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IKEA UN Climate Agreement Signing Event

Articles Quoting Steve Howard

Financial Times - Uncertainty clouds climate deal as nations prepare to sign accord
Apr 22, 2016 | Financial Times
By Pilita Clark

Mention: But it does underline the fact that “policy risk is large and real” for renewable energy companies, says Steve Howard, Ikea’s head of sustainability. The Paris agreement must produce long-term stable government policies to support them, he adds.
The Climate Group - RE100 COMPANIES VOICE SUPPORT FOR LOW CARBON ECONOMY AS GOVERNMENTS GATHER TO SIGN PARIS AGREEMENT
Apr 22, 2016 | The Climate Group
By Marie Reynolds

Mention: Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA Group, one of the founding partners of RE100, said: “The Paris agreement represents a turning point for business. The certainty of ever stronger policies to reduce carbon emissions creates clarity for how we develop our products, services and operations for a low carbon future.”
Brandchannel - 100+ Global Businesses Pledge Support for Paris Agreement on Climate Change
Apr 21, 2016 | Brandchannel
By Sheila Shayon

Mention: “The Paris Agreement represents a turning point for business,” said Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA. “It is the beginning of the long-term framework needed for business to transform their operations and invest in low carbon products and services for the future. Now it is time to translate this framework into clear policies and actions. At IKEA, we are committed to do our part. We will continue to invest in renewable energy and to transform our business. By 2020 we will produce as much renewable energy as the energy we consume in our own operations.”

Articles Listing IKEA

Eco-Business - Earth Day marks major climate milestone
Apr 22, 2016 | Eco-Business
By Vaidehi Shah

Mention: Meanwhile, the IKEA Foundation - the philanthropic arm of the Swedish furniture giant - announced a 12.6 million euro grant to support two climate advocacy organisations. These were: the We Mean Business coalition, a global effort which encourages companies and investors to reduce their carbon emissions and call for stronger climate policy; and Here Now, a New York-based organisation which helps develop projects and digital campaigns that support a clean energy future. With a 3 million euro grant from the IKEA foundation, Here Now will use the funds to organise projects including a citizen-led campaign fighting carbon emissions and air pollution in India, and a programme in the United Kingdom to help people switch to clean energy at home. Jessy Tolkan, executive director, Here Now, said that these initiatives will mobilise millions of people to help build the world our children deserve to grow up in.” Jonathan Spampinato, head of strategic planning and communications, IKEA Foundation, added that climate change is one of the biggest threats to the human rights and security of children worldwide, especially those living in poverty. The organisation’s support for We Mean Business and Here Now is an effort to create a brighter future for these vulnerable children and their families, he said. “Finding solutions to climate change, and deploying them at a mass scale, is key to creating a brighter long-term future for children and families everywhere, including those living in some of the world’s poorest communities,” he added.
Financial Spots - Up to 170 states poised to sign landmark climate agreement
Apr 22, 2016 | Financial Spots
By Betsy Taylor

Mention (Does not quote Steve Howard): With a 3 million euro grant from the IKEA foundation, Here Now will use the funds to organise projects including a citizenled campaign fighting carbon emissions and air pollution in India, and a programme in the United Kingdom to help people switch to clean energy at home.
You Don't Know Football - Record 155 countries to sign climate agreement
Apr 22, 2016 | You Don't Know Football
By Judith Quinn

Mention (does not quote Steve Howard): By COP21, when the Paris climate deal was reached, Ikea had also switched to selling only LED lighting in all of its stores globally.
Huffington Post - World Leaders Sign Paris Climate Agreement
Apr 22, 2016 | Huffington Post
By Kate Sheppard and Alexander C. Kaufman
Sustainable Business - Historic Earth Day Today: 171 Countries Sign the Paris Climate Agreement
Apr 22, 2016 | Sustainable Business
Daily Planet - State of the Planet: “Fast-Track Paris” – Ready to Ratify – Companies on Board – Record Temperatures
Apr 22, 2016 | Daily Planet
By Peter Koekoek

Articles Quoting Steve Howard

Financial Times - Uncertainty clouds climate deal as nations prepare to sign accord

Apr 22, 2016 | Financial Times

By Pilita Clark

As world leaders make their way to the UN in New York for Friday’s formal signing of the climate change accord jubilantly agreed in Paris four months ago, the sobering challenge of meeting the pact's goals is evident.
Much has changed since nearly 200 countries struck the deal in December. These are some of the shifts underlining the difficulties ahead.
The planet got much hotter
The first three months of this year broke heat temperature records by the biggest margin ever measured. So much ice melted in the Arctic and Greenland that scientists at Denmark’s 144-year-old weather agency said they had to “check that our models were still working properly”.
A powerful El Niño weather pattern is partly to blame, but researchers expect more warming as countries keep burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil, pushing record amounts of man-made carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The Paris agreement requires countries to spell out at regular intervals how they will deal with those emissions to help keep global temperature rises “well below” 2C compared with pre-industrial times.
But two months after the accord was agreed, the Supreme Court in the US, the world’s second biggest carbon emitter after China, temporarily blocked a centrepiece of President Barack Obama’s climate plan, the regulation of emissions from coal-fired power plants.
And the man who could be elected US president later this year, Republican contender Donald Trump, has said he is “not a big believer” in man-made climate change.
The International Energy Agency said last month that global energy-related carbon emissions stayed flat for the second year in a row in 2015, but the Paris accord has a far more challenging goal: net zero emissions in the second half of this century.
We still do not know when the Paris agreement will take effect
Representatives from more than 165 countries are expected to sign the deal in New York on Friday — a record for an international agreement, says the UN. Each then faces the tougher task of joining, or ratifying, the accord, requiring approval from national legislatures in many cases.
The accord cannot come into effect until 55 nations accounting for 55 per cent of global emissions have formally joined it. The US and China plan to join this year but together they only account for around 40 per cent of emissions. The EU, which produces about 10 per cent of emissions, is not expected to join until later.
A starting date of 2018 is still “really probable”, says Laurence Tubiana, the French diplomat who helped usher in the Paris agreement and is a candidate to become the new head of the UN climate change secretariat later this year. But this is far from certain.
Coal is down but by no means out
Climate campaigners cheered last week’s news that Peabody Coal in the US, the world’s largest private sector coal producer by output, had filed for bankruptcy.
The same week, Norway’s massive oil fund said it would sell out of more than 50 companies for being too reliant on coal, one of the biggest ever fossil fuel-related divestments by a single investor.
Last month, JPMorgan Chase said It would stop direct financing of new coal mines and power plants in wealthy countries, joining dozens of other investors limiting their exposure to fossil fuels.
But China and India alone are together still building more than 300 new coal-fired power modules and have plans for nearly 1,200 more, according to Benjamin Sporton, chief executive of the World Coal Association.
“The Paris agreement is not going to limit the use of coal,” he says, adding that the climate plans of 19 countries accounting for about 40 per cent of emissions show “coal is going to be a part of their energy mix for decades to come”.
Spending on renewable energy went up, but not for long
Global investment in clean energy rose to a record $329bn in 2015, a 4 per cent annual jump, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the research company. But it sank by 22 per cent in the first quarter this year as spending slowed in China, the largest renewables market.
Investors were also shaken on Thursday by the news that SunEdison in the US, one of the word’s largest renewable energy companies, had filed for bankruptcy.
This is not worrying big wind and solar power buyers such as Google, which has committed more than $2.5bn to renewable energy projects and claims to be the world’s largest non-utility renewable energy purchaser.
“In business in general, you are going to see successes and failures, and the clean technology and clean energy space is no different to any other in that respect,” Michael Terrell, Google’s senior policy counsel for energy and sustainability, told reporters on Wednesday.
But it does underline the fact that “policy risk is large and real” for renewable energy companies, says Steve Howard, Ikea’s head of sustainability. The Paris agreement must produce long-term stable government policies to support them, he adds.
Shortly after the agreement was forged, however, countries such as the UK did the opposite: rolling back green energy subsidies and cutting taxes for North Sea oil companies.

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The Climate Group - RE100 COMPANIES VOICE SUPPORT FOR LOW CARBON ECONOMY AS GOVERNMENTS GATHER TO SIGN PARIS AGREEMENT

Apr 22, 2016 | The Climate Group

By Marie Reynolds

LONDON: RE100 companies have been voicing their support for a low carbon economy, ahead of today’s all-important Paris Agreement Signing Ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York. More than 160 countries have expressed their intention to sign the Paris Agreement, designed to keep global warming below 2 degrees and spur low carbon growth, offering new market opportunities worth US$13.5 trillion.
Corporates played a crucial role in ensuring a successful outcome of the COP21 climate talks in December, by demonstrating the business case for low carbon action and pledging their support. By working towards 100% renewable power as part of RE100 - a campaign convened by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP - they are demonstrating that words are being turned into action.
RE100 support was welcomed by Mark Kenber, CEO of The Climate Group, who said: “Businesses have a fundamental role to play in delivering a low carbon economy, and the Paris Agreement is giving them the confidence to go further and faster in their efforts.”
Explaining what the Paris Agreement means to their business, Gene M. Murtagh, CEO at Kingspan Group Plc said: “The strong outcome of the Paris agreement signals the beginning of the long term path towards decarbonisation through a range of critical areas including energy efficiency and renewable energy generation. Working together we can achieve our collective goal of a clean global economy.”
Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA Group, one of the founding partners of RE100, said: “The Paris agreement represents a turning point for business. The certainty of ever stronger policies to reduce carbon emissions creates clarity for how we develop our products, services and operations for a low carbon future.”
Mike Barry, Director of Sustainable Business at Marks & Spencer, said: “We were delighted to see world leaders agree a strong deal at COP21. Now business must step up and create a clear, ambitious pathway to a low carbon future.”
Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman at Nestlé, said: “The ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ for 2030 and the binding Paris Agreement on climate change are landmark steps in matters of sustainable development, and have the potential and the imperative to make a real impact in the coming years. This is something we at Nestlé are pleased with and commit to actively contribute to.”
Fiona Ball, Head of Responsible Business at Sky said: “We need to maintain momentum post COP21 in Paris and make sure actions come out of all the hard work that went into last year. We need to send strong messages to markets and governments, pushing for a competitive, secure and sustainable energy system.”
Commenting on the business case for action, Ralph Hamers, CEO of ING, said: “Climate change is an unparalleled challenge for our world, and banks have a real responsibility to play a role in addressing it.”
Curtis Ravenel, Global Head of Sustainable Business & Finance at Bloomberg, said: “Price competitiveness, innovative financing mechanisms and diversified supply mean corporations can scale our efforts on renewables in a way that makes a compelling business case. Combine that with societal benefits like contributing to cleaner, healthier communities, and you have a positive and tangible business response to the challenge of climate change."
Over the coming months, the RE100 campaign will be showcasing the progress companies are making towards their 100% renewable electricity goals, and shining a light on the best examples of business leadership.

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Brandchannel - 100+ Global Businesses Pledge Support for Paris Agreement on Climate Change

Apr 21, 2016 | Brandchannel

By Sheila Shayon

More than 100 companies have pledged their support for the Paris Agreement on climate change and called for swift action on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan—a proposal aimed at significantly cutting carbon pollution in the US. The statementby the global companies was released just days before world leaders gather on Earth Day at the United Nations in New York City to sign the Paris Agreement.
Along with nonprofit sustainability organization Ceres and the World Wildlife Fund, the list of companies expressing their support includes major global brands such as IKEA, Mars Inc., General Mills, Kellogg Co., HP, DuPont, adidas, Unilever and Starbucks.
The two cardinal points:“The swift implementation of the Clean Power Plan and other related low-carbon policies so that we may meet or exceed our promised national commitment and increase our future ambition”“Investment in the low carbon economy at home and abroad giving financial decision-makers clarity and boosting the confidence of investors worldwide”
“The Paris Agreement represents a turning point for business,” saidSteve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA. “It is the beginning of the long-term framework needed for business to transform their operations and invest in low carbon products and services for the future. Now it is time to translate this framework into clear policies and actions. At IKEA, we are committed to do our part. We will continue to invest in renewable energy and to transform our business. By 2020 we will produce as much renewable energy as the energy we consume in our own operations.”
The signatories pledged to do their part to “realize [the Paris Climate Agreement’s] vision of a global economy that limits global temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius.”
“Business must continue leading by example, and we at Mars have already declared our own decarburization commitment to eliminate the use of fossil fuel energy and greenhouse gas emissions from our operations by 2040,” said Barry Parking, Chief Sustainability Officer at Mars Inc., in the press release. “We are hopeful that continued leadership and progress by the business community will encourage the U.S. to follow through on its COP21 commitment and to successfully implement the Clean Power Plan.”
The Clean Power Plan is key to the US pledge to meet emissions reduction targets that reduce carbon pollution from electric power plants by 30 percent by 2030.
“Coming out of Paris, momentum is on our side,” said David McCauley, World Wildlife Fund senior vice president for policy and government affairs. “While the Clean Power Plan will create the incentives for significant U.S. emission reductions, it is the private sector adjustment to the realities of a carbon constrained world that will enable the U.S. and other nations to meet the promises made in Paris. The grand transition has begun, and these companies are leading the way.”
We Mean Business, a coalition of organizations working with companies and investors, released an analysis, What Paris Means for Business,with insight into what a post-Paris economy will look like as the transformation begins.
In January, the 2016 Investor Summit on Climate Risk convened as the first major event addressing the issues and exploring significant investment opportunities provided by the global climate deal involving 196 countries.
Speakers included: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Former Vice President Al Gore, Michael Bloomberg, UN Climate Chief Christiana Figueres, Bank of America Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan, French Minister Ségolène Royal and leading investors, including ABP, AXA, BlackRock, CalSTRS, New York City Comptroller, New York State Common Retirement Fund, among many others.
As business, investors, governments and NGO’s focus their resources and intent, perhaps planet Earth will be able to breathe a sigh of relief and hope.

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Articles Listing IKEA

Eco-Business - Earth Day marks major climate milestone

Apr 22, 2016 | Eco-Business

By Vaidehi Shah

All eyes are on New York City as almost 170 countries including Singapore, Australia, China, and the United States are expected to attend the United Nations Paris Climate Agreement signing ceremony on Friday - which also marks Earth Day - at the UN headquarters.
Celebrated every April 22, Earth Day is a global environmental movement initiated by the United States-based Earth Day Network which encourages communities and organisations to take actions such as planting trees, participating in environmental marches, and cleaning up their local communities.
WASTEWhat our love affair with coffee pods reveals about our values Read now
The Paris climate deal, signed by 195 nations last December, aims to cap global temperature rise at well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century, and achieve zero net emissions by mid-century. Its signatories will have to make significant cuts to carbon emissions to fulfil the promise.
The signing event in New York is a ceremonial affair, and governments will have to legally adopt the agreement in their own countries. The agreement will enter into force when at least 55 countries representing at least 55 per cent of global emissions have ratified it.
Even though the signing is only ceremonial, the event in New York is an important global milestone, said climate experts.
Christiana Figueres, executive secretary, United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC), said in a statement that “the Paris Agreement, if fully implemented, offers a prospect of a far better world for billions of people”.
May Boeve, executive director of climate change campaigning group 350.org, added in a separate comment: “the formal signing of the Paris Agreement could be the next nail in the coffin of the fossil fuel industry if governments actually follow through on their commitments”.
There is, however, still a gap between government commitments and the actual amount of emissions reductions needed to avert the worst impacts of climate change, warned Boeve. The only way to bridge this gap is to keep coal, oil, and natural gas in the ground, she added.
UNFCCC executive secretary Christiana Figueres with a Poro tree in Costa Rica. Image: UNFCCC.
This year’s Earth Day, which has been organised since 1970 and expects more than a billion people from 192 countries to participate in the festivities, focuses on another crucial strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: planting trees.
For its 46th year, the movement has chosen ‘Trees for the Earth’ as its theme, and declared an ambition to mobilise nearly 8 billion plantings by 2020. That’s one tree planted for every man, woman and child alive by then.
Members of the public can participate in this year’s programme and commemorate the signing of the Paris agreement in one of three ways: plant a tree and attach a plaque to it; hug a tree; and draw or take a photo of their favourite tree. They can share these efforts on social media using the hashtags #ParisAgreement, #Trees4Earth, and #EarthDay2016.
UNFCCC’s Figueres launched the campaign earlier this month by hugging a tree in her native Costa Rica, and noted that these actions are “an expression of solidarity, love and hope”. Conserving, restoring and extending the Earth’s forests and natural environments is essential to the success of the Paris Agreement, she added.
Katherine Rogers, president of the Earth Day Network, also noted that “trees and forests are the most vital weapon we have against climate change”.
Without concrete policies to change business models, “the Agreement risks becoming so much hot air”, she said.AdvertisementEarth Day is serious business
Indeed, many private sector players announced environmental initiatives to achieve these objectives on Earth Day.
The iconic Solar Impulse 2 project - a fully solar powered plane attempting a round the world flight to advocate for clean energy, announced that after a long hiatus due to technical trouble, the aircraft would set off from Hawaii for Mountain View in the United States on Thursday.
As the world ushers in Earth Day, the plane piloted by Swiss psychiatrist and balloonist Bertrand Piccard is expected to be flying over the Pacific Ocean.
Meanwhile Nespresso - a Swiss food giant Nestle brand which manufactures single-use coffee capsules - launched a new campaign called One Pod at a Time, which encourages more people in Singapore to recycle their coffee pods.
The company, which has the capacity to recycle all of the aluminium pods it sells in Singapore, offered its customers discount vouchers for buying organic vegetables from the Quan Fa Organic Farm in exchange for recycling their capsules.
Quan Fa is a Singapore-based organic farm which turns the used coffee grounds from recycled capsules into organic compost for vegetable cultivation.
Tech giant Apple is also commemorating this year’s Earth Day with a campaign called Apps for Earth. Till April 24, the company will donate 100 per cent of the proceeds from 27 mobile applications in its App Store to the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Meanwhile, the IKEA Foundation - the philanthropic arm of the Swedish furniture giant - announced a 12.6 million euro grant to support two climate advocacy organisations.
These were: the We Mean Business coalition, a global effort which encourages companies and investors to reduce their carbon emissions and call for stronger climate policy; and Here Now, a New York-based organisation which helps develop projects and digital campaigns that support a clean energy future.
With a 3 million euro grant from the IKEA foundation, Here Now will use the funds to organise projects including a citizen-led campaign fighting carbon emissions and air pollution in India, and a programme in the United Kingdom to help people switch to clean energy at home.
Jessy Tolkan, executive director, Here Now, said that these initiatives will mobilise millions of people to help build the world our children deserve to grow up in.”
Jonathan Spampinato, head of strategic planning and communications, IKEA Foundation, added that climate change is one of the biggest threats to the human rights and security of children worldwide, especially those living in poverty.
The organisation’s support for We Mean Business and Here Now is an effort to create a brighter future for these vulnerable children and their families, he said.
“Finding solutions to climate change, and deploying them at a mass scale, is key to creating a brighter long-term future for children and families everywhere, including those living in some of the world’s poorest communities,” he added.

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Financial Spots - Up to 170 states poised to sign landmark climate agreement

Apr 22, 2016 | Financial Spots

By Betsy Taylor

Following the Friday event at the United Nations headquarters, the period for signatures will remain open for one year, so that all parties can sign to validate the Paris Agreement and to ratify it.
You may not grasp it from most of Australia's news media, but it has very real significance for Australia's economy, our environment and indeed, our way of life.
The agreement is a major breakthrough for global climate negotiations especially after a failed climate summit in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009 and chronicle disputes among countries on respective responsibilities. The Cabinet of Ministers approved earlier a proposal made by the President Maithripala Sirisena to assign Minister Premajayantha to sign the agreement and also to participate in the other functions in line with the ceremony. PICAN is the Pacific regional node of the Climate Action Network International, which has a membership of over 950 NGOs in more than 110 countries the largest climate network in the world. Fourteen countries and British Columbia are implementing or already have a carbon tax; 35 countries and 20 subnational regions (including California) have a carbon emissions capandtrade system; 18 countries, including China, are working toward a carbon pricing system in the next four years. But some "flexibility" is allowed for developing countries that need it, which was a key demand from China. Total renewable investment was more than double that in coal or gasfired generation.
With a 3 million euro grant from the IKEA foundation, Here Now will use the funds to organise projects including a citizenled campaign fighting carbon emissions and air pollution in India, and a programme in the United Kingdom to help people switch to clean energy at home.
The contrast back here could not be more stark. But each of us has a role to play. The objectives of the Paris Agreement include limiting global warming to 1.52C° above 1880 levels.
This might sound like a fair way away, but research released by The Climate Institute last week paints a more immediate picture. It's broader than any previous climate agreement, applying to all nations, rich and poor alike.
For its 46th year, the movement has chosen "Trees for the Earth" as its theme, and declared an ambition to mobilise almost 8 billion plantings by 2020. It might not even be possible to achieve such a rapid rate of closure. And the great news is that is already happening.
In the afternoon, there will be a HighLevel Event on Implementation, which will focus on highlighting how all actors of society and economy can accelerate action, learn from one another, and replicate and scale successful initiatives and activities that will deliver the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The stark reality is that the sooner we make a real fuss about this, the better it will be for us all.

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You Don't Know Football - Record 155 countries to sign climate agreement

Apr 22, 2016 | You Don't Know Football

By Judith Quinn

The formal signing of the historic pact, adopted by 195 nations in France last December 12, will be held on Earth Day at the United Nations headquarters in NY.
At least 155 countries are expected to sign the agreement that day, and even North Korea is expected to join the party.
All parties to the UNFCCC are invited to sign the agreement, as stated in a recent press release.
"Now it is time to translate this framework into clear policies and actions".
Here are answers to a few common questions about the Paris Agreement and what's next.
First, the 130 leaders gathering in New York Friday will sign the agreement. Follow me on Twitter for updates.
In 2009 the UN General Assembly made a decision to designate April 22 as International Mother Earth Day, with the resolution A/RES/63/278. The signing underlines the intention of countries to adhere to the negotiated accord. What we know for sure is that the Paris regime is nationally driven.
Wait, didn't everyone agree on this already?
In practice, everything depends on countries not just signing up to it, but also acting on it. Some say that shows countries are finally driving their economies forward without burning massive amounts of oil, coal and gas. If we don't stop doing that stuff we're going to ruin the future. "And we all have to be fearful about what this means-not only for ourselves, but for future generations". Warming threatens to drown coastal cities, push animals to extinction, decrease crop yields in certain regions and encourage the spread of disease.
Fiji and other island states want keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, instead of 2 degrees as outlined in the Paris accord.
Symbolically, the agreement shows something that never has been apparent before: The world is united on this issue. But we do have to recognize what it is and what it isn't. Parallel to the signing, representatives of countries will make their national statements and deliver the instruments of ratification, or specific action plans to combat climate change.
And then they will be expected to come up with new plans in 2020.
India and China, two of the world's largest polluters, aren't the only countries second-guessing the agreement.
China and the USA are the biggest contributors to the world's global greenhouse gases. Secretary of State John Kerry will represent the United States. They have been key proponents of the Paris Agreement, however, which is cause for hope. That could change. If all the countries ratify it quickly, it could happen this year, or in early 2017.
The harsh reality is, as important as the agreement and signing is, what matters most is the rapid implementation of its objectives.
This process takes many different forms and can be quick or longer, depending on the internal practices of each country. The Obama administration likely will try to ratify the agreement by executive action, without the consent of U.S. Congress, where many Republican lawmakers are skeptical of climate science.
Island governments want to unlock worldwide financing so that they can better prepare their economies and infrastructure to withstand the impact of climate change. "There are tipping points in the system such as the Greenland ice sheet where if it were to melt, the mechanisms there are irreversible". By COP21, when the Paris climate deal was reached, Ikea had also switched to selling only LED lighting in all of its stores globally.
How soon could the Paris Agreement become law?
Lee told reporters that the report will be ready "in good time" for a planned stocktaking of the Paris Agreement set for 2023. Again, that indicates their intent to ratify the agreement.
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore will also attend Friday, and will address a luncheon co-hosted by the U.N. Secretary-General and French President François Hollande.
What happens if the United States elects a climate skeptic? Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner to succeed him, supports the Paris Agreement. It was captured neatly during the Paris climate conference by the global Climate Change Performance Index, which placed Australia third from last in climate policies, above only Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia.
Among the issues still to be determined is what happens to countries who default on their commitments to cut pollution, said Flynn, the United Nations climate change adviser.
- See more at: http://youdontknowfootball.com/2016/04/record-155-countries-to-sign-climate-agreement171529/#sthash.HI37thZz.dpuf

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Huffington Post - World Leaders Sign Paris Climate Agreement

Apr 22, 2016 | Huffington Post

By Kate Sheppard and Alexander C. Kaufman

The signing ceremony formalized the agreement member countries reached in Paris last December as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC. The deal committed world leaders to taking national actions in their countries to reduce emissions by 2020, toward the collective goal of limiting global temperature rise to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius.
Representatives from about 170 countries were expected to participate in the signing ceremony, according to the UNFCCC. Kerry, who came to the stage carrying his toddler granddaughter, signed on behalf of the United States, as President Barack Obama is out of the country.
“When enough people come out and make their voices heard, when they turn their policy into a voting issue, when they work together toward the same real goal, then measurable change is possible,” Kerry said in his speech at the United Nations. “Today, as we think of the hard work ahead, I am reminded of Nelson Mandela’s very simple words: ‘It always seems impossible until it is done.’ While it isn’t done yet, today we are on the march.”UNITED NATIONSSecretary of State John Kerry signed the Paris agreement with his granddaughter in his arms.
French President François Hollande was the first world leader to sign the document.
Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced last month that both their countries would take part in the signing ceremony, which corresponds with Earth Day. The participation of the U.S. and China is significant, as the two account for more than 40 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement goes into force once 55 countries accounting for at least 55 percent of global emissions officially sign.
While significant, the signing ceremony is only another step toward the agreement taking effect. Parties to the agreement will still have to go through the process of joining the agreement, which for most will require processes of approval in their home countries.
A senior State Department official said in a background call with reporters Wednesday that the United States is still going through the process of joining the agreement under executive action, and expects to join “as early as possible this year.”
“We’re trying to expedite our internal work to be able to do it quite quickly,” he said.
But the signing ceremony is an important step, the official said. “As the drumbeat for climate action continues and more nations join, the agreement moves closer to entering into force,” he said.
On Wednesday, a group of businesses, including Google, Ikea, Starbucks and General Mills, lent their support to the signing ceremony.
Climate advocates say that, while largely ceremonial, the signing is consequential. “It’s very important every time it’s made clear again that governments of the world agreed to aggressive climate goals,” May Boeve, executive director of the group 350.org, told HuffPost. “That gives us a chance to push for accountability, to see those commitments followed through.”

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Sustainable Business - Historic Earth Day Today: 171 Countries Sign the Paris Climate Agreement

Apr 22, 2016 | Sustainable Business

World leaders are marking Earth Day by signing the Paris Climate Agreement at a ceremony being held at the United Nations today.

This is a truly historic day.
An incredible 171 countries out of the 191 that submitted climate pledges will be signing today - including the US. The Agreement takes effect one month after at least 55 countries - including those responsible for 55% of global emissions - sign it.

Today's signatories represent 83% of countries and 88% of world emissions, according to World Resources Institute.
Those signing today include: US, Canada, EU, Australia, China, India, Russia and Iran. Those not attending include Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, Syria, Yemen, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
Because so many countries are signing on so quickly, the Agreement could take effect two years earlier - by 2018 instead of 2020.

400 global investors representing $24 trillion in assets issued statement of support for the Agreement, as did more than 110 companies - including IKEA, Mars Inc., PG&E, Salesforce, General Mills, Kellogg, HP, and Starbucks - sent a statement of support for the Agreement, that starts with: "We want this economy to be energy efficient and powered by low carbon energy. Failure puts America's prosperity at risk, but the right actions now will create jobs and boost competitiveness.
"We pledge to do our part, in our own operations and beyond, to realize a global economy that limits global temperature rise to well below 2C. We call on US leaders to strongly support:

1. Swift implementation of the Clean Power Plan and related policies so the US can meet or exceed our pledges and raise our future ambitions.
2. Invest in the low carbon economy at home and abroad to give financial decision-makers clarity and boost the confidence of investors worldwide.

53 major companies already use 50% renewable energy.
If this had happened 10 years ago, we'd be in a much better position, says Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The world is now at "two minutes to midnight."

The surge to sign reflects the obvious advance of climate change, much more evident than 10 years ago. Every country is experiencing life-threatening changes from extreme floods to droughts and wildfires. The Arctic, Greenland and Antarctica are melting faster than ever, with correspondingly higher predictions for sea level rise. Very warm oceans are killing off marine life and turning coral reefs into white graveyards.
The basics of the Paris Climate Agreement are: keep global warming "well below" 2°C (3.6°F) and shoot for 1.5°C. Countries agree to peak greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible.reach net-zero carbon by 2100, when emissions are low enoug to be absorbed by earth's carbon sinks - forests, wetlands and oceans. protect and restore ecosystems.countries will submit new, more ambitious climate targets every 5 years, beginning in 2020. beginning in 2018, scientists will assess the results of global climate action every five yearscountries must report on greenhouse gas emissions using a standardized process.the Green Climate Fund must be funded at $100 billion a year by 2020, to help the poorest, most vulnerable countries adapt and grow through low-carbon measures. Republicans True to Form

Secretary of State John Kerry will sign for the US. Because the Agreement is voluntary, it doesn't have to be ratified by our climate denying Congress, but of course, they weighed in anyway.

Republicans on the Senate Environmental committee - chaired by "climate change is a hoax" Jim Inhofe (R-OK) - released a 30-page white paper about how the Agreement is doomed to fail.
"The Paris agreement, like the Kyoto agreement, is full of empty promises that will have no meaningful impact on the climate. The problem with international climate change agreements is that they ignore basic economic and political realities and therefore are doomed to failure," says Inhofe.

Countering that, an Obama administration spokesperson says, "The swift action by so many countries - every climate, every size, every economy - is really a testament to the undeniable momentum coming out of Paris."

The good news is half the emission cuts needed can be achieved by doubling renewable energy by 2030 (36% of the global energy mix), and the other half through energy efficiency or ecosystem restoration, and we can keep temperatures below 2°C. Improving the world's soil by just 0.4% a year, would compensate for all the emissions we send into the atmosphere.
Calls for International Carbon Tax

Heads of state from Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Ethiopia, Chile, and the IMF and World Bank, are calling for an international carbon tax ahead of today's signing ceremony.

12% of world emissions are currently covered by either a tax or cap-and-trade. 25% could be covered by 2020 and over 50% within a decade, they say.
"There is a growing sense of inevitability about putting a price on carbon pollution," says Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank. "Prices for producing renewable energy are falling fast, and putting a price on carbon has the potential to make them even cheaper than fuels that pollute our planet."
India is calling on rich countries to follow their lead by taxing coal production. If they adopted India's $6 per ton charge, the $100 billion a year promised to developing countries would easily be raised, says Energy Minister Piyush Goyal, while providing incentives for a faster transition to renewable energy.

Besides reducing emissions, putting a price on carbon to accelerate renewable energy, the world's soils and ecosystems must be protected and restored.
Read our article, $16 Trillion Could Be Deployed Because of Paris Climate Agreement.
President Obama says: "Today is Earth Day - the last one I'll celebrate as President. Looking back over the past seven years, I'm hopeful that the work we've done will allow my daughters and all of our children to inherit a cleaner, healthier, and safer planet. But I know there is still work to do" .... "Last summer, I visited Alaska and stood at the foot of a disappearing glacier. I saw how the rising sea eating away at shorelines and swallowing small towns. I saw how changes in temperature mean permafrost is thawing and the tundra is burning. We've got to do something about it before it's too late."
You can see which countries have signed (and how much emissions they produce) at World Resources Institute's Paris Climate Tracker:
Website: cait.wri.org/indc/#/ratification

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Daily Planet - State of the Planet: “Fast-Track Paris” – Ready to Ratify – Companies on Board – Record Temperatures

Apr 22, 2016 | Daily Planet

By Peter Koekoek

Things are moving quickly as our planet makes the transition to a new, clean economy. You want to stay in the loop – but you’re busy, that’s why we keep an eye on the headlines for you!
Welcome to the 22 April 2016 edition of the Daily Planet’s weekly State Of The Planet. Don’t hesitate to send your tips and comments to @PeterKoekoekEU or peter.koekoek@climate-kic.org.It’s Earth Day today, AND the Paris Agreement is being signed in New York.
The Daily Planet has six fun tips for how to spend your Earth Day, including… tree hugging! But make sure to do this somewhere with mobile signal if you want to watch the live stream of the opening ceremony of the Paris Agreement signing at 14:30 CEST / 8:30 EDT. The actual signing will be broadcast live from 15:50 CEST / 9:50 EDT. The UN has published a list of countries that are planning on signing today.
What’s next for the Paris Agreement after today’s signing in New York?
Today’s signing is the second step in a three step process:The Paris Agreement was “adopted” at the UN climate summit last year.Today will be a ceremonial “signing” of the agreement, countries reaffirm their commitment to ratify the agreement.The final – and for some countries most complicated – step will be that countries run the agreement by their national politicians to formally “ratify” the agreement.
The agreement will enter into force once it has been ratified (so that’s step 3, not today’s signing) by at least 55 parties, representing at least 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.Following last week’s Earth “wobble” – more news in the “uh oh” category…
Greenland is melting “way ahead of schedule,” Grist reports. The “April kick-off [of melting] is apparently “so bizarrely early,” that scientists double checked their analysis before making the announcement. The news comes as March temperatures obliterate a 100-year global record, the Guardian reports how the average global temperature was 1.07 degrees Celsius hotter, even worse than February’s record increase. March was also the11th consecutive month to set a record high for temperatures, the New York Times notes.China and the US are among the countries to push for the Paris Agreement to take effect many years before its original 2020 start date.
The US and China are leading an effort to bring the Paris climate accord into force much faster than planned. Canada’s Justin Trudeau is also said to lobby for quick approval, the Guardian reports. UN climate chief Christiana Figures has said the US and China will make an “exciting announcement” today. According to Figurers, they’ll say that they are ready to ratify “this year.”
The EU’s climate commissioner also wants to ratify early, and says “let’s get down to work.”
Although the European Union played a key role in sealing the Paris deal, it may not be among the first to formally ratify the agreement as it has – aside from the European Parliament – 28 national systems to navigate. And some of those have changed government since, or briefly before, the deal in Paris – complicating matters further.
But European commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete and Dutch environment minister Sharon Dijksma – the Netherlands holds the EU presidency at the moment – call on governments to get to work in an opinion piece published by Climate Home. Cañete also co-authored an article with EU foreign affairs representative Federica Mogherini published by Huffington Post. They say: “Our priority now is to go for an early ratification and entry into force of the Paris Agreement.”The EU-led High Ambition Coalition met in New York yesterday, in advance of the signing.
The coalition was instrumental to forging the deal in Paris last year.
$24 trillion says governments should fast-track the Paris Agreement.
Just days before the Paris Agreement signing in New York, investors urged world leaders to let the climate deal enter into force sooner than planned, possibly as early as late 2016. The Daily Planet reports how investment groups representing more than 400 institutional investors (who collectively manage more than $24 trillion in assets) are urging world leaders to “sign the Paris Agreement on April 22nd at the United Nations in New York” and then usher it through their national legislatures “as soon as possible.”The phasing out of fossil fuels may also be fast-tracked.
Fossil fuels could be phased out in a decade, says the director of a UK energy think tank run by the University of Sussex.100+ major companies has said they want to help implement the Paris Agreement.
IKEA, Mars, Philips, Salesforce, Unilever, Adidas, HP, Starbucks and many others say they will do their bit to make the Paris Agreement a success, the Daily Planet reports. The 110 companies are also calling on world leaders to provide “clarity” to boost the “confidence of investors worldwide.” The businesses released their joint statement just two days before the ceremonial signing of the Paris Agreement in New York today.
Moving on… if you want to start following COP22, here are some must-follow accounts on Twitter.
With the Paris Agreement set to be signed in New York on today, COP21 is about to become old news. In November, the United Nations will meet in Marrakesh, Morocco, for the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP22). The Daily Planet points you to some of the accounts that will keep you in the loop.Al Gore says climate change is the biggest business opportunity in world history.
Former US vice president Al Gore is one of the world’s most prominent campaigners for climate action, and usually paints a grim picture. But now he’s making the case for optimism, the Daily Planet reports. In his speech at the TED 2016 conference in Vancouver, Gore highlighted how an “explosion of new investment” is boosting the uptake of new technologies, and how climate change is the “biggest new business opportunity in the history of the world.”
Even the decommissioning of offshore drilling facilities is a business opportunity.
“Offshore decommissioning should be viewed as an opportunity rather than an afterthought,” so says the CEO of the Decom North Sea members organisation for oil and gas decommissioning in an opinion piece for Oil & Gas magazine.Looking for something to fix?
Some of these stories may just inspire your next business venture:
No longer confined to a season, wildfires burn earlier and longer. Climate change is a major cause for the phenomenon, reports the New York Times. But aggressive policies to put fires out as quickly as possible has also aggravated the problem, some forests are overgrown.
A UK inquiry following the Volkswagen scandal has found much higher than allowed nitrogen oxide levels in all best-selling cars. Some emit up to 12 times the EU maximum when tested on the road, the Guardian reports.

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