Climate Change Flashcards
Causes of Anthropogenic Climate Change:
Burning Fossil Fuels
- 200yrs of industialisation w heavy reliance on coal,oil,gas -> increased CO2 -> increased GHG effect = CC
- 85% of all energy comes from burning of ff
- Limited countries adapting to low-carbon sources ie Iceland = 79% energy, Sweden = 69%, Norway = 66%
Causes of Anthropogenic Climate Change:
Deforestation
- Decreased carbon sinks and increased emissions from process -> forests cut down for timber/2 create space
- UNFAO = 18mil acres of forest are lost each yr
- WWF est. 15% of all GHG emissions = from deforest. = 2nd lrgst source of anthro. CO2
- When trees die = release stored co2
- burning trees = easy deforest
Causes of Anthropogenic Climate Change:
Agriculture
- Cattle - digestion builds up methane + increased fertilisers - nitrous oxide
- Subsistence farming responsible for 48% deforestation/commercial responsible for 32%
Capitalism = problematic to Climate Change
- Perpetual economic growth - need to exploit resouces = cheap fuels ie coal,oil,gas
- IPCC = “ultimately unsustainable” GHG emissions need to peak in next 3yrs/IPCC 2022 Report - coal must be phased out, methan emissions need to be but 1/3, investment in shift to low-carbon needs to be 6x lrgr
- COP27 x meet expectation of creating plan to phase out f.f
Key Aspect of Climate Change:
Resource Exploitation
- Use of natural resources for economic growth ie Fossil fuels (80% of worlds energy consumption), subsoil materials, forests -> UN 2019 Report found resource extraction responsible 4 50% of wrlds carbon emissions/80% of biodiversity loss
Concequences of Resource Exploitation: - Deforestation
- Desertification - Sahara increased 1.5mil km2
- Soil erosion
- GHG effect
- Natural disasters
- Forced Migration - 150-200mil by 2050 (IOM)
Paris Agreement and Effectiveness
- Paris Agreement – NDCs w Art 3 requiring them to be ‘ambitious’, ‘represent a progression over time’ and set ‘with the view to achieving the purpose of this agreement’ + need to be in line w 1.5/2
- Reported on and resubmitted every 5yrs = 193 states + EU have submitted first NDC, 166 + EU have submitted their second - 28 states w stronger target
- Contributions not binding h/w ‘name and shame’ system
- Financing = $100bn per yr h/w $1.6-3.8tril required to avoid warming exceeding 1.5° - most given = 83.3bill 2020
- Adaptation provisions – need to be 50/50 with mitigation + focus on LDCs and Small Island Developing States reaffirmed commitments to $100bn/yr in climate finance by 2020 - Funding is rising - $28.6bn in 2020
- All states have to submit a National Adaptation’s Plan (NAPs) which follows 3 principles = specific to each state, guided by best available science, not be prescriptive -> 84% of parties (compared to 100% of NDCs) have established adaptation plans + 1/3 have quantified and time bound targets
State Responses to the Paris Agreement
Australia
- 1st NDC target of 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2030 -> 2nd NDC 43% below 2005 by 2030 h/w before Labor election = no change to ambition= 2° compatible + enshrines target in bill to parliament
State Responses to the Paris Agreement
US
- Initial NDC = 26-28%
- Trump withdraws from P.A Nov 2020, 2nd NDC = 50-52% decrease below 2005 by 2030
- March 2021 - $2tr climate infrastructure investment plan -> 100bill investment into power grid, carbon-free elec sector by 2030, 500 000 new elec vehicle charging stations
State Responses to the Paris Agreement
EU
- Fit for 55plan 2 meet 2030 aims ->
Revision of ETS – now includes shipping, domestic heating and road transport + reduces amount of CO2 available
Target for removal of CO2 of at least 310mil tonnes by 2030
Renewable energy directive – increase target to 40%
Energy Efficiency target increased from 32-39%
Completely electric cars by 2035
Carbon border adjustment mechanism: prevent EU efforts being offset by increased emissions outside borders through relocation of production to non-EU states = raises prices of goods coming from x climate protection
h/w unambitious target wanted 65-70% + Greenpeace said “a fireworks display over a rubbish dump” - Cars will become smaller polluters + electric charging points will be more widespread – every 60km on main roads
- Should get more help to insulate their homes and buy green vehicles through social climate fund
- Reform bill should send energy bills soaring – make fuel more expensive due to emissions trading scheme
Climate Change denial as a challenge to Climate Change
Trump tweet = “concept of global warming was created by and 4 the chinese in order to make US manafacturing non-competitive” = 67781 likes
repealled CleanPwrPlan + signed permit to start construction on Keystone XL + withdrew from Paris = limit on advancements of other actors in preventing concequences of CC
PMI response to CC and effectiveness
Good Agricultural Practices Program – all growers and suppliers must meet 70% reduction of 2010 GHG emissions from tobacco curing @ 2020, 0% coal use for tobacco curing by 2020, 0% deforest. From cultivation or curing by 2020 = achieved all outcomes
CDP “A List” of 200 companies for Climate, 1/118 4 water security, 1/24 4 Forests -> PMI has – monetary rewards for corporate executive team, management group, employees for emissions reduction targets, environmental criteria applied to all purchases, internal price on carbon of $17USD per tonne of CO2
- Aspects of Climate Change that have influenced their strategy:
Regulation – adapting to EU ETS
Need for adaptation – growing tobacco strongly influenced by CC – mitigate climate related risks
Reputation – Increased stakeholder interest in CC
Catholic Church response to CC and effectiveness
- 18th June 2015 = papal encyclical “the earth..[is] an immense pile of filth”, blaming consumerism for CC, criticised weakness of states responses – influence Poland + Latin American countries 2 join Paris
- May 2017 = met Trump to urge him 2 x leave Paris
- June 2018 = spoke to oil executives to convert to clean energy -> oil companies then responded by calling on govts to put in place carbon pricing mechanism
- Mary Evelyn Tucker described Pope’s commitment on CC as representing a “structural change” in how the world is confronting CC
- Jan 2019 -> Pope speaking to 180 diplomats and urging more ambitious action on CC
- CC has divested in fossil fuels
- Message to COP25 = “act for the common good and with the most vulnerable ppl at heart of decisions”
