Greta Thunberg and other activists at the Bonn climate change conference

Penetrating the technical fog clouding Article 6 carbon markets

Following the technical deadlock and glacial pace of progress at the Bonn climate conference, negotiators need to get their act together before COP28. Climate commitments should shape the further development of carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, otherwise the environment and society will lose out.

Carbon removals are no substitute for deep emissions reductions, warns IPCC

Carbon removals will become a vital tool for reducing carbon concentrations in the atmosphere but only massive cuts in emissions will give humanity a fighting chance of keeping global heating to 1.5°C or below, says the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The latest IPCC report, which was released in April, outlines various pathways …

Carbon Market Watch Newsletter – April 2018

Editorial It’s been two years since the Paris climate deal was signed, and governments are busy working on the rules to put it into practice. Ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn next week, we take a look at what is needed to ensure that international carbon markets increase climate ambition. Shipping is …

Letter: EU must support tackling vested interests at UN climate talks

For the world to reach the necessary ambition to achieve our climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, which would keep average global temperature rises well below 2°C and even 1.5°C, the EU, led by the European Commission, must start supporting efforts to tackle vested interests within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). We, …

Time for ICAO to open its climate change black box

The United Nations climate conferences bring together governments, academics, civil society, media and many others regularly to discuss climate change in the context of the UN Framework Convention. The next meeting takes place 6-17 November in Bonn. At the same time, behind closed doors without public scrutiny, the UN aviation body meets to decide on …

UNFCCC Negotiations, COP23

The UN’s climate talks continue from 6 to 17 November 2017 in Bonn, Germany. Under the Presidency of Fiji, climate negotiation will address how the Paris Agreement is to be implemented, a pre-curser to further discussion in 2018 on the agreement’s rule book. Open questions remain on the role carbon markets will play in keeping …

Too big to fail? Environmental responsibilities of the UNFCCC and ICAO processes for aviation’s new carbon market

Last year, states created an offsetting scheme to compensate for aviation’s pollution growth above 2020 levels. The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is supposed to contribute to the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement. However, compensating for growing emissions does not reduce emissions overall, nor put the sector on a pathway to do so. ICAO will finalize details for the CORSIA by the end of 2017. Crucial elements include the type of credits allowed, registry design, and Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) rules.

Recommendations for APA Items 3, 5 and 6 as they relate to bunkers targets outside of the scope of NDCs

Prepared for the Bonn Climate Change Conference 8 – 18 May 2017 International aviation and shipping emissions, referred to as bunkers emissions, are principally dealt with under the UN processes of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) respectively. However, they also significantly interact with the Paris Agreement. International emissions …