We live in an urbanizing world. Up to two-thirds of the world’s population – some six billion people – may live in cities by 2050.
Cities have emerged as first responders to climate change because they experience the impacts of natural disasters firsthand and because they produce up to 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
On June 3rd 2016, the European Union joined six of its Member States and 14 other countries – including China and the United States – and became the 21st member of Mission Innovation,
Intensive international cooperation is a key prerequisite for successful and ambitious global climate action. Russia, one of the world’s top 5 greenhouse gas emitters and the second largest producer of crude oil and natural gas, has long been regarded as one of the major veto players in international climate politics. Nevertheless, during the last decade climate awareness among Russian policymakers and other relevant stakeholders has increased dramatically. This is illustrated by the fact that the updated Strategy of National Security of the Russian Federation refers to climate change as a threat to national and public security. The Paris Agreement gave the Russian climate policy a new strong impetus.
"If you think current conflicts are all-consuming, imagine what happens when we add food shortages, water shortages, stronger storms, longer droughts, steady rises in sea-levels, which are already being predicted, and entire countries swallowed by the sea. […] We don’t have to sit here and wait for this to happen. If we accelerate the transition towards clean energy solutions – we have the technology, we have the knowledge.”
Continued use of fossil fuels triggers increasingly permanent damage with regards to climate change. Yet, there is growing acknowledgment that fossil fuels remain hard to displace. What, then, can – or should – be done to address this ‘confronting paradox’? This question was at the heart of the talk by Professor Robert H Socolow of Princeton University, US visited the University of Queensland, Australia in February this year. The talk was attended by people with diverse interests – energy and mining industries, management consulting, academia and others.
On May 1st to 2nd 2016, the G7 Energy Ministers together with the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy met at Kitakyushu, Japan to discuss developments since their 2015 Hamburg meeting, especially against the background of volatile energy prices and the Paris Agreement.
Mission Innovation is an initiative by twenty leading countries to double their Research & Development budgets for clean energy innovation in the next five years. In this opinion piece, Johannes Ackva lays out why this new initiative is an essential complement to carbon-pricing and deployment policies and should receive far more attention in the future.
Most of the progressive policies and significant challenges with regard to climate change are found in cities. A recent study by adelphi looked at ways of integrating urban actors in international climate governance to find more effective climate solutions. Kaj Fischer sums up the results.
In close cooperation with the Climate Action Summit, the European Union is organizing this flagship climate action event to highlight and promote the green economy as a formidable transatlantic opportunity for economic growth, innovation, and climate action.
The 7th Global Forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation is being organized by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. With over 400 participants from different expert and practitioner communities, it offers insights on current trends and good networking opportunities. More information on this year’s focus topics and registration is available online. Please also watch the video invitation from the Mayor of Bonn, Ashok Sridharan.
The changing climate brings about more intense floods in cities in India and all around the world. It seems, however, that urban planning is still neglecting the growing risks. What are the biggest mistakes and how can we avoid them? An analysis by Dhanasree Jayaram.
This Dialogue, which is organized by the World Bank Group, will bring together businesses, governments and civil society to discuss policies that promote climate-friendly actions. The aim of the Dialogue is to determine how best to engage industries and others in order to stimulate climate-efficient industries and improve sector competitiveness, as well as ensure greater alignment and cooperation between the private sector and national goals.
The Bonn Climate Change Conference convenes from 16 to 26 May 2016 at the World Conference Center Bonn, in Bonn, Germany. The meeting comprises the 44th sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 44) and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 44), as well as the first session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA 1).
The aim of the GCPC 2016 conference will be to discuss actionable research ideas that can help advance the implementation of developing countries’ Paris pledges and to address other key issues in the climate arena.