ECO Newsletter

Yesterday, ECO reported that Brazil had failed to consult with Brazilian civil society before submitting its Reference Levels to the UNFCCC, and that it had not yet made the submission public. Today, we are pleased to report that the submission has been published on the Brazilian government website, apparently while yesterday’s article was in press.

Now that the submission is no longer a black box, ECO wants to properly congratulate Brazil on being the first country to submit its reference levels. We hope other countries will soon follow, with due consultation and transparency. While ex-post assessment is no substitute for prior consultation, at least now, the submission can be properly analysed and assessed. Brazil seems to be trying, but needs to work harder to become a role model in transparency and consultation.

Dear Reader, do you remember when ECO wrote, a few nights ago, about Poland being a total bully, again, and trying to use the EU’s KP ratification as a bargaining chip for the upcoming 2030 discussions in the EU?

Here comes the sequel: yep, you heard it right— this is what is happening. Two days ago, at the EU environment ministers meeting, Poland refused to agree to let the EU’s ratification process move forward. Instead, Poland is planning to table a new proposal which includes… wait for it… hot air for Poland! Never mind the rest.

As it seems that Poland is not hearing ECO’s “stop the madness”calls — could you help us out, Dear Reader? Whenever you see a Polish delegate, please tell them to stop.

As we wrap up in Bonn, New York is preparing to host an equally important process, the penultimate session of the Open Working Group (OWG) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

ECO’s done its homework and can tell you that the linkage between climate change, poverty eradication and sustainable development makes it clear that the post-2015 sustainable development framework will fail if climate change is not adequately addressed within it.

In an open letter, more than 170 civil society organisations and networks, from over 50 developed and developing countries, have called for the “framework to address climate change in a manner that recognises the urgency and importance of dealing with the most fundamental challenge of our time”.

They call for a separate, stand-alone climate change goal, and for climate elements to be included in other relevant goals: “A robust framework of this nature will help to support the scale of ambition needed to achieve the UNFCCC’s aims and help to ensure the delivery of a strong climate deal at COP21 in Paris in 2015”.

ECO expects negotiators in New York to take note: strong and ambitious climate goals need to be part of the SDGs.

ECO has been sitting on the edge of its chair waiting to find out how the work of the Warsaw Loss and Damage Mechanism has progressed since the first meeting of its ExCom at the end of March.

Disappointingly, the much anticipated ExCom presentation left ECO puzzled: precious few insights were presented on the content of the work plan. The veil of secrecy has not been fully lifted, Yet, ECO is motivated by ExCom’s decision to open up the work plan for input from Parties and other stakeholders until July 1. What’s more, it will also webcast its next meeting live. Based on the comments received, the ExCom plans to advance the work plan by its second meeting, planned for the end of July. They will even accommodate observers who are not travelling to Bonn. ECO hopes that the work plan developed by the ExCom will leave some space for further inputs from those Parties who might not otherwise be able to meet the deadline.

Here are some ECO suggestions for those planning on making submissions:

–   Prioritise the needs of those segments of the population and ecosystems which are particularly vulnerable;

–   Consider key loss and damage areas such as slow-onset events, the functioning of social protection systems, migration and displacement, non-economic losses like that of ecosystems and their services, and financial instruments to provide for rehabilitation and redress needs;

–   Design a long-term work plan, not just a two-year set of activities.
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ECO noted a range of opinions in Thursday’s ADP stocktaking plenary – particularly on the question of how negotiations should go forward with which texts. Some Parties supported working with text based on a synthesis of Party contributions. This would mean that the co-chairs would be sent into the kitchen to cook up a text based on ingredients selected by Parties. Other countries want Parties to prepare the main dish, with negotiations held directly on Party submissions compiled to a single document. The fear is that this could run to a hundred-plus page cookbook.

A few countries seemed to want to try both approaches. This interesting proposal works with both approaches and raises the question of whether Parties could work with two documents at the same time and achieve a compromise. In this spirit of conciliation, ECO proposes that Parties look for inspiration from the Post-2015 negotiations on SDGs. This process uses a dual text approach to ensure the soufflérises.

In utilising the Post-2015 dual-text model, ADP co-chairs could call for conference room papers (CRPs) that they compile into an INF document featuring all Party submissions, with attribution. The co-chairs would prepare a companion document, a synthesis text developed from the CRPs, other submissions, and Party statements at this session.
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Ever since hearing so much support for action on renewable energy in Workstream 2, ECO has had an ear worm on our mind…

 

It’s totally not crazy what I’m ‘bout to say

Sunshine she’s here, fossil fuels can take a break

Solar power’s gonna fill this space

With the sunshine and wind power showing the way

 

Because I’m happy

Clap along if you feel like a room with PV on the roof

Because I’m happy

Clap along if you feel like Renewable Energy is the truth

Because I’m happy

Clap along if you know what sustainability is to you

Because I’m happy

Clap along if you feel like renewable energy’s what you wanna do

 

Here come fossil fuels talking CCS and crap,

Yeah,

Don’t give all you got, you gotta hold 80% back,

Yeah,

Don’t you worry ‘bout the economy we’ll be just fine,

Yeah,

No offence to you, don’t waste your time

Here’s why

 

Because I’m happy

Clap along in South Africa with 4 million solar roofs

Because I’m happy

Clap along with Uruguay’s 1.3% GDP investment in wind power that’s the truth

Because I’m happy

Clap along with Mauritius, Costa Rica, South Africa, Nicaragua* and for you

Because I’m happy

Clap along if you feel like renewable energy’s what you wanna do

 

Pollution has to go down

Looking at emissions goin’ down

The level’s too high

Bring it down

Need policies to bring pollution down

I said

Let me tell you ‘bout

Solar brings pollution down

Can’t help but

Bring it down

The levels too high

Wind brings emissions down

Can’t help but

Bring emissions down

 

I said

 

Because I’m happy

Clap along with Uruguay with a 90% (RE) 2015 target as the proof

Because I’m happy

Clap along with Mauritius for 60% (RE) by 2025 and that‘s the truth

Because I’m happy

Clap along with Nicaragua for 90% (RE) by 2020 if you know what happiness is to you

Because I’m happy

Clap along with Costa Rica for 100% (RE) by 2021 if you feel like that’s what we ought to do!

 

*Top five investors in RE based on per GDP ranking.

On June 6, Brazil became the first Party to deliver a REDD+ reference emission level to the UNFCCC under new rules established in Warsaw. This should be a reason for celebration: agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) constitutes 24% of global emissions, and Brazil has been reducing deforestation rates in the Amazon. ECO applauds this here and in another article, even if Brazil has stumbled a bit in recent years. Yet, the more ECO looks, the more this REDD gift seems like a black box.

Brazil has been a bit shy about its latest accomplishment. According to Brazilian civil society, the numbers behind the submission are surprisingly secret. No open consultations at home before finishing the reference level? No transparency around the data used? But when the Brazilian Climate Observatory asked for a copy of the submission, the proud Brazilian government lost its mojo. Somehow it was powerless to send the submission to its own civil society, instead leaving it to the UNFCCC Secretariat to share it in due time.

ECO really wants to see Brazil as a leader, especially on deforestation. But in a week where disrespecting observers has become de rigueur, Brazil’s lack of transparency and failure to engage its own civil society overshadows its REDD+ submission.
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The most anticipated event of the year has finally arrived (no, not the Bonn intersessionals!). Last night, after an early stumble, Brazil beat Croatia in the opening game of the 2014 World Cup. Just as much of the world looks up to Brazil’s national team, many Parties admire Brazil’s great success in tackling deforestation, with a 70% reduction during the past decade. And rightly so! It’s worthy of a good cheer.

One success alone will not be enough for Brazil, you can’t stay a winner forever. While historically deforestation has always been Brazil’s biggest source of emissions this is changing. It is now time for Brazil to commit to an ambitious target that will bring down emissions across all sectors. In order to stay on top of it game, Brazil needs to commit to an ambitious target to bring down emissions across all sectors.

Emissions from agriculture, energy and transport are already higher than emissions from deforestation. ECO has learned that emissions from the Brazilian energy sector more than doubled between 1990 and 2012, making it one of the fastest growing sources of GHGs. It is time for Brazil to stop investing in fossil energy and get on track for a renewable future.
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