World Commitment Waning to Reverse Climate Change

The next generation of climate solutions needs to harness the innovative potential of sustainability to create a new, more prosperous economy that restores, enhances, and leverages ecological integrity, not simply agree to emissions targets. Next generation of solutions needs to sketch and pursue a collaborative research and development effort to create the technology, the capacity, that will allow countries to meet the emissions targets, and ultimately, to eliminate emissions with the transition to a carbon neutral economy. The current dialogue, as outlined below, is a start, but success will require much more. 

U.N. climate chief urges new emission targets

Joseph Coleman, Associated Press, Sunday, May 25, 2008

(05-25) 04:00 PDT Kobe, Japan -- The world is losing momentum in the battle against global warming, the U.N. climate chief warned Saturday, urging environmental ministers from wealthy nations to revive the effort by setting clear targets for reducing greenhouse gases.

The ministers gathered in the western Japanese city of Kobe for a three-day meeting as evidence mounted that rising world temperatures have been taking a toll on the Earth at a faster rate than previously forecast.

The officials from the Group of Eight countries, joined by representatives from other nations including China, were to lay the foundations for the upcoming G8 summit in northern Japan in July.

U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer told the Associated Press he is concerned about stalling momentum behind international talks to forge a global warming pact by December 2009 to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. Its first phase ends in 2012.

"Much of the enthusiasm and ambition that we saw in Bali with the launch of negotiations doesn't seem to be present," he said, referring to a meeting on the Indonesian resort island in December, when 190 countries decided on a timetable for talks on the new climate pact.

De Boer cited a recently announced U.S. climate plan that would allow an increase in emissions, Canada's indication that it will not meet its obligations under the Kyoto agreement, and European industry's skepticism about the EU goal of cutting emissions by 20 percent from 1990 levels by 2020.

To rejuvenate the talks, G8 countries - the United States, Japan, Russia, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Canada - need to decide on midterm targets for reducing carbon emissions by 2020, make a clearer commitment to helping poorer nations deal with climate change, and form a dialogue with top developing countries such as China to run parallel with the U.N.-led talks, he said.

"Certainly, my expectation is that ... the G8 leaders will now really take things to the next level, and I think need to take it to the next level, with December 2009 being just around the corner," de Boer said.

On Saturday, the ministers heard from environmentalists and business leaders before moving behind closed doors.

Environmentalists urged quick action to stem the effects of the rise in world temperatures, which scientists say threaten to drive species to extinction, worsen floods and droughts, and thwart economic development.

Bill Hare of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research warned that rising oil prices could exacerbate the effects by encouraging the use of cheaper coal - a much dirtier fuel.

"The recent developments in the energy sector, particularly high oil prices and coal intensive development ... are pointing toward the risk of higher emissions," Hare told the ministers.

The U.N. process has moved slowly, with nations clashing over how ambitious the world should be in stemming the rise in world temperatures, how reduction targets should be set, and how much rapidly developing nations such as China should be called on to rein in emissions of greenhouse gases.

This article appeared on page A - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle