Tag: CDM

#13: Climate Change Bill

The 300-350 Show on November 13, 2008 | Make a Comment

As a result of a massive civil society campaign, the UK will soon pass historic legislation which will bind the government to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. However a major loophole remains which threatens the credibility of the Bill – there is no limit on the amount of international credits the UK can buy up in order to meet this target. Will this loophole be closed before the law is given Royal Assent?

Featuring:

• Eliot Whittington (Christian Aid)
• Martyn Williams (Friends of the Earth)
• Steve Webb MP (Liberal Democrats)
• Dr Alice Bows (Tyndall Centre)

It is clear that we need to display greater commitment to tackling climate domestically if we are to have a credible voice in international negotiations. The leadership demonstrated in the commissioning of the Stern Review and bringing forward the Climate Change Bill is in danger of being undermined by policies such as airport expansion plans or an over-reliance on international credits in meeting domestic emission reduction commitments – Environment Audit Committee, July 2008

We urge caution about the use of international carbon credits. The argument that a tonne of carbon reduced abroad is the same as a tonne of carbon reduced at home is an over-simplification of a complex issue. Permitting the use of too many international carbon credits will drive down the cost of carbon, but this will also make renewables and air pollution targets more expensive to reach and potentially slow down the long term shift to a low-carbon economy in the UK – Environment Audit Committee, July 2008

It looks like between one and two thirds of all the total CDM offsets do not represent actual emission cuts – David Victor, Stanford University

More…

#7: Climate Change Bill Update

The 300-350 Show on August 27, 2008 | Make a Comment

A Bill Without Balls?

If the rest of the developed world followed the pathway envisaged in the United Kingdom’s Climate Change Bill, dangerous climate change would be inevitable – United Nations Development Programme

In June 2008 a press release by UK development charity Christian Aid announced that the government had “eviscerated” the Climate Change Bill – a potentially groundbreaking piece of legislation which will put greenhouse gas reduction targets into UK law. The UK government had announced its intention to remove key ammendments that have been made by the House of Lords.

We speak to Eliot Whittington, Christian Aid’s senior advisor on Climate Change and Sustainable Development, about their concerns and how they might be addressed. They include:

• an outdated target of 60% reduction in CO2 by 2050
• removal of a reference to the 2C global threshold
• shipping and aviation still not included
• no limit on the amount of carbon credits that can be bought to meet targets
• removal of an obligation on UK companies to disclose their carbon footrpint

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#10: Carbon Trading #2 – The EU

Two Degrees Show on December 12, 2006 | Make a Comment

EMISSIONS TRADING IN EUROPE

After last week’s interview with Soumitra Ghosh on the negative impacts of CDM projects in India, we conclude our look at carbon trading by speaking to the director of Climate Action Newtwork Europe, Matthias Duwe.

- What are Europe’s environmental NGOs doing to help reform the CDM?
- What is their view on the effectiveness of EU Emissions Trading Scheme as a way of cutting our greenhouse gas output? More…

#9: Carbon Trading #1

Most Popular, Two Degrees Show on December 5, 2006 | Make a Comment

CARBON TRADING – ARE WE BEING CONNED?

Even though the United States administration decided not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, the US left the treaty with a legacy of market-based “flexible mechanisms”.

In 2001 Mark Lynas wrote in The Guardian that these flexible mechanisms would lead to a net increase in emissions from industrialised countries, rather than a reduction of 5.2%.

As Larry Lohman’s authoritative critique on carbon traiding is published (see link below), The Two Degrees Show examines the record so far of the projects that are being funded under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism.

We speak to Soumitra Ghosh in West Bengal who has been documenting the impact of CDM projects in India. He found that projects are dispossessing people from their land, lowering water tables, and polluting water and air – resulting in lower crop yields and ill health.

We also speak to Kevin Smith of Carbon Trade Watch and ask whether the CDM is beyond reform and, if so, what should be done instead. More…