{"id":34854,"date":"2016-11-01T15:15:23","date_gmt":"2016-11-01T04:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/?p=34854"},"modified":"2019-04-16T13:31:10","modified_gmt":"2019-04-16T03:31:10","slug":"momentum-from-parisagreement-for-climate-action-at-cop22-marrakech-reports-takvera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/momentum-from-parisagreement-for-climate-action-at-cop22-marrakech-reports-takvera\/","title":{"rendered":"Momentum from #ParisAgreement for climate action at #COP22 Marrakech reports @takvera"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Montreal

Montreal Protocol phases out HFCs<\/p><\/div>\n

The Paris agreement will enter into force on November 4, 2016 in record time. Never before has an international United Nations Agreement come into force so quickly. But Australia is still to ratify<\/a>. Unfortunately with the lack of ambitious targets and climate policies Australia is on the outer as theParis Agreement comes alive for Marrakech<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Three days after the Paris Agreement comes into force the UNFCCC climate Conference of the Parties, COP22, will meet in Marrakech to discuss the finer details of the Paris Agreement and how action can be taken further on climate change. This will include encouraging other actors, such as city level and regional governments and businesses, to step up.<\/p>\n

In the last two months there has also been significant steps on a global level in two other areas which has maintained the momentum of the Paris moment<\/a>: aviation emissions and phasedown of HFC greenhouse gases under the Montreal Protocol.<\/p>\n

Aviation Emmissions<\/h3>\n

Air travel generates about 2 per centof the world\u2019s greenhouse gas emissions. But flight traffic is soaring so emissions are also set to soar from aviation.<\/p>\n

Under business as usual, the sector will take up 27% of the 1.5C carbon budget by 2050, according to analysis by researcher Joeri Rogelj<\/a> for Carbon Brief<\/i>. Even with extremely optimistic assumptions of aircraft efficiencies and biofuels, aviation emissions will take up 12 per cent of our carbon budget. <\/p>\n

Aviation and shipping emissions during COP21<\/a> were never mentioned in the Paris Agreement. <\/p>\n

In early October this year the International Civil Aviation organisation at their triennial conference finally hammered out a deal to offset aviation emissions for international aviation from 2021. The deal was 7 years in the making but still falls short of a reasonable contribution from aviation to the Paris Agreement targets. But it is baby steps, and those steps should be applauded while encouraging to walk faster.<\/p>\n

The new aviation emissions scheme is called the Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). The CORSIA offsets scheme is completely voluntary until 2027, doesn\u2019t kick in until 2021, covers just one-quarter of total emissions, and offloads the airlines\u2019 carbon debt onto third parties through \u201coffset credits\u201d of unspecified environmental quality. Airlines participating may pay as little as 3 cents in the US dollar for the climate damages of international flights, according to one recent estimate.<\/p>\n

“As of 12 October 2016, 66\u200b\u200b\u200b States, representi\u200bng more than 86.5\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b% of international aviation activity, intend to voluntarily participate in the global MBM scheme from its outset in 2021.” according to the ICAO website.<\/p>\n

Transport and Environment NGO said the agreement was a weak start which must be followed with more effective measures by states to rein in aviation emissions. T&E aviation director Bill Hemmings said<\/a>: \u201cAirline claims that flying will now be green are a myth. Taking a plane is the fastest and cheapest way to fry the planet and this deal won\u2019t reduce demand for jet fuel one drop. Instead offsetting aims to cut emissions in other industries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bill Hemmings added: \u201cToday is not mission accomplished for ICAO, Europe or industry. The world needs more than voluntary agreements. Without robust environmental safeguards the offsets won\u2019t cut emissions, leaving us with a deal that amounts to little more than adding the price of a cup of coffee to a ticket.\u201d<\/p>\n

Climate scientist Glen Peters highlighted in a tweet<\/a> that “Offsetting the growth in aviation emissions from 2020 by biomass would require active carbon management an area greater than Belarus by 2040”.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis dangerous shell game does little more than help airlines hide their rapidly growing threat to our climate,\u201d said Vera Pardee in a media release<\/a>, a Center for Biological Diversity attorney who has sued the U.S. federal government over aviation emissions. \u201cThe world needs less polluting planes, not a dubious offset scheme that just passes off the industry’s exploding carbon debt to someone else. This weak measure puts new pressure on U.S. officials to take stronger steps to curb aviation\u2019s skyrocketing emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The CORSIA aviation agreement also fails to align aviation emissions reduction with the temperature goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, according to this Climate Home<\/i> report (UN aviation pact will not be aligned with Paris climate goals<\/a>).<\/p>\n

So baby steps in aviation emissions with much more action required. But at least there is some momentum in this area.<\/p>\n

Here is my storify of the ICAO agreement<\/a>:<\/p>\n