Transcript Durban Climate Treaty Where are we now?

Durban Climate Treaty
Where are we now?
What’s up with Kyoto?
Many European countries met their Kyoto
targets. Canada, US, and Japan did not.
Some countries used carbon trading to meet
their objectives
Kyoto ended at the end of 2012. Canada
(Harper Gov.) pulled out of Kyoto this past
December – said they would not stay in unless
other major emitters came on board. The rest
of the world was not impressed.
The goal for Durban?
• The question in Durban was how to bring the
United States and the new large emitters
(BASIC – Brazil, South Africa, India, China) into
a new legally binding regulatory regime.
• Over half of emissions, and all of new growth
in emissions now come from developing
countries
How far did they get?
• A new "road map" (the Durban Platform for
Enhanced Action) will guide countries towards a
legal deal to cut carbon in 2015, but it will only
come into affect after 2020.
• EU and a few other developed countries have
signed on to an extension of Kyoto that will cover
until new treaty takes hold in 2020. Many others
did not, including Canada. This means that most
countries, including the BASIC ones, will have
only voluntary targets (no penalty if not met)
Who’s Hot?
• The EU countries claimed that they were the
ones who pushed hard for the final
“agreement” and they did agree to extend
Kyoto
Who’s not?
• India and China were the “bad boys” and
balked at legally binding targets. Their
justification was"climate justice". They argue
that they need to carry on emitting carbon to
bring millions of people out of poverty over
the next few decades.
What Else?
• Green Climate Fund (to help poorest countries
deal with impacts of climate change) now
stands at $90 billion/yr but does not start till
2020
• Carbon Footprint of Durban was 15,000
tonnes. Trees were planted outside city to
offset. But this does not include air travel for
13,000 delegates!
What are others saying about Canada’s
stance on Climate Change?
• CBC ranked Canada 4th worst out of 57 countries on their
efforts to stop climate change (2010)
• Globe & Mail: “[Canada is] the dirty old man of the climate
change world…[it is] part of the problem, not the solution”
• Won “fossil award” on the first day at Copenhagen – the
country that has done the most to delay/disrupt
negotiation for an agreement on a global reduction in
carbon emissions
• David Suzuki: better to work with municipal & provincial
governments than to reach out to federal government
• Last week (April 2013), Canada’s Natural Resources
Minister Joe Oliver said CC was slowing down (not as much
of a threat, and that oil sands contributions are “neglible”