Momentum Builds for Paris Outcome

Over 150 countries – representing 90% of global economic activity and nearly 90% of global energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – have submitted pledges to reduce emissions ahead of Paris. IEA says that these pledges, together with the increasing engagement of the energy industry, are helping to build the necessary political momentum around the globe to seal a successful climate agreement in Paris. As Australia is one of the biggest per capita emitters of greenhouse gases, it is significant that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has agreed to attend the climate change conference.

Climate pledges for COP21 slow energy sector emissions growth dramatically

But further effort will be needed to achieve two-degree goal

IEA Paris (21 October 2015)

The International Energy Agency (IEA) released a World Energy Outlook (WEO) special briefing that outlines the energy sector implications of national climate pledges submitted for the upcoming climate summit in Paris (COP21). The briefing finds that if all countries meet goals outlined in their submitted pledges, known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), growth in energy-related emissions– which account for two-thirds of total greenhouse gas emissions –will slow to a relative crawl by 2030.

“The fact that over 150 countries – representing 90% of global economic activity and nearly 90% of global energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – have submitted pledges to reduce emissions is, in itself, remarkable,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “These pledges, together with the increasing engagement of the energy industry, are helping to build the necessary political momentum around the globe to seal a successful climate agreement in Paris”

The WEO special briefing finds that all of the INDC submissions take into account energy sector emissions and many include specific targets or actions to address them. If these pledges are met, then countries currently accounting for more than half of global economic activity will see their energy-related greenhouse gas emissions either plateau or be in decline by 2030. Global energy intensity, a measure of energy use per unit of economic output, would improve to 2030 at a rate almost three times faster than the rate seen since 2000. In the power sector, 70% of additional electricity generation to 2030 would be low-carbon. Significantly, the power sector – the world’s largest source of energy-related carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions – sees emissions plateau at close to today’s levels, effectively breaking the link between rising electricity demand and rising related CO2 emissions.

The full implementation of these pledges will require the energy sector to invest $13.5 trillion in energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies from 2015 to 2030, an annual average of $840 billion. However, despite these efforts, the pledges still fall short of the major course correction necessary to achieve the globally agreed climate goal of limiting average global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius, relative to pre-industrial levels.

“The energy industry needs a strong and clear signal from the Paris climate summit. Failing to send this signal will push energy investments in the wrong direction, locking-in unsustainable energy infrastructure for decades,” emphasised Dr Birol.

Achieving the ultimate climate goal will also hinge critically on innovation in the energy sector and on the deployment of new and emerging energy sector technologies that have the potential to deliver the transformational change needed to achieve deep levels of decarbonisation in the decades to come.

Download the World Energy Outlook special briefing for COP21.

Source: www.iea.org

SBS News, Australia (25 October 2015):

Climate Pledge Interactive

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will attend the upcoming United Nations climate change conference, which is expected to produce a global carbon emissions agreement.

He has told the Guardian Australia he will head to Paris for the December conference after the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta, armed with the coalition’s 2030 emissions reduction target of 26 to 28 per cent on 2005 levels.

Under questioning from Labor in parliament, Malcolm Turnbull said the direct action policy would be reviewed within two years.

His predecessor Tony Abbott was not expected to attend the conference after he scrapped the carbon tax, reduced Australia’s renewable energy target and criticised wind farms for being ugly.

Before Turnbull became prime minister, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had been expected to represent Australia at the UN meeting instead of Abbott.

With its heavy use of coal-fired power, Australia is considered one of the world’s worst per capita greenhouse gas polluters.

Australia’s carbon emission targets criticised

Australia’s target of 26-28 per cent reduction at 2030 compared to 2005 levels have been criticised as falling below the recommendation set by the Climate Change Authority.

The authority suggests a 40-60 per cent reduction at 2030 compared to 2000 levels.

Australia’s 2030 climate target puts us in the race, but at the back

Australia’s target for reduction in absolute emissions is significantly weaker than that of the United States and the EU, a little weaker than Canada’s, and a little stronger than Japan’s.

Turnbull, who lost a Liberal party leadership challenge in 2009 over his support for a carbon emissions trading scheme, indicated he could be open to deepening the targets.

“Sure… arguably, that depends on the rest of the world,” he told the Guardian.

Since assuming the prime ministership, Turnbull said there will be no departure from his predecessor Tony Abbott’s policies on climate change.

Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/10/25/turnbull-attend-un-climate-conference