COP15 Initial News: WMO, WWF & IMF

World Meteorological Organization’s says the first decade of the 21st century is likely to be the warmest on record. George Soros suggests the IMF use its gold reserves as the collateral for green loans to developing countries.  WWF says clean energy technology is on track to become the third largest industrial sector globally, with Australia languish behind most industrialised countries.

Samantha Donovan for ABC’s AM Programme (9 December 2009):

Some annual reports are drab lifeless documents that are consigned early to dusty shelves or recycle bins. But one report that came out overnight will be pored over and have a life long after today.

According to the World Meteorological Organization’s annual statement, the first decade of the 21st century is likely to be the warmest on record. The snapshot of the globe’s temperatures was released at the climate change conference in Copenhagen overnight.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: The secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, Michel Jarraud, says the first decade of the 21st century is likely to be the warmest on record. And 2009 is set to be the fifth warmest year since records began in 1850.

MICHEL JARRAUD: There were above normal temperature in most part of the continents and only in USA and Canada there were significant areas with cooler than average condition. But in large part of southern Asia, central Africa, these regions are likely to have the warmest year on record.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Michel Jarraud says the year has also been notable for extreme weather events.

MICHEL JARRAUD: China with the third warmest year in the last 50 years, heat waves in Italy, UK, France, Belgium, Germany, an extreme heat wave in India, and Australia the third warmest year on record with three exceptional heat waves.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Those heatwaves hit the south-eastern Australia in January, February and November and the sub-tropical east in August.

Blair Trewin, a climatologist at the Bureau of Meteorology’s National Climate Centre, isn’t surprised that the WMO has highlighted those events and the deadly February bushfires.

BLAIR TREWIN: You know it’s not often you see long term stations which have been going for a long time break monthly temperature records by two, three, four degrees and to have it happen three times in the same year in the same continent is pretty significant.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: The WMO report also observes that an El Nino weather pattern began midyear. It’s dreaded by Australian farmers because it means lower than average rainfall, particularly in the east.

Blair Trewin says the El Nino pattern is well-established.

BLAIR TREWIN: So far the impacts in Australia have been a bit more modest than those of the last two in ’02 and ’06. It’s interesting to note that in the strongest El Nino years what you tend to see is that the year in which the El Nino ends tends to be a particularly warm one. Globally we saw that in 1998 and it will be interesting to see if something similar happens in 2010.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: The WMO will release a final report on 2009 next March. Secretary-GeneralMichel Jarraud says at this stage it’s impossible to predict what global conditions will be like next year.

MICHEL JARRAUD: On top of the trend there’s a lot of variability, so we are in a warming trend, we have no doubt about that, but what will be the prediction for next year I would be very, very hesitant to tell you that.

TONY EASTLEY: Michel Jarraud, the secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization ending Samantha Donovan’s report.

Source: www.abc.net.au

By Europe correspondent Emma Alberici for AM, ABC (11 December 2009):  

George Soros suggests the IMF use its gold reserves as the collateral for green loans.

Billionaire investor George Soros has unveiled a proposal to provide up to US$110 billion (A$120 billion) in cash for poor countries to help them develop climate-friendly technology.

Mr Soros made a flying visit to the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen to suggest the International Monetary Fund (IMF) use its gold reserves as the collateral for green loans.

He implored the 192 nations at the climate conference to consider this mechanism as a simple way to transfer money from rich to poor nations.

“There’s a gap between the developed and the developing world on this issue, which could actually wreck the conference,” he said.

“Developed countries are labouring under the misapprehension that funding has to come from their national budgets, but that is not the case. They have it already.

“It is lying idle in their reserves accounts and in the vaults of the IMF.”

Under the Soros proposal, countries would hand over their special drawing rights – international foreign currency assets distributed by the IMF.

“I propose that the developed countries… should band together and lend $US100 billion worth of these SDRs for 25 years to a special green fund serving the developing world,” Mr Soros said.

The money could be invested in low-carbon energy sources, reforestation, rain forest protection and programs to adapt to drought, floods and other consequences of climate change, he said.

Source: www.abc.net.au

Australia missing out on clean energy boom

Copenhagen, Denmark – A WWF report released at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen today shows clean energy technology is on track to become the third largest industrial sector globally, with Australia languish behind most industrialised countries.

Clean Economy, Living Planet – Building Strong Clean Energy Technology Industries is the first ever worldwide country ranking by clean energy sales, finding that relative to GDP, it is wind energy and insulation pioneer Denmark and bio-ethanol giant Brazil that are leading the way, with Australia ranked 28th.

The report predicts that by 2020 the industry will be worth €1600 billion a year, ranking behind automobiles and electronics as the third largest industrial sector. In 2007, clean energy technology had a sales volume of €630 billion and was already larger than the global pharmaceutical industry.

“Without an emissions trading scheme and greater support for emerging clean technologies Australia is at risk of missing out on the clean industry revolution,” said WWF Climate Change Policy Manager Kellie Caught.

“While the Government’s target of 20 per cent renewable energy by 2020 and its Flagship grants program will begin to grow Australia’s clean energy sector, it will not be enough to lift Australia to the top of the clean energy rankings.

“China, one of Australia’s major trading partners is ranked fourth in terms of clean energy technology absolute sales, and sixth relative to its GDP. As with manufacturing, Australia stands to lose the opportunity to create a thriving export market and risks thousands of clean energy jobs.

“Australia has a competitive advantage in solar thermal, geothermal, and wave technology. We need to modify the Renewable Energy Target (RET) or utilise Feed- in-tariffs to grow these industries now.

“Forgoing these opportunities for the sake of propping up an ageing, polluting fossil fuel sector for as long as its lobbying power remains significant is acting for vested interests not the national interest.”

Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF’s Global Climate Initiative, has urged nations consider the potential of an agreement in Copenhagen to drive growth in clean energy.

“Clean energy is where the money is going to be, and where energy security is going to be.

“We are already seeing clean economy growth happening now with only a partial Kyoto protocol international framework supporting clean energy development, patchy national support for green energy and huge subsidies to fossil fuel use.

“Imagine what is possible with a successful Copenhagen climate deal and the national mechanisms to deliver its outcomes.”

The report advocates countries seeking to develop their clean energy technology sectors should “follow the leaders” with technology action plans to take technologies from research to demonstration and commercialisation.

Central banks could help by encouraging the inclusion of “carbon risk” into financial modelling.  Access to seed or venture capital has also been a factor in the success of clean energy in the leading countries

The report also emphasises the importance of developing a strong domestic market in technologies with a strong domestic fit. 

For further information:

Clean Economy, Living Planet – Building Strong Clean Energy Technology

Source: www.panda.org