Nordic Countries pursuing short haul electric aviation at COP25

It’s a flying Shame – Nordic efforts towards Sustainable Aviation, December 13.

I attended this presentation at #COP25 in Madrid which entailed a video hookup with a panel of people in Stockholm.

Attitudes are changing to flying, given the level of emissions it causes. This is especially the case from people who use an ethical and value-based model to drive their behaviour.

Biofuels are being investigated, but there are biomass limits to use of these fuels, and they do not address climate impacts at high altitudes. Electric short haul flight is a realistic possibility in the next 10 years, and the Nordic countries are actively pursing this.

Angus Taylor addresses international community at COP25 without mentioning bushfire climate crisis

On Tuesday 10 December Australian Energy Minister delivered Australia's national statement to the United Nations climate conference COP25 in Madrid. While bushfires raged in the state of New Soutrh Wales and across Australia, and even in Angus's own southern Tablands electorate of Hume, there was not a mention of the bushfirers in his address to the international community.

Lots of hype about meeting and beating climate targets, but the reality is the Morrison Government advocated strongly for using Kyoto Prorocol carryover credits to meet Australia's already too low Paris Agreement climate targets.

The advicacy for this met pushback. But it was one of the destabilising factors in the conference that provided distraction and prevented the conference reaching more ambiituos outcomes.

Madrid Climate Conference COP25 enters overtime as many countries raise lack of ambition amid blockers

The United Nations Climate Conference meeting in Madrid under a Chilean Presidency was due to close on Friday 13 December, 2019, but negotiators have been working overnight trying to overcome multiple issues and blockages on Article 6 on carbon markets, on Loss and Damages, on Finance, on calling for ambition in NDCs that need to be submitted in 2020, in the acceptance of the IPCC Land and Oceans reports.

The Chilean Presidency attempted to reach a balanced approach with updated decision texts on Saturday morning, but was criticised by the blocking countries like Australia, USA and Brazil, while a great many countries and negotiating blocs called for much greater ambition in the textx, highlighting that people are marching in the streets, demanding action, watching the negotiators in this time of climate crisis and climate emergency.

Blunt statement from Mohammed Adow from Powershift Africa: "I would say here in Madrid the governments fucked up..."

This is a live blog....

Brazil wins Colossal Fossil Award at COP25 for Amazon deforestation, land grabbing

The UN climate conference is scheduled to finish on Friday December 13, but almost certainly it will not, held to ransom in particular by a few countries doing much of the blocking. Those countries include Australia, USA and Brazil.

The Final day of COP is the day when Climate Action Network award the Colossal Fossil award for being the worst of the worst./ While Australia was leading the tally scoreboard for daily Fossilof the Day Awards, by acclimation the Climate Action Network decided to use it's perogative and and appoint another country, although one that has been given Fossil awards at COP25. Step forward Brazil. A country that has been doing an extrarordinary amount of blocking in the negotiations in the climate conference, but also a country reversing gains that have been made in previous years with allowing more land grabbing, deforrestation f the Amazon disrupting indigenous communities, and allowing the murder of environmental defenders.

The one light of the day, highlighted by a Ray of the Year award, is the continuing resistance by indigenous people from the Amazon to Australia against fossil fuel extractivism and land clearing, upholding traditional culture and knowledge and environmental integity. Similarly, the youth uprising with Fridays for Future and climate strike provides a measure of hope in action.

Australia received 5th and 6th Fossil awards at COP25 showing lack of climate policy

Australia received two Fossil awards on Thusday night, 12 December, the second last scheduled day of the UN climate conference in Madrid.

The first award was a stand alone for pushing use of Kyoto Protocol credits as carryover to the Paris Agreement which helped undermine negotiations. The second was as part of the Developed nations for lack of ambition in resolving Loss and Damage for vulnerable countries at COP25. This was supposed to be the Loss and Damage COP with the Warsaw Implementation Mechanism on Loss and Damage Review.

That puts Australia with 6 Fossil Awards for COP25 from Nine Fossil Award Ceremonies. Not a good record to have and illustrates the extent of climate policy in-action both at home and internationally.

Fossil Awards to Japan, Brazil and a Ray of the Year to the IPCC

Wednesday Fossil of the Day ceremony was a tough one to organise. Half the Fossil of the Day Team had been locked out of the conference centre by the heavy handed tactics of UN Security. First prize went to Japan for continuing to shun ambition and lock in coal addiction. @nd Fossil award to Brazil for land grabbing and deforestation of the Amazon. We also had a ray of light - a Ray of the Year presented to Youba Sokona, the IPCC Vice-Chair, who presnted two copies of one of the IPCC reports as a gift in return.

A civil society protest action at 2.45pm had occurred outside the Baker Plenary hall, but resulted in between 200-300 people being pushed and shoved out a side door outside the hall and locked out. Read more: UNFCCC closes the door literally on civil society demanding climate justice at COP25.

UNFCCC closes the door literally on civil society demanding climate justice at COP25

Multiple civil society organisations including indigenous and environmental groups co-ordinated a protest outside the main Plenary - Baker Room this afternoon, to protest the lack of action during this COP on multiple fronts, and the continuing attack on the space the civil society. The intention was to protest peacefully for 30 minutes outside Plenary Baker.

The protest was noisy, with chanting and singing. A few banners and small paper and cardboard signs. Security cordoned off the front of the plenary. It was a bit of a crush. and some people sat down. After5 about 20 miniues security pushed people to a rollerdoor to the outside, and then cordoned the door for several minutes before closing it. Locking all those people outside, many without their coats or bags, in the Madrid winter weather.

4th Fossil Award to Australia at COP25 over 0/100 on climate policy, Kyoto carryover credits, climate inaction

Sydney student climate striker Daisy accepts Fossil award for Australia

Australia received it's 4th Fossil of the Day award of the UN climate Conference COP25 on Tuesday 10 December, 2019. Seventeen year old student climate striker accepted the award with great sadness and frustration and calling for action (Transcript below)

Call for Ambition at #COP25 by #Mad4Survival coalition lead by Marshall Islands

A press conference this morning at the United Nations climate Conference COP25 launched an ambition drive, Mad 4 Survival, spearheaded by the Climate Vulnerable Forum and lead by the Marshall Islands. Apporopriate that this is being launched on Human rights day. Climate change is already having a massive impact on human rights and human rights are fundamental to all parts of the climate negotiations.

Marshall Islands poet Kathy Kijiner was joined on the panel by Philippines Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, Shanchita Haque, Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations. (Source: media release)

See below for headline speech by Loren Legarda from the Philippines.

Australia wins third fossil award for reducing climate aid funding among trifecta of Fossil Awards for USA at COP25

On Monday December 9, Australia picked up it's third Fossil of the Day award at this United Nationas climate conference COP25 meeting in Madrid.

This award was goven to the USA and Australia for not contributing to the Green Climate Fund on Fonance Day at the conference. Both USA and Australia have stopped pledging any money to the Fund which allocates money for projects in developing countries for both mitigation and adaptation.

Tracking Australia's Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor at COP25

I established this page to track Australian Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor at the UN Climate Conference, but with current events surrounding this scandal plagued minister his attendance at COP25 is still up in the air.

Minister Angus Taylor plane arrived on Sunday.

Greta Thunberg highlights frontline and indigenous climate stories at COP25

At the UN Climate Conference today Greta Thunberg made only a short introductory speech at the Fridays for Future press conference, and used the occasion for young people and indigenous youth from around the world to tell their frontline stories of the Climate crisis, and the climate iumpacts already being felt.

The press conference was only open for media to attend, observers were locked out. My tweets were done in Hall 4 watching the UNFCCC webcast.

USA wins Saturday edition Fossil Award for blocking Loss and Damage Finance at COP25

Today’s fossil award goes to the United States (US) yet again! Now the USA and Australia are tied in the number of Fossil awards on the scoreboard at COP25.

The official Award citation

🇺🇸 US for blocking financial support to vulnerable communities receiving the blow of the #ClimateEmergency

Richest Country In The World reiterated that they will not support #lossanddamage #finance

This time for blocking financial support to vulnerable communities receiving the blow of climate change - which the US is disproportionately responsible for creating.

Huge climate march in Madrid calls for action from COP25 as world faces climate emergency

Madrid turned out on mass to send a message to the delegates in the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 at Feria de Madrid on Friday night. Organisers estimated 500,000 people. whether this number is accurate is irrelevant, the crowds were huge, families, activists, yoiung and old were present demanding climate justice and action in this time of climate emergency.

There mood was determined, but there was passion and dancing and chanting and singing as people walked the 5 kilometre route from Atochia to Neuvos Ministerios.

Maldives applies for crime of ecocide to be added to International Criminal Court jurisdiction

The Maldives has applied to the International Criminal Court at The Hague for the crime of ecocide to be added to it's jurisdiction. This comes as negotiators meet at the UN Climate Conference in Madrid Spain at COP25. Read more background at the Ecocide Law website.

USA and Russia scoop the Fossil Award, but also a Ray awarded for defending human rights in Article 6

At the UN Climate Conference on Thursday evening, December 5, it was a bit of both sides of the ledger day for Australia. The country was mentioned in brackets with Japan for focussing on insurance in the Fossil citation for USA and Russia, but also part of the Ray of the Day citation on standing up for Human Rights clauses in Article 6 on carbon markets.

The Official #FossiloftheDay and #RayofTheDay citations December 5 at #COP25:

1st 🇺🇸🇷🇺 US & Russia for pushing for weak #LossandDamage outcome

Special mention:
🇯🇵Japan and 🇦🇺 Australia for focusing on insurance

⭐Ray of the Day
Canada, Colombia, Vanuatu, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Norway, Switzerland - push for HR in #Article6

Second Fossil Award to Australia as Slovenia and Bosnia score top award, and Belgium third place

and on the second day of the UN climate conference Australia scored it's second Fossil Award. Slovenia and Bosnia took first for proceeding to develop a coal plant, Belgium was third, who is behind in every climate target and the climate Minister has invented a new greenwash term: "plane pooling".

It was Australia's second Fossil Award of the COP. The first award (yesterday) is what is known as an implementation Fossil award - it is about action or lack of action in the country involved.

Australia receives first Fossil Award at COP25 for bushfire response by Prime Minister

Australia, Brazil and Japan all shared equally the first Fossil of the Day award of the United Nations Climate Conference COP25 in Madrid. A very moving statement was read out by one of the Australian Fridays For Future students in acceptance of the award for Australia.

With massive bushfires in late Spring comprising a 6,000 kilometre fire front, 1.65 million hectares burnt, the East Coast of Australia was on fire, with the smoke plume travelling over the Pacific, South America to the South Atlantic Ocean. An estimate of 1000 koalas killed along with other wildlife and their native habitats.

Clearly The Prime Minister Scott Morrison trivialising the bushfires, and not accepting the link between climate change driving early and more intense bushfires has struck a very raw nerve in the Australian public. We have a climate crisis and the Prime Minister is refusing to put the safety of the Australian public above ideology.

Scientists warn climate tipping points may be close, endorse need for climate emergency action

Two peer reviewed statements by scientists just prior to the UN climate conference COP25 to be held in Madrid, Spain from December 2 to 13, have made clear the existential crsis humanity now faces with climate change and the dire need to ramp up climate action at the climate conference.

The first statement, authored by 5 eminent scientists, but signed by some 11,000 climate scientists, warns "clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency."

The second statement highlights that we may be very close, or perhaps have even initiated, climate tipping points that could push earth into a hothouse state. Our time for action to have some control over future climate may be limited, action now is of the essence, we have a climate emergency. Australian scientist Will Steffen was one of the eminent scientists who authored this statement.

European Parliament declares a climate and environmental emergency before COP25

A few hours ago the European parliament declared a climate emergency by a reasonably wide margin.

The nonbinding resolution said the European Commission must :

• ensure all proposals are aligned with 1.5 °C target
• EU should cut emissions by 55% by 2030 (on 1990 baseline) to become climate neutral by 2050
• Calls to reduce global emissions from shipping and aviation