From Russia with Love (and Smoke) Fossil of the day Award at COP27

In a year where Russia launched a full scale war on Ukraine, violating human rights, supporting oil, gas, and nuclear, and manipulatin forests’ absorbing capacity, let alone the destruction of life, natural resources and infrastructure, how could Russia not be called out at COP27 at failing to implement climate action? 

In fact going the other way.

The press release....

Russia is making all the wrong choices. Throughout this year…..and at the COP. 

The Russian delegation used their only public appearance here lobbying for nuclear power and claiming that they produce the safest, cleanest nuclear power plants with zero emissions in energy production. Of course, ignoring the fact that production is not the only thing we are worried about. All those claims on safety and security were made while the Russian Army still occupies the Zaporozhskaya nuclear power plant in Ukraine putting millions of people in grave danger.

Russia is being so criminally self-centered that they decided that energy transition and focus on mitigation is a scam against them and even tried to deny the anthropogenic nature of the climate crisis. Talk about a fossil alert! 

G20 in Bali provides impetus for negotiations at COP27: $20 billion to phase out Indonesian coal, Europe-Australia bilateral affirms Paris goals

G20 Leaders Plant Mangroves In Bali Photo via PM Albanese via twitter

So what did the G20 meeting say on climate and how will it affect the UN Climate Change conference COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt?

"Mindful of our leadership role, we reaffirm our steadfast commitments, in pursuit of the objective of UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) to tackle climate change by strengthening the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and its temperature goal," a declaration issued at the end of the meeting said.

The declaration maintains the 1.5C temperature goal. 

There was also an important bilateral meeting between Biden and Xi that cleared blockages for climate co-operation. 

And a $20 billion financing package for Indonesia to phase out coal and increase renewables as part of it's energy transition and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Australia -Europe joint statement which in point 9 affirmed "deeply committed to full implementation of the Paris Agreement, noting the urgency to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees through rapid, deep and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in this decade and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and will spare no effort to bring about ambitious action by all members of the international community."

Fossil award to Turkey for pretending to be a climate hero when the new target is actually a 30% increase by 2030 compared to actual 2020 emissions

Turkey wins the Fossil award for appearing to increase action but really increasing emissions in its revised target. 

Bloomberg reports on this: Turkey’s Climate Plan Points to 32% Rise in Emissions by 2030.

"The country avoided a commitment to halt new coal, and it was silent on the issue of phasing out existing plants in its new climate targets submission. "

"Under its BAU scenario, Turkey would emit 1.18 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, more than double the 524 million tons it emitted in 2020. The newly proposed cut in emissions still means Turkey’s carbon footprint will increase by 32% at the end of the decade, with emissions peaking in 2038 at the latest, according to the plan."

Read the press release:

Chris Bowen speech to COP27 on Australia's new climate ambition, COP31 bid and global financial institution reform

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen delivered a speech to COP27 High Level Segment today highlighting the new government's actions so far but also indicating there was so much more to do. 

He articulated Australia's bid to co-host with Pacific Nations COP31 in 2026. Turkey is also bidding for that COP.. Czechia and Brazil are reported to be candidate countries for COP29 (2024) and COP30 (2025)

He also identified that global financial institutions and multilateral banks need to be reformed to support the new paradigm of a changing climate and developing countries needing to be sustainably supported in their mitigation and adaptation challenges.

The Guardian has already reported on an advanced copy of the speech. The Climate Council response is below the speech transcript.

I hope the Minister has a chance to meet Mia Motley, Prime Minister of Barbados, to discuss reformation of global financial institutions.

Tracking Australian Ministers and Australian pledges at COP27

Well I tracked Australian Ministers at Previous COPs, so only fair I also do so for COP27. 

See Melissa Price at COP24, Angus Taylor at COP25. For Glasgow I started keeping an Australia at COP26 diary which featured a paragraph by paragraph deconstruction and rebuttal to Prime Minister Morrison's speech. For COP21 and COP22 I was following social media and statements by  Julie Bishop regarding the COP.

Australia's Ministerial representation at COP27 included Pat Conroy as Minister for International Development and the Pacific, present for the first week; Chris Bowen as Minister for Climate Change and Energy present for the second week; and Senator Jenny McAllister as Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy (Present for the second week).

Why didn't Prime Minister Albanese attend? Well COP27 is more of a technical conference focussed  on the implementation of the Paris Agreement. While there was a 2 day high level segment in which about 100 leaders, Presidents and Prime Ministers flew in to attend, the political decisions to break deadlocks just weren't there. The high level segment was primarily leader grandstanding. Adam Morton in The Guardian thinks It was an avoidable mistake for Anthony Albanese not to attend Cop27, in terms of maintaining climate momentum. I don't think it was necessary for this COP.

Chris Bowen | Jenny McAllister | Pat Conroy | Pledges

Labor has not committed to the pledge on 15 November on ending Export credit finance to Fossil Fuels

Fossil Award to New Zealand for disappointing Saturday night statement on Loss and Damage Finance Facility

New Zealand acts ambitous, and then on Saturday night releases a disappointing statement on Loss and Damage Finance. 

Saturday night a perfect time to make an unsavoury statement expecting people to be winding down from a hard week and not paying attention. 

We see you New Zealand.

Australia improves Climate Change Performance ranking slightly in CCPI 2023 report

CCPI overall rating for 2023

At the UN Climate Change conference the latest Climate Change performance Index for 2023 was launched.

The good news? Australia has improved its overall ranking by 4 places, mainly due to improvement in international climate policy..

It recognises the new 2030 climate targets while saying the target is still insufficient. The ramping up renewables and EV tansition is still in the early development stages. There is criticism that Australia has no plan to phase out coal and gas, and the Safeguard mechanism is also criticised as being insufficient.

Australia is still in the very low performing countries and is behind many other developed nations.

So what is the decarbonisation path forward for Australia to improve its ranking?

"To align with a well-below-2°C trajectory, Australia must halt gas and coal mining for both domestic use and export, end fossil fuel subsidies, take further action to reduce GHG emissions from transport, and further increase its NDC ambition."

Is the petrol in your car from Ampol really carbon neutral? 'Carbon-Neutral' Fossil Fuels & State-Sponsored Greenwashing

Polly Hemming from the Australia Institute outlines the problem with Ampol's greenwashing, but also highlighting this is a problem in lack of regulation allowing the greenwashing for use of dodgy carbon credits to meet dodgy net zero targets.

Both Ampol and the Federal Government should read the Report on Addressing Greenwashing and net-zero pledges at non-state levels: the High Level Expert Group on Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities released its report to the UN Secretary-General on 9 November. 

It is Important for enforcing meaningful emissions reduction and targets by businesses, regional, city and local governments. (Addressing Greenwashing and net-zero pledges at non-state levels: New report by UN Expert group at COP27)

See also Coverge of the UN greenwashing and netzero report and its implication for business, state and local governments. at The Conversation.

Watch the video....

USA wins Fossil Award: While hundreds march for climate reparations, the US remains unmoved on delivering its debt

The USA is still delaying a Loss and Damages Facility, and are being called out on addressing the responsibility for the huge historic contribution of greenhouse gas emissions.

Aaaand the #FossilOfTheDay went to the #US
Why: https://t.co/s1yjKDwLTX pic.twitter.com/IJ9lbqpEzM

— Lidia Wojtal (@LidiaWojtal) November 12, 2022

Shift Away from 'Car-Centric' Transport System needed | Climate of the Nation 2022

The shift away from 'car-centric' system and car dependency is needed to address transport emissions. That means funding public transport, walking and cycling to adequate levels.

The UN recommends that 20 per cent of the transport budget should be allocated to walking and cycling. Here in Australia it is usually less than 1 per cent.

There is a huge potential here for mobility behaviour change, if the infrastructure is put in place. Some 78 percent of people are in the interested but concerned cohort (Pearson 2022). Recent statistics from RACV show that bikes are now outselling cars.

The Climate of the Nation survey has been done each year since 2007. This year it included a section on transport and transport emissions.

Australians believe 20% of government transport spending should go to active transport, the same as the minimum recommended by the United Nations.

Three-fifths (62%) support having a national subsidy scheme for bikes, e-bikes or cargo bikes, and three-quarters (75%) support electrifying state bus fleets by 2030.