Global Warming Policy Forum | 4 Sept 2014
The UN has expressed concern that only a handful of countries have ratified an extension to the Kyoto Protocol, more than 18 months after they agreed to do so. Kyoto, the world’s only legally binding global emissions treaty, ran out at the end of 2012. At climate talks in Doha, December 2012, the 144 parties to the treaty agreed to extend the deal to 2020. However, so far only 11 have formally backed the amendment, despite an intervention by UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon in February 2013. Until all 144 parties deliver their “instruments of acceptance” to New York, the amendment will not enter into law. –Ed King, Reporting Climate Change, 4 September 2014
The top leaders of China and India, two of the world’s top emitters of greenhouse gases, aren’t planning to attend this month’s United Nations summit on climate change, according to a diplomat at the UN. President Xi Jinping of China and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon they won’t be at the day-long meeting of world leaders on Sept. 23, the person said, requesting not to be identified discussing the leaders’ plans. That deals a blow to a gathering meant to lay the groundwork for a global agreement to reduce carbon dioxide, which is blamed for global warming. –Sangwon Yoon and Mark Drajem, Bloomberg, 3 September 2014
The UK could miss out on its desired economics portfolio in Jean-Claude’s Juncker’s new European Commission, instead being handed responsibility for the EU’s energy and climate change policies. Juncker will rebuff Prime Minster David Cameron, who has lobbied hard for Jonathan Hill to be given an economics job, according to a draft European Commission line up, seen by EurActiv. The decision, if ultimately confirmed, could push the UK closer to leaving the EU. —EurActiv, 4 September 2014
Since the turn of the century, there has been little increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface, new research claims. Previous studies claimed this hiatus has lasted for 15 years, but new research believes the temperature has remained almost constant since 1995. The conclusions were made by an economics professor who studied historical land and ocean temperatures for noticeable trends. Professor Ross McKitrick from the University of Guelph in Canada studied land and ocean temperatures since 1850. He compared this to satellite data from 1979 to 2014. By plotting trends in this data, he has concluded that global warming has been on pause for 19 years. –Victoria Woollaston, Daily Mail, 3 September 2014
Politicians who do not believe in climate change should be ‘crushed and buried’, according to the new president of the British Science Association. Sir Paul Nurse, who starts his presidency next week, pledged to ‘take on’ the ‘serial offenders’ who he accused of cherry picking scientific facts to suit their arguments. In an extraordinary outburst, Sir Paul accused those who refuse to accept scientific orthodoxy on global warming of ‘distorting’ the facts. –Ben Spencer, Daily Mail, 4 September 2014
Dr Benny Peiser, director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, accused Sir Paul of using ‘the language of extremism’. ‘If he can’t live with critics and sceptics that is too bad. But there is no need to use this kind of violent and aggressive vocabulary. ‘Scepticism used to be a sign of science itself. When scientists cannot cope with that, and instead use this language of extremism, it is a sign of desperation, a sign they are losing the plot.’ –Ben Spencer, Daily Mail, 4 September 2014
Sir Paul Nurse is calling for malefactors to be “crushed and buried”, which sounds as though he has been reading too much of the Marxist literature he apparently favoured at one time, or perhaps indicating too many hours spent in front of Game of Thrones. We know who he means of course, because he has made such allegations against Nigel Lawson in the past. On that occasion, Nurse got himself into a bit of a pickle, unable to defend himself from Lawson’s accusation that he was lying. Eighteen months later, he is reduced to repeating the general allegation, still without any specific details of the offence, but this time minus the name as well. You have to laugh. –Andrew Montford, Bishop Hill, 4 September 2014
With many advanced economies questioning whether they can afford low-carbon policies and investments in renewable energy, emerging markets account for a growing share of global investment in ‘green’ energy. Yet fiscal pressures are raising doubts in these countries, too, jeopardising the global green growth transition. In this climate, it is no surprise that large-scale private investment in ‘green’ sectors has yet to materialise due to perceived risks and the relative novelty of the market. That is unlikely to change until governments create the enabling conditions needed for business to drive forward the next generation of green growth. –Oxford Analytica Conference 2014, Christ Church, Oxford University, 18 September 2014
1) UN Warns: Most Nations Have Failed To Ratify Kyoto Protocol Extension – Reporting Climate Change, 4 September 2014
2) UN Official Confirms Xi And Modi To Skip UN Climate Summit (Not To Mention Angela Merkel) – Bloomberg, 3 September 2014
3) Britain Handed EU Climate And Energy Portfolio In Draft Juncker Commission Line-Up – EurActiv, 4 September 2014
4) New Paper Finds Global Warming On Pause For 19 Years – Daily Mail, 3 September 2014
5) Sir Paul Nurse: Climate Sceptics Should Be ‘Crushed And Buried’ – Daily Mail, 4 September 2014
6) Oxford Analytica Conference 2014: Green Growth – Is It Losing Lustre? – Christ Church, Oxford University, 18 September 2014
1) UN Warns: Most Nations Have Failed To Ratify Kyoto Protocol Extension
Reporting Climate Change, 4 September 2014
Ed King
The UN has expressed concern that only a handful of countries have ratified an extension to the Kyoto Protocol, more than 18 months after they agreed to do so.
Kyoto, the world’s only legally binding global emissions treaty, ran out at the end of 2012.
At climate talks in Doha, December 2012, the 144 parties to the treaty agreed to extend the deal to 2020. However, so far only 11 have formally backed the amendment, despite an intervention by UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon in February 2013.
These include China, Norway, Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates. None of the EU’s 28 member states have ratified the deal.
In a letter dated 20 August, the UN says it intends to call governments who have not officially accepted the new deal and “obtain information on the nature and timing of such steps”.
The agreement to extend the protocol from 2013 to 2020 was aimed at ensuring that countries still face carbon cutting obligations until a new treaty comes into effect.
But until all 144 parties deliver their “instruments of acceptance” to New York, the amendment will not enter into law.
2) UN Official Confirms Xi And Modi To Skip UN Climate Summit (Not To Mention Angela Merkel)
Bloomberg, 3 September 2014
Sangwon Yoon and Mark Drajem
The top leaders of China and India, two of the world’s top emitters of greenhouse gases, aren’t planning to attend this month’s United Nations summit on climate change, according to a diplomat at the UN.
President Xi Jinping of China and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon they won’t be at the day-long meeting of world leaders on Sept. 23, the person said, requesting not to be identified discussing the leaders’ plans. That deals a blow to a gathering meant to lay the groundwork for a global agreement to reduce carbon dioxide, which is blamed for global warming.
“The issue for us is really on the commitments that countries will bring and the secretary general expects member states to come with strong and bold commitments on climate change,” Ban’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said today in New York. He said he has nothing to add when asked about the leaders’ attendance.
3) Cameron Rebuffed: Britain Handed Climate And Energy Portfolio In Draft Juncker Commission Line-Up
EurActiv, 4 September 2014
The UK could miss out on its desired economics portfolio in Jean-Claude’s Juncker’s new European Commission, instead being handed responsibility for the EU’s energy and climate change policies. The decision, if ultimately confirmed, could push the UK closer to leaving the EU.
Juncker will rebuff Prime Minster David Cameron, who has lobbied hard for Jonathan Hill to be given an economics job, according to a draft European Commission line up, seen by EurActiv.
The document is clearly not a final version and subject to change. Some jobs, such as internal market commissioner, are missing. While that post could be abolished or combined with other jobs, there are other different versions of the leak circulating in Brussels.
Finland’s Jyrki Katainen is penciled in as commissioner for economic and monetary affairs. France’s Pierre Moscovici, also put forward for the position, will get the influential competition portfolio instead.
Other posts with economic elements such as taxation, customs and fraud will go elsewhere, according to the draft. While the UK would have accepted trade, that will go to Germany’s Günther Oettinger, Hill’s predecessor on energy, instead.
The decision, if ultimately confirmed, could push the UK closer to leaving the EU. It would be seized on by Cameron’s Eurosceptic and pro-EU rivals as further evidence of the PM’s inability to influence Brussels decision-making.
Juncker is mulling combining energy and climate change, previously two separate portfolios, in a bid to bolster the job’s importance and profile. But unlike Oettinger, Hill will not be a vice-president in Juncker’s new team.
Cameron met Juncker in Brussels as recently as last week and, according to a UK government press release, stressed again that Hill should get an economics job.
Energy is likely to be central in the EU’s response to Russia in the wake of the Ukraine crisis. Whether that will be enough to placate Cameron is unknown.
The EU needs to reduce its dependence on Russian gas before it can take a stronger position against Russian aggression towards Ukraine.
But critics will point to the appointment of Latvia’s Valdis Dombrovskis as commission vice-president for energy union and Federica Mogherini as EU foreign affairs chief as signs Hill will not have sole authority.
Climate change commissioner was a new post created in 2010 after being split from the environmental portfolio.
While the EU has led international efforts to secure a climate agreement in the past, its stock has recently fallen on the global stage. The EU and China are now making the running in global negotiations.
4) New Paper Finds Global Warming On Pause For 19 Years
Daily Mail, 3 September 2014
Victoria Woollaston
Since the turn of the century, there has been little increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface, new research claims. Previous studies claimed this hiatus has lasted for 15 years, but new research believes the temperature has remained almost constant since 1995.
The conclusions were made by an economics professor who studied historical land and ocean temperatures for noticeable trends.
Professor Ross McKitrick from the University of Guelph in Canada studied land and ocean temperatures since 1850. He compared this to satellite data from 1979 to 2014. By plotting trends in this data, he has concluded that global warming has been on pause for 19 years (illustrated)
In his recent paper, Professor Ross McKitrick from the University of Guelph in Canada studied average land and ocean temperatures from the Hadcrut4 temperature series, dating back to 1850.
Hadcrut4 is a monthly record of temperature readings created by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office, and the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit.
It combines sea surface temperatures with land surface air temperatures into a grid that shows variations and anomalies.
Professor McKitrick also compared these readings to those taken by the Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) satellite, which has measured upper air temperatures since 1979.
In both datasets, he noticed a period where the line levelled off, from around 1990.
Professor McKitrick studied average land and ocean temperatures from the Hadcrut4 temperature series, dating back to 1850. It combines sea surface temperatures with land surface air temperatures into a grid that shows variations.
By using this information to plot trends, Professor McKitrick concluded that global warming has been on ‘hiatus’ for the past 19 years.
And this ranges from between 16 to 26 years in the lower troposphere – the lowest section of the Earth’s atmosphere.
5) Sir Paul Nurse: Climate Sceptics Should Be ‘Crushed And Buried’
Daily Mail, 4 September 2014
Ben Spencer
Politicians who do not believe in climate change should be ‘crushed and buried’, according to the new president of the British Science Association.
Sir Paul Nurse, who starts his presidency next week, pledged to ‘take on’ the ‘serial offenders’ who he accused of cherry picking scientific facts to suit their arguments.
In an extraordinary outburst, Sir Paul accused those who refuse to accept scientific orthodoxy on global warming of ‘distorting’ the facts.
Sir Paul launched what could be interpreted as a thinly-veiled attack on former Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, who is widely viewed as a climate sceptic.
He also targeted climate sceptic lobby groups such as that run by former Chancellor Lord Nigel Lawson.
Mr Paterson, who was sacked by David Cameron in July, has said he believes the negative impact of global warming has been exaggerated – to the exasperation of climate scientists.
Sir Paul, speaking in London yesterday, said: ‘Today we have those who mix science up with ideology and politics, where opinion, rhetoric and tradition hold more sway than adherence to evidence and logical argument.
‘There have been ministers – recent past ministers – who have paid attention to some parts of science with respect to genetically modified crops and apparently not other parts with respect to climate change.’ […]
Mr Paterson, who is to deliver the Global Warming Policy Foundation annual lecture next month, left his cabinet position with a rant at the power of environmental pressure groups.
He said he had grave misgivings about the influence of ‘the Green Blob’, adding:
‘By this I mean the mutually supportive network of environmental pressure groups, renewable energy companies and some public officials who keep each other well supplied with lavish funds, scare stories and green tape.’
Dr Benny Peiser, director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, accused Sir Paul of using ‘the language of extremism’.
‘If he can’t live with critics and sceptics that is too bad. But there is no need to use this kind of violent and aggressive vocabulary.
‘Scepticism used to be a sign of science itself. When scientists cannot cope with that, and instead use this language of extremism, it is a sign of desperation, a sign they are losing the plot.’
6) Oxford Analytica Conference 2014: Green Growth – Is It Losing Lustre?
Christ Church, Oxford University, 18 September 2014
With many advanced economies questioning whether they can afford low-carbon policies and investments in renewable energy, emerging markets account for a growing share of global investment in ‘green’ energy.
Yet fiscal pressures are raising doubts in these countries, too, jeopardising the global green growth transition. In this climate, it is no surprise that large-scale private investment in ‘green’ sectors has yet to materialise due to perceived risks and the relative novelty of the market. That is unlikely to change until governments create the enabling conditions needed for business to drive forward the next generation of green growth…
MODERATOR:
Jens Tholstrup
Director, Advisory Board
Economic Consultancy and 2degrees
PANELLISTS:
Lord Deben
Chairman
Committee of Climate Change UK
Martin Chilcott
CEO and Founder
2degrees
Simon Wilde
Senior Managing Director, Head of Energy and Utilities
Macquarie Capital
Dr Benny Peiser
Director
The Global Policy Foundation
