International Activities - Desert Energy Project

CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS AT DURBAN Nov/Dec 2011

Oil lobby and commodity business made an excellent Job at Durban [1]
The climate negotiations at Durban ended with delegates having booked the next meeting in 2012. Its the system of lobbying of big energy corporations, like Mr. Mohammed al-Sabban, the envoy of Saudi Arabia to the climate negotiations at Durban, his country must ensure that these talks won’t unfairly limit the exporter group’s income.

He stressed at a conference at Riyadh on Nov 21“Saudi Arabia and its OPEC partners are being asked to bear too much of the burden of cutting greenhouse-gas emissions because their economies depend on oil and natural-gas revenue.” He cites  losses of income from oil sales due to the change to renewables.

US says the outcomes of Durban match the Obama administration of no climate commitment [2]
According to US climate envoy Todd Stern, Washington is satisfied with the outcome: “We got the kind of symmetry that we had been focused on since the beginning of the Obama administration. This had all the elements that we were looking for.” 

The “elements” Todd Stern referred to, is a no commitment of the US to any climate protection. It is the result of  heavy interference of the  military construct, the financial system and the energy corporations on all activities on the US government. This interference in the governments structure has even increased during the Obama administration.

The outcomes of Durban [3]
The Kyoto-Protocol remains valid until 2020, but is not binding.  Canada, Japan, Russia  and New Zealand left the treaty. They will not cooperate any more.

All decisions of Durban and a following treaty in 2015 will lack any binding legacy because the final paper was watered down to provide loopholes for USA and fossil energy corporations  with aid of India, says climate expert Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace.

IPCC downgrading: Durban downgraded the IPC. The climate protection goals will not be based any more on data of the IPCC. The IPCC is now cited to provide “informations”.
There was no agreement made who will pay the  yearly 100 billion green fund help for compensation of  developing countries. 

The Durban Platform for Enhanced Action
The Platform is like kids having fun at the playground. Delegates agreed to start work next year on a new treaty to cut greenhouse gases to be decided by 2015 and to come into force by 2020. For this the delegates created the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action. The aim is to move major emitters like the US, India and China towards climate issues. Foregoing yearly meeting failed  to impose legally binding emissions reductions, on China, India and  the United States which never ratified the Kyoto Protocol or any other climate agreement.

Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists shows how science handles the case: We have to wait for 2015 to see if we are able to produce a new treaty which is better than Durban.This postpones all troubles.[1] Saudis fear climate talks will hurt OPEC oil income, Arabian Business.com. 27 Nov 2011.
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/saudis-fear-climate-talks-will-hurt-opec-oil-income-431913.html

[2] UN climate talks agree legal pact on global warming. Arab News 11 Dec 2011.
http://arabnews.com/world/article546275.ece

[3] Durban-Gipfel beschließt Fahrplan zu neuem Klimavertrag. Spiegel Online 11 Dec 2011
http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/0,1518,802995,00.html

                           The UN ClimateConference in Copenhagen 2009

27.09.2009 Plan B for the UN Climate Conference in Kopenhagen December 2009.

The UN Climate Conference in December at Copenhagen will face the lack of stringent plans how to achieve an immediate reduction of greenhouse gases emission. All presented suggestions impose restriction and reduced energy consume. This will hamper economic recovery and impose serious problems for developing countries.

The Global Hydrogen Initiative may open a new market of renewable energy. The Arabian countries have the deserts which may produce electricity and hydrogen at very low costs. This may add to the energy export portfolio of Arabian countries, disputing with coal and nuclear energy. Hydrogen from water electrolysis will be a future diversification of energy carrier for transportation in crowded regions.

The Initiative was presented to all relevant governments, car manufacturers and the head of the Climate Conference in Copenhagen. However, it looms that Western economy has run out of sail. An effective strategy to cope with climate change is nearly impossible to be achieved at Copenhagen. Powerless governments, primary the USA, are not capable to lead to a new global economy which is not based on fossil energy. The Arabian states, on the contrary,  are situated in the best geographical and political position to make the financial decision to start the hydrogen economy and use the advantage to lead this new energy sector.

The hydrogen initiative presents a solution for the climate change without imposing restrictions or reductions on welfare. The desert States like Kuwait may start the hydrogen economy using the solar energy which is the wealth of their countries. The Global Hydrogen Initiative was developed to enable a small start with the option to evolve the system to global dimensions. Electricity and hydrogen are best suited for a wide energy export portfolio.

07.07.2009: The coming up desaster of Copenhagen and how to avoid it [1]
According to Spiegel Online, the work of US oil, and coal lobbyists is successful so that a member of the House of Representatives referred to climate change as a "hoax," earning applause.

Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel, visiting Washington, was told not to unveil Obama's lack of commitment on climate protection. Otherwise it would further weaken the support of the House of Representatives for the US climate protection bill. However, it is a watered bill which does not provide any significant reductions in CO2 emissions until 2050.

Climatologists demand emissions to be reduced by 60 to 80 percent immediately. However, the negotiators for the UN member states will never meet such a target. At preliminary negotiations for the Copenhagen conference at Bonn, no agreements were on the agenda. The delegates knew that their governments will not approve real concessions. It gets clear that the main polluters such as USA assign the responsibility for CO2 emissions to developing countries hiding their own failures.

According to the World Resources Institute, almost one-third of CO2 emissions originate in the US.

The United States wants to play down the importance of this climate debt and force emerging countries in particular to do their part. Obama himself will see his hands tied in Copenhagen by lawmakers at home. The US climate protection bill, calls for only a 4 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020 compared to 1990 levels, while 40 percent reduction are necessary.

Japan has offered to reduce its emissions by 8 percent by 2020 relative to 1990 levels.

US deputy climate change envoy Jonathan Pershing is cied by Spiegel Online saying “ If the US would reduce its emissions to zero, we would only see a delay in global warming of a few years because emissions from developing nations grow so fast. “ Pershing hides behind platitudes saying that the US has a very aggressive target both near term and long term, and blames the EU target of minus 20 percent to diverts half of it to aids to developing countries. [2]

Providing feasible solutions for Copenhagen
The European industry starts on the 13. of July 2009 the DESERTEC Industrial cooperation which will explore solar energy from the desert of North Africa. This cooperation provides tools to decarbonise the energy economy. It will boost the European technology and expand its knoiwledge to the dveloping countries. It leaves behind the platitudes of politics. [3]

An additional goal is to decarbonise fuel for transportation, which accounts for 23% of CO2 emission. The Global Energy Initiative delineates the production of hydrogen and a global power grid, according to Fuller. [4]    pdf Download

[1] Treading Water: How the US Is Blocking Progress on Climate Change. Spiegel Online. 07.07.2009.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,634738,00.html

[2 ] America and Global Warming: US Wants a 'Legally Binding Climate Agreement' Spiegel Onliune. 12.06.2009.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,630073,00.html

[3] DESERTEC concept taken up: industry engages in unique project for clean power from deserts. DESERTEC Press Release. Berlin, June 16, 2009
http://www.desertec.org/fileadmin/downloads/press/press-release_090616_en.pdf

[4]Desert Energy Project: Gobal Energy Initiative presentation.
http://www.desertenergyproject.net/Global_Initiative.pdf

                                                 United Nations Global Compact [1]
The UN Global Compact was launched in 2000 to bring companies together with UN agencies, labour and civil society to support universal environmental and social principles. It included more than 3,000 participating companies from some 100 countries, in addition to around 700 international civil society and labour organizations.

The Global Compact relies on public accountability, transparency and the enlightened self-interest of companies, labour and civil society to initiate and share substantive action in pursuing the principles upon which the Global Compact is based.

Objectives of Global Compact
The Global Compact is a purely voluntary initiative with two objectives:
Mainstream the ten principles in business activities around the world
Catalyse actions in support of UN goals

Principles
The Global Compact's ten principles cover the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption. Environment is being addressed in three principles:
Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.

UN Global Compact Hydrogen related news
14.12.2005: Hydrogen powered fuel cells Further attempts to reduce carbon content mean a move to develop renewable energy sources such as wind Current age of oil, OPEC Future age of gas and beyond.

The report gives recommendations by the financial industry to better integrate environmental, social and governance issues in analysis, asset management and securities brokerage. [2]

[1] Global Compact http://www.unglobalcompact.org/AboutTheGC/index.html

[2] Who Cares Wins: Connecting Financial Markets to a Changing World
http://www.unglobalcompact.org/Issues/financial_markets/who_cares_who_wins.pdf