Difference between revisions of "Mardi Gras"

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After a spectacular fiasco of Copenhagen 2010 Negotiations following discussions did not bring much results and no one really believed that Cancun, planned for the end of the year, will make any difference. It was mainly expected to agree upon main parts of a protocol that should commit all participants to reduce its GHG emissions to a reasonable level. This was supposed to be the protocol succeeding the Kyoto Protocol, but with some tougher limits for the countries, allowing to fix GHG concentration in the atmosphere at the level at or below 450 ppm.<br>
After a spectacular fiasco of Copenhagen 2010 Negotiations following discussions did not bring much results and no one really believed that Cancun, planned for the end of the year, will make any difference. It was mainly expected to agree upon main parts of a protocol that should commit all participants to reduce its GHG emissions to a reasonable level. This was supposed to be the protocol succeeding the Kyoto Protocol, but with some tougher limits for the countries, allowing to fix GHG concentration in the atmosphere at the level at or below 450 ppm.<br>
However, the reality showed that those expectations were too high. The draft for the new protocol (LCA) prepared in Bonn (Germany) and Tianjin (China) was not agreed upon. Again. This was even a bigger disaster in the eyes of the observer of this conference and more baneful and alarming for all experts than after the Copenhagen conference. Each delay in the climate negotiations would mean that a reduction of GHG in the atmosphere and thus a reduction of the global temperature increase are more and more impossible to achieve. An achievement of this was only possible if all countries would limit their GHG emissions. <br>
However, the reality showed that those expectations were too high. The draft for the new protocol (LCA) prepared in Bonn (Germany) and Tianjin (China) was not agreed upon. Again. This was even a bigger disaster in the eyes of the observer of this conference and more baneful and alarming for all experts than after the Copenhagen conference. Each delay in the climate negotiations would mean that a reduction of GHG in the atmosphere and thus a reduction of the global temperature increase are more and more impossible to achieve. An achievement of this was only possible if all countries would limit their GHG emissions. <br>
So what happened? Or better: What did not happen, that the most important parties in these negotiations were so relaxed and were not able to attain a consensus? <br><br>
USA was mostly concerned for its own industry. Companies from the EU region were at that time leaders in green technology, so USA did not see an advantage in this. GHG abatement would mean higher costs for the US industry, so their standpoint was not to reduce GHGs. <br>
Developing countries were furthermore expecting the first step to be done by the developed countries. Their biggest concern was not to stop their economic growth. Additionally, some of them were expecting financial support from developed countries. Main argument was that developed countries are those who was responsible for the existing level of pollution.<br>
Even though China had been affected by some natural catastrophes, like landslides and floods in 2010, these were not alarming and driving the government to change their climate negotiations behavior.<br>
However nature already started giving humanity some clues on later events. Earthquakes in China and Chile, forest fires in Russia and flood in Pakistan were followed by extremely cold winter in Western Europe and part of Northern America.<br>
However nature already started giving humanity some clues on later events. Earthquakes in China and Chile, forest fires in Russia and flood in Pakistan were followed by extremely cold winter in Western Europe and part of Northern America.<br>
Following couple of years was about further fighting and struggling around climate change negotiations. Those years brought new local tragedies in a face of floods, droughts and fires. However they also brought full support to project REDD from EU and some agreement on LCA content amongst leading economies, fixing somewhat "average" options in most.<br>
So what happened? Or better: What did not happen, that the most important parties in these negotiations were so relaxed and were not able to attain a consensus? <br><br>
USA was mostly concerned for its own industry. Companies from the EU region were at that time leaders in green technology, so USA did not see an advantage in this. GHG abatement would mean higher costs for the US industry, so their standpoint was not to reduce GHGs. <br><br>
Developing countries -and herein are included the BRICs- were furthermore expecting the first step to be done by the developed countries. Their biggest concern was not to stop their economic growth. Additionally, they expected financial support from developed countries since those had polluted the world since their industrialization which had happened long before their industrialization. <br>
Even though China had been affected by some natural catastrophes, like landslides and floods in 2010, these were not alarming and driving the government to change their climate negotiations behavior.<br><br>
The EU harbored many companies active on the green technology sector (wind turbines, solar power generation, efficiency improvement, etc.). These companies saw a worldwide market once an agreement on UN level would have been reached. So there were heavily lobbying to their governments and the EU representatives in the UN conferences to establish global GHG abatement rules. <br>
In the meanwhile the EU started to implement carbon trading within its region and between the EU member countries. This project was also pushed by the pressure on EU governments by the European citizens. The public awareness in the EU about the necessity of measures mitigating climate change had been high before the meeting in Cancun. However, mainly NGOs were waking up the people and so the governments could feel the rising pressure, that something needs to be done. <br><br>
On the economic field, indications for Chinas growth were becoming more and more evident. The EU was at that time Chinas biggest trading partner and China was the 2nd biggest for the EU (after the U.S.). The signs were directing towards China becoming the number one also for the EU.


=2011 - 2013=
=2011 - 2013=

Revision as of 20:59, 7 September 2010