemic, the annual Global Energy Review assesses the direction energy demand and carbon dioxide emissions are taking in 2021.

The latest statistical data and real-time analysis confirm our initial estimates for 2020 energy demand and CO2 emissions while providing insights into how economic activity and energy use are rebounding in countries around the world – and what this means for global emissions.

The accelerating rollouts of Covid-19 vaccinations in many major economies and widespread fiscal responses to the economic crisis are boosting the outlook for economic growth and leading to a rebound in energy demand in 2021.

The report explores whether the rebound in activity risks pushing CO2 emissions to a new high and to what degree new policies targeting a sustainable recovery are able to curb a rebound in emissions.

The pace of global vaccine rollouts, the possible emergence of new variants of the Covid-19 virus, and the size and effectiveness of economic stimulus measures all represent major uncertainties for the outlook.

This analysis therefore not only charts a possible path for energy use and CO2 emissions in 2021 but also highlights the many factors that could lead to differing outcomes.

   

Key Findings

•The Covid 19 pandemic continues to impact global energy demand
Third waves of the pandemic are prolonging restrictions on movement and continue to subdue global energy demand. But stimulus packages and vaccine rollouts provide a beacon of hope. Global economic output is expected to rebound by 6% in 2021, pushing the global GDP more than 2% higher than 2019 levels.

•Emerging markets are driving energy demand back above 2019 levels
Global energy demand is set to increase by 4.6% in 2021, more than offsetting the 4% contraction in 2020 and pushing demand 0.5% above 2019 levels. Almost 70% of the projected increase in global energy demand is in emerging markets and developing economies, where demand is set to rise to 3.4% above 2019 levels. Energy use in advanced economies is on course to be 3% below pre-Covid levels.

•Global energy-related CO2 emissions are heading for their second-largest annual increase ever
Demand for all fossil fuels is set to grow significantly in 2021. Coal demand alone is projected to increase by 60% more than all renewables combined, underpinning a rise in emissions of almost 5%, or 1 500 Mt. This expected increase would reverse 80% of the drop in 2020, with emissions ending up just 1.2% (or 400 Mt) below 2019 emissions levels.

•Sluggish demand for transport oil is mitigating the rebound in emissions
Despite an expected annual increase of 6.2% in 2021, global oil demand is set to remain around 3% below 2019 levels. Oil use for road transport is not projected to reach pre-Covid levels until the end of 2021. Oil use for aviation is projected to remain 20% below 2019 levels even in December 2021, with annual demand more than 30% lower than in 2019. A full return to pre-crisis oil demand levels would have pushed up CO2 emissions a further 1.5%, putting them well above 2019 levels.

•Global coal demand in 2021 is set to exceed 2019 levels and approach its 2014 peak
Coal demand is on course to rise 4.5% in 2021, with more than 80% of the growth concentrated in Asia. China alone is projected to account for over 50% of global growth. Coal demand in the United States and the European Union is also rebounding, but is still set to remain well below pre-crisis levels. The power sector accounted for only 50% of the drop in coal-related emissions in 2020. But the rapid increase in coal-fired generation in Asia means the power sector is expected to account for 80% of the rebound in 2021.

•Among fossil fuels, natural gas is on course for the biggest rise relative to 2019 levels
Natural gas demand is set to grow by 3.2% in 2021, propelled by increasing demand in Asia, the Middle East and the Russian Federation (“Russia”). This is expected to put global demand more than 1% above 2019 levels. In the United States – the world’s largest natural gas market – the annual increase in demand is set to amount to less than 20% of the 20 bcm decline in 2020, squeezed by the continued growth of renewables and rising natural gas prices. Nearly three-quarters of the global demand growth in 2021 is from the industry and buildings sectors, while electricity generation from natural gas remains below 2019 levels.

•Electricity demand is heading for its fastest growth in more than 10 years
Electricity demand is due to increase by 4.5% in 2021, or over 1 000 TWh. This is almost five times greater than the decline in 2020, cementing electricity's share in final energy demand above 20%. Almost 80% of the projected increase in demand in 2021 is in emerging market and developing economies, with the People's Republic China (“China”) alone accounting for half of global growth. Demand in advanced economies remains below 2019 levels.

•Renewables remain the success story of the Covid 19 era
Demand for renewables grew by 3% in 2020 and is set to increase across all key sectors – power, heating, industry and transport – in 2021. The power sector leads the way, with its demand for renewables on course to expand by more than 8%, to reach 8 300 TWh, the largest year-on-year growth on record in absolute terms.

•Renewables are set to provide more than half of the increase in global electricity supply in 2021
Solar PV and wind are expected to contribute two-thirds of renewables’ growth. The share of renewables in electricity generation is projected to increase to almost 30% in 2021, their highest share since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and up from less than 27% in 2019. Wind is on track to record the largest increase in renewable generation, growing by 275 TWh, or around 17%, from 2020. Solar PV electricity generation is expected to rise by 145 TWh, or almost 18%, and to approach 1 000 TWh in 2021.

•China alone is likely to account for almost half the global increase in renewable electricity generation
It is followed by the United States, the European Union and India. China is expected to generate over 900 TWh from solar PV and wind in 2021, the European Union around 580 TWh, and the United States 550 TWh. Together, they represent almost three-quarters of global solar PV and wind output.

Links

• Energy and climate leaders from around the world pledge clean energy action at the IEA-COP26 Net Zero Summit
• Ministers, CEOs and other high-level leaders stress vital role of energy efficiency in reaching climate goals
• European Commission and IEA pull together for net zero
• Oil markets face uncertain future after rebound from historic Covid-19 shock
• First meeting of Global Commission on People-Centred Clean Energy Transitions brings together energy and climate leaders
• Ministers from around the world join Global Commission on People-Centred Clean Energy Transitions
• Energy and climate leaders from US, China, EU, India and other key economies to boost clean energy momentum at IEA-COP26 Net Zero Summit
• Executive Director and US Climate Envoy John Kerry discuss US-IEA collaboration on urgent actions to drive down emissions
• After steep drop in early 2020, global carbon dioxide emissions have rebounded strongly
• New global commission headed by Danish Prime Minister will focus on putting people at the heart of energy transitions
• IEA calls on companies, governments and regulators to take urgent action to cut methane emissions from oil and gas sector

(AU The Guardian) Australia’s Ambition On Climate Change Is Held Back By A Toxic Mix Of Rightwing Politics, Media And Vested Interests

The Guardian - Kevin Rudd | Malcolm Turnbull

Two former prime ministers, Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull, write the world shouldn’t give up hope on Australia just yet

• Former US intelligence director backs Turnbull and Rudd’s call for Murdoch media inquiry
  
  

Writing for Guardian Australia, former Australian prime ministers Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd say Australia remains ‘dangerously at risk of the economic and environmental consequences that will come from the climate crisis barrelling towards us’. Composite: Dan Himbrechts/Mick Tsikas/AAP

Authors Kevin Rudd was Labor Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and then again in 2013. He is president of the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York. Malcolm Turnbull was Liberal Prime Minister of Australia between 2015 and 2018.

It was always expected that Joe Biden’s election would be a massive shot in the arm for international climate action, but the scale of that boost has been genuinely surprising.

The new president has now invited 40 world leaders to a virtual climate change summit coinciding with Earth Day this Thursday. China’s Xi Jinping will be there, following productive face-to-face talks last week between Biden’s climate envoy, John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, in Shanghai. Even Vladimir Putin is attending, despite divisions between Washington and the Russian leader over new sanctions.

Japan, South Korea and Canada are all expected to announce new medium-term 2030 emissions reduction plans this week, after earlier refusing to do so. Even China – the world’s largest emitter – last week signalled they may also be prepared to do more this decade above and beyond commitments they made at the end of last year.

Our country, however, continues to bury its head in the sand, despite the fact that Australia remains dangerously at risk of the economic and environmental consequences that will come from the climate crisis barrelling towards us.

‘No action on anything’: Australia increasingly isolated as US and others ramp up climate ambition.  Read more

Prime minister Scott Morrison’s refusal to adopt both a firm timeline to reach net zero emissions and to increase its own interim 2030 target leaves us effectively isolated in the western world. It also goes against what we signed up to through the Paris agreement – which both our governments worked so hard to secure.

According to our independent Climate Change Authority (CCA) and the Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo), not only should Australia be doing much more as “our fair share” towards global efforts to reduce emissions, but importantly we also now have the capacity to do more.

The reality is Australia’s current target, set in 2015, to reduce emissions by 26 to 28% on 2005 levels by 2030 is now woefully inadequate – and was always intended to be updated this year. The Obama administration had exactly the same target as Australia, but aimed to achieve it five years earlier than us, which in reality made it much more ambitious than ours.

And this week, the Biden administration is expected to announce a new 2030 pledge twice as deep as Australia’s current effort. This will set a new global litmus test for Australia’s own ambition, which as the CCA has said should be at least a 45% cut by 2030.

But, as two former prime ministers representing our nation’s centre-left and centre-right parties, the world shouldn’t give up hope on our country just yet. Thankfully, there is some cause for optimism. Our sun-drenched country has the highest per capita penetration of rooftop solar in the world. And with the right approach, Aemo has said that renewables could go from providing a quarter of electricity market demand on our populous eastern seaboard today to 75% in less than five years.

The fact we are in a position to even be able to seize this technological opportunity is in large part due to the introduction in 2009 of a 20% clean renewable energy target for 2020 and the launching of the largest renewable clean energy project in our nation’s history (Snowy Hydro 2.0) by our respective governments.

The national consensus for climate action in Australia has also shifted markedly in recent years. Every state and territory government is now committed to net zero emissions, so too are our peak industry, business and agriculture groups, as well as our national airline, and even our largest mining company.

The main thing holding back Australia’s climate ambition is politics: a toxic coalition of the Murdoch press, the right wing of the Liberal and National parties, and vested interests in the fossil fuel sector.


Australia's climate wars: a decade of dithering

Sadly, instead of seizing this technological opportunity and embracing this newfound national consensus, the government remains hell-bent on a “gas-fired recovery” from Covid-19. Old coal plants still generate around 75% of Australia’s electricity. But these are being replaced by renewables plus storage because they are a cheaper form of generation than the alternatives on offer.

Gas has a role to play in the transition, but that role is to steadily diminish as renewables continue to grow. To bet big on the future role of gas is to bet against the best engineering and economic advice coming out of Aemo, and to ignore the scientific advice that more gas in the grid will simply lead to more emissions. The only long-term gas-fired future we should be planning is green hydrogen made by electrolysing water with renewable energy.

Building dozens of new coalmines won’t set Australia up for the future; it will lock us into the past

Australia may be able to get away with showing up empty-handed to this week’s summit, but will find it even more difficult to do as a special guest of the British at the G7 leaders’ summit in June. We would be the only developed country in the room that is not committed to net zero by 2050. And we will find it even harder again to show up empty-handed at the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow at the end of the year, given more than 100 countries in the world have pledged to increase their ambition.

There are also consequences for this inaction.

As the rolling apocalypse of fires and floods in our country demonstrates, Australia is on the global frontline of this climate crisis. Last year’s wildfires claimed dozens of lives, destroyed thousands of homes, wiped out billions of animals, and cost billions of dollars.

How can Australia get to net zero by 2050? – Australian politics podcast.  Read more

With more than 70% of Australia’s trade now with countries committed to net zero, the prospect of carbon border taxes being introduced – beginning with the European Union – also leaves us economically exposed. So too does our continued faith in coal as a leading export commodity, especially with many of the 50 proposed new coalmines in Australia already struggling to attract finance.

Instead of expanding coal, we should be increasing our support for ground-breaking projects such as the Asian Renewable Energy Hub in the Pilbara region which could allow us to become a green hydrogen supplier for Asia’s clean energy transition. There are also promising new hydrogen projects planned for Queensland centred on Gladstone, a traditional coal port. Building dozens of new coalmines won’t set Australia up for the future; it will lock us into the past.

Australians like to think we “punch above our weight” on the global stage. We certainly do when we come to climate change: we emit more than 40 other countries with larger populations, and our per capita emissions are the highest of any advanced economy. This is not a record we should be proud of at all.

It’s often fatuously claimed that what countries like Australia do make no difference to the global climate because we account for only about 1.2% of emissions. The reality is that Australia is the third-largest fossil fuel exporter in the world. Our own environment is especially vulnerable to global warming as the recent massive bushfires demonstrated. Our economy is also vulnerable to the transition away from fossil fuels. Denial of the reality of global warming and the need to transition to a prosperous clean energy economy is abandoning our responsibilities as much to Australian workers as it is to the world.

Hopefully, at this week’s summit the prime minister will receive the wake-up call the government needs. In the meantime, the rest of the world should not give up on us yet. If our country’s last decade has demonstrated anything – with five prime ministers in just eight years – it’s that political winds can change very quickly.

Links

• Former Australian PMs Put Murdoch In The Hot Seat On Climate Change
• Former Australian PM Kevin Rudd on Climate Change, Global Development, and US-China Trade Tensions
• (Rudd) Australia needs a climate policy turnaround - not a pathetic crab walk
• VIDEO: Kevin Rudd on the economic impacts of climate change
• (Rudd) Australia, Climate Change and the Complacent Country
• (AU) Malcolm Turnbull Has The Right Vision But Once Again Tricky Politics Got In The Way
• Pandemic Also A Reckoning For Climate Change, Turnbull Tells British Audience
• (AU) Malcolm Turnbull: Scott Morrison Can't Afford To Waste The Bushfire Crisis When Australia Urgently Needs Its Own Green New Deal
• Malcolm Turnbull Blasts Liberal Party For Being 'Incapable' Of Climate Change Action
• Morrison's Big Stick On Energy Defies What A True Liberal Believes In
• Turnbull Says Climate Change Has Become A 'Third Rail' For Liberal Party

(AU SMH) Military Leaders, Security Chiefs Demand Action On Climate Threat

Sydney Morning Herald - Nick O'Malley

The two existential threats that keep former chief of defence Admiral Chris Barrie awake at night are nuclear war, which he says the Australian government can’t do much about, and climate change, which he says the Australian government is not doing enough about.

Former Chief of Defence Admiral Chris Barrie is calling for urgent action on climate change. Credit: Andrew Taylor

Barrie is one of more than 30 current and former defence personnel and security sector staff to join the newly formed Australian Security Leaders Climate Group, which is calling on the Australian government to undertake a whole-of-nation assessment of the security risks posed by climate change.

“As ex-service members and experienced practitioners of national and international security who have witnessed up close the devastation of war and crisis, we recognise that climate change is a fundamental threat to the security and prosperity of all Australians,” he said.

“Yet Australia is ill prepared for climate impacts, with climate security risks not being fully assessed or understood in Australia.

Climate change a security threat in Australia, says intelligence expert

“We are being left behind, with some of our closest allies already taking action. In the US, the Biden Administration has elevated climate change to a high-level national security issue, with significant stature within national security decision-making.”

A spokesman for Energy and Emissions Reductions Minister Angus Taylor said that Australia was responding to climate change by reducing its emissions faster than many of its peers.

“Between 2005 and 2018, Australia’s emissions fell faster than Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Korea or the United States. Over that same period, half of G20 members actually increased their emissions,” he said.

Admiral Barrie said he had seen scenarios which outlined the potential impact of Bangladesh’s coastal areas becoming inundated in the foreseeable future, prompting mass forced migration and resulting in tens of thousands of climate refugees attempting to reach Australia by boat.

“These are the kinds of prospects that we need some leadership over. It involves the whole nation, it involves every one of us. We all have to pull this boat. And that includes the federal government,” he said.

“The problem is we don’t have an action plan, so we are wandering around in circles trying to figure out what to do.”

Admiral Barrie said he believed United Nations climate talks in Glasgow in November will be the last chance the world has to properly address the threat.

“What we want is an action plan, so that we can get on at all throughout our community, all through our local governments, our state and federal governments and start pulling together in one direction.”

He said the climate summit hosted by United States President Joe Biden at the end of this week was a crucial opportunity for world governments to voice their support for immediate action.

“It is a leadership issue, and I think it is a pity that a group like ours has to get together and say that.”

Founding members of the group include former deputy chief of the Royal Australian Air Force Air Vice-Marshal John Blackburn, AO, and former Defence Department director of preparedness and mobilisation Adjunct Associate Professor Cheryl Durrant.

“The first duty of the Australian government must be the safety and security of its citizens. Today, the government is failing to address the growing impacts of climate change and therefore failing to protect its own people. Unlike the pandemic, we cannot quarantine ourselves from climate change and there is no vaccine.”

Associate Professor Durrant said a review of the threat was critical to filling in a “major strategic gap” in Australian security planning.

Links

• (AU) Climate Change Is A Security Threat The Government Keeps Ignoring. We’ll Show Up Empty Handed To Yet Another Global Summit
• (USA) Intelligence Forecast Sees A Post-Coronavirus World Upended By Climate Change And Splintering Societies
• (AU) Climate Change ‘A National Security Threat’: Report
• (USA) ‘Mutual Suicide’: US Issues Stark Warning On Climate Change
• Climate Change 'The Biggest Security Threat Ever Faced By Modern Humans', David Attenborough Warns
• Sea-Level Rise From Climate Change Could Exceed The High-End Projections, Scientists Warn
• Preparing For When Climate Change Drives People From Their Homes
• A signal of hope as US and China find common ground in climate crisis
• What keeps climate scientists like me awake at night - and why the next 10 years are so critical
• Facing the climate ‘endgame’ in a world bound for 1.5 degrees warming