This is the third part in a series about the Caps and Targets Review being conducted by the Australian Government’s independent Climate Change Authority (CCA) this year. Part 1 summarized the global climate crisis, and Part 2 explained the importance of the review and how CCA should approach it. This part outlines the role Australia …
Category Archive: UN Climate Talks
Jan 13 2013
Liberals Part 2: Their “Direct Action” is neither
This is the second part of a series examining the Liberal Party of Australia. Part 1 covers the party’s climate change denial and intention to abolish various existing climate policies. This part examines the climate policies they promise to introduce. The first question to ask about the Liberal Party’s climate policy is “what is it?” …
Dec 15 2012
Doha climate talks: Gateway to hell?
The Doha climate talks (COP18) reached an agreement on Saturday night. They’re calling it the “Doha Climate Gateway”. To me it looks like a gateway to probable inaction and climate catastrophe. Delegates blatantly ignored the urgent warnings being screamed at them from all directions, and put off consideration of ramping up ambition until next year, …
Dec 07 2012
Doha climate talks: Dreadful deal on the table
There are just a few hours to go until the Doha climate talks (COP18) are scheduled to finish (though they are likely to go into overtime). Drafts of the key decisions have been released, and the outlook is very black indeed. The most important draft text, agreeing a second period of Kyoto, is still filled …
Dec 05 2012
Doha climate talks: Island states stand up for ambition
“We have not seen concrete progress on the issues that are important to ensuring the survival of all our members. How many conferences do we have to endure where we go back to our countries and say, ‘next year we will increase ambition to reduce emissions, next year we will see finance, next year we …
Dec 03 2012
Doha climate talks: my priorities
This is the third installment of a three-part blog post about the ongoing Doha climate talks (COP18). Part 1 recaps the history of the negotiations up to 2011; Part 2 covers this year’s battlelines; and this part outlines my opinion on what should happen in Doha and why it matters. Most analysts treat Doha as …
Dec 03 2012
Doha climate talks: battlelines
This is the second installment of a three-part blog post about the ongoing Doha climate talks (COP18). Part 1 recaps the history of the negotiations up to 2011; this part covers this year’s battlelines; and Part 3 outlines my opinion on what should happen in Doha and why it matters. Bonn After governments had loudly …
Dec 03 2012
Doha climate talks: history
Representatives are gathering in Doha, Qatar for the second week of the 18th Conference of Parties (COP18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – global climate talks to us laypeople. As the world’s highest per capita emitter, Qatar seems a strange place to hold a climate conference, but that is where …
Feb 04 2012
Durban Part 4: Conclusion
Also see Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this series about the significance of last month’s Durban climate talks (COP17). Grenada said in an opening statement: “AOSIS will not and cannot accept a deal here in Durban that does not provide a means to bring in more ambitious legally-binding commitments for Annex I …