Update from Copenhagen:

Update from Copenhagen   
Is a Global Climate Solution in the Works?

Webinar Series
December 14, 2009
Stephen Smith &
Jennifer Rennicks
 About SACE
  Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) has
been seeking global warming solutions to ensure
clean, safe and healthy communities throughout
the Southeast for more than 20 years.

  Since its formal inception in 1985, SACE has

grown from a small group of individuals into a
dynamic regional organization, with five offices
across the Southeast and initiatives at federal,
state and local levels.

  SACE is committed to preserving, restoring and

protecting our environment through innovative
technology, public education and advocacy.

For more information about Southern Alliance for

Clean Energy, please visit www.cleanenergy.org.
 Copenhagen Climate Change
Conference
  Delegates from 192 nations are
gathered
•  Dozens of Heads of State arrive in
the coming days
•  Hundreds of public interest
organizations
•  Thousands of citizen activists &
business leaders
  Goal: crafting a fair, ambitious and
binding international climate
agreement to solve climate change
 International Agreement: The Timeline

  United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change
•  International treaty crafted at Earth
Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992
•  Ratified by the United States & 171
other countries
•  Voluntary reduction measures: 1990
greenhouse gas emission levels by
2000
 International Agreement: The Timeline

  United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change
•  Annual conferences to assess status & reevaluate goals
o (pre-conf) = Rio, Brazil (1992) – UNFCCC
•  Without success on UNFCCC - binding agreement needed
o 3rd = Kyoto, Japan (1997) – Kyoto Protocol
•  Kyoto to expire in 2012 – new agreement needed
o 13th = Bali, Indonesia (2007) – Bali Action Plan
o 15th = Copenhagen, Denmark (2009) - ?
 International Agreement: The Goal

  Treaty, Interim Agreement, Mandate or Muddle?

  Goal is still to push for completed agreement
here in Copenhagen or soon (~6 months)
thereafter
  Core elements of an agreement must have:
•  Emissions reductions targets/actions
•  Financial investment in clean energy economy
•  Technology transfer to reduce fossil fuel use
•  Support for adaptation
 International Agreement: The Goal

  Treaty, Interim Agreement, Mandate or Muddle?

  Goal is still to push for completed agreement
here in Copenhagen or soon (~6 months)
thereafter
  Core elements of an agreement must have:
•  Emissions reductions targets/actions
•  Financial investment in clean energy economy
•  Technology transfer to reduce fossil fuel use
•  Support for adaptation
 Emission Reduction Goals:
Mind the Gap
 The US: 17% reduction in emissions
from 2005 levels – translates to 4%
below 1990 levels
•  President Obama may go to 20% - still
only 5% of 1990 levels
 EU are committed to 20% below 1990
levels; may be willing to go to 30%
below 1990
 Forward leaning policies put forward by
AOSIS are calling for 30-40% below
1990 levels
 Emission Reduction Goals:
Developing Nations
 Where is China?
•  Announced carbon intensity reductions 45%
below 2005 levels, by 2020
•  EE goal to reduce by 20% from 2005 levels by
2010 (~10% reduction in emissions from BAU)
•  RE goal to produce 15% by 2020
 Where is India?
•  National Action Plan on Climate launched; India
willing to accept voluntary emission targets
•  RE goal of 10% of new power generation by
2010 (India ranks 5th globally for wind)
Emission Reduction Goals
 Financial Investments
  $10 Billion in pledges needed
o  ~ equal to US tax $ annually for fossil
fuel subsidies
  Proposed by US and others as
“Global Fund on Climate”
  All parties except 49 Least
Developed Countries (LDCs)
would contribute
o  Clean tech deployment & sharing
o  Emission reduction from deforestation
o  Developing country mitigation
 Clean Energy in Action:
Middelgrunden Wind Farm Tour
 Cleanenergy.org:
Blogs & Twitter from Copenhagen
This presentation was brought to you by

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www.cleanenergy.org and our blog at
http://blog.cleanenergy.org