Withdrawn UN advert shows why carbon offset scheme should be scrapped

by Gilles DufrasneGlobal markets, Sustainable developmentPosted on Comments are Disabled

The United Nations (UN) climate agency released a video this week mocking lifestyle changes, such as reducing meat consumption and flying, to promote the use of highly controversial credits to offset emissions. The video “Keep calm and offset” has since been removed, but inadvertently points to the main problems with offsetting, a concept that creates the illusion …

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Green finance must be people-friendly

by Gilles DufrasneClimate finance, Human rights in climate action, Sustainable developmentPosted on Comments are Disabled

Today, civil society organisations have sent out a letter to leaders of the European Commission to call on them to adopt financial investment rules which will benefit both the people and the environment. The letter is part of a wider effort from civil society to make sure that “sustainable” finance does not end up harming people …

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An elephant in the room

by Gilles DufrasneGlobal marketsPosted on Comments are Disabled

How offsetting threatens even the most ambitious carbon pricing initiatives As leaders from three major carbon pricing jurisdictions meet in Brussels this week, it is important to take stock of how effectively pollution is priced in China, Canada, and the EU, and how it can help deliver on Paris climate goals.   The 24th UN …

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It’s time for rich countries to stop wasting money on fossil fuels

by Gilles DufrasneGlobal markets, Human rights in climate action, Sustainable developmentPosted on Comments are Disabled

For almost a decade, the world’s most powerful economies have been making promises to stop channeling public money for fossil fuels that pollute our air and drive dangerous climate change, with little impact so far. This weekend’s G7 meeting in Canada is an opportunity to move from words to action. Expect intense discussions on a …

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Learning from Barro Blanco: how to improve public participation in climate projects

by Gilles DufrasneGlobal markets, Human rights in climate action, Sustainable developmentPosted on Comments are Disabled

As negotiations on the Paris Agreement rules approach the finish line, it will be important to ensure that future climate mitigation projects respect human rights and the environment. Ever since flood waters started to rise at the Barro Blanco hydro dam site on the Tabasará river in Panama, destroying agricultural lands, cultural sites, and numerous …

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The road ahead for UN carbon markets

by Gilles DufrasneClimate finance, Global markets, Sustainable developmentPosted on Comments are Disabled

Scroll down for French and Spanish Another round of UN climate talks closed on May 10th in Bonn, where negotiators discussed the “Paris Agreement rulebook”, a set of rules to regulate how commitments put forward in Paris can be implemented starting in 2020. The rulebook is to be finalised by the UN climate change conference …

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UN carbon markets – what to expect from Bonn?

by Gilles DufrasneGlobal marketsPosted on Comments are Disabled

On Earth Day 22 April 2016, world leaders were in New York to sign the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Two years on, governments are working on the rulebook to put the historic deal into practice. Ahead of the Bonn Climate Change Conference, we take a look at the Paris Agreement market provisions and lay out …

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Will this be the world’s most significant carbon pricing scheme?

by Gilles Dufrasne2050 climate strategiesPosted on Comments are Disabled

Canada’s new nation-wide carbon pricing strategy is a promising step towards putting a robust price on pollution, but some of the scheme’s technical details such as intensity-based targets cast doubt on its environmental effectiveness. The start of a new year marks the launch of Canada’s nation-wide carbon pricing strategy, which was announced in 2016 as …

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A message to Davos: Put a (high enough) price on pollution to avert climate crisis

by Gilles DufrasneGlobal marketsPosted on Comments are Disabled

This week, leaders from around the world are gathering in Davos to discuss the most pressing global issues of our time under the theme “Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World”, with climate change likely to feature high on the agenda. For the first time in its history, the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) latest …

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Swiss-European carbon market link: An omen for future ties?

by Gilles DufrasneEU carbon market, Global marketsPosted on Comments are Disabled

After six years of negotiations, the European Union and Switzerland have signed an agreement to link their carbon markets. This means that Swiss industries will be able to use European emission allowances and vice versa. The deal is significant in its symbolic nature as it is the first time that two Parties to the Paris …

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