ALDE Party Congress, Athens 2019 - "A Climate Policy that Delivers on the Paris Agreement"

So, as promised, here we go with the draft resolutions submitted for debate at the end of next month...

A Climate Policy that Delivers on the Paris Agreement

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Party convening in Athens, Greece, on 24-26 October 2019:

Taking note of:

• the alarming trends of climate change and environmental deterioration in the last couple of decades;
• the fact that the rate of Antarctica ice mass loss has tripled in the last decade and that the rate of sea level rise in the last two decades, however, is nearly double of that of the last century and is accelerating every year;
• that according to the European Environment agency, EU greenhouse gas emissions increased by 0.6% in 2017, following a 0.4% decrease in 2016, and projected reductions fall short of the 40 % emissions reduction target for 2030;
• that human activities are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels and global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if it continues to increase at the current rate;
• that shipping emissions are predicted to increase between 50% and 250% by 2050, depending on future economic and energy developments, and that global international aviation emissions are projected to increase 300-700% by 2050;
• that global warming is a phenomenon witnessed in most land and ocean regions, causing hot extremes in most inhabited regions, heavy precipitation in several regions and the probability of drought and precipitation deficits in some regions. That this poses the rising concern of access to water and food security and climate migration; 
• that according to the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change published in 2006, estimates that the costs and risks of climate change inaction will be equivalent to losing from 5% to 20% or more of the global GDP each year, while the estimate for the annual cost of achieving stabilisation of the levels of CO2 emissions is amounting to around 2% of global GDP per year;
• the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol;
• the Paris Agreement and the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UNFCCC and the 11th Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP11) held in Paris, France from 30 November to 11 December 2015;
• the commitment of all countries under the Paris Agreement to limit the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C;
• the IPCC 1.5°C Special Report from October 2018 in which the world’s leading climate scientists warn there is only a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5°C, and call for urgent action to require unprecedented efforts to cut fossil-fuel use in half in less than 15 years and eliminate their use almost entirely in 30 years;
• the UN Climate Action Summit held in New York 23 September 2019;
• the growth of employment in the environmental goods and services sector in the years 2007-2011 by 20% in spite of the crisis;
• the global market for environmental goods and services is estimated at €1,000 billion per year and is growing fast;
• that according to the Commission, better eco-design, waste prevention, recycling and reuse could bring net savings for EU businesses, estimated to represent up to €600 billion, or 8% of annual turnover, while also reducing total greenhouse gas emissions by 2-4%;
• the crucial role of non-state actors, and especially the private sector, in decarbonising our economy and combating climate change;
• the collective nature of environmental threats, meaning that no country goes unaffected by the actions of another;
• the moderate progress for the preparatory work ahead of the 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25) to the UNFCCC;
• the European Council’s failed attempts to commit to climate neutrality by 2050;
• the student-led climate change marches across the world against government inaction on climate change, inspired by Greta Thunberg. 

Welcomes:

• the Commission's strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate-neutral economy by 2050;
• the new Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s promise to within her first 100 days to deliver a European Green Deal to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050;
• the adoption of European Union climate and energy legislation such as Emissions Trading System (ETS), Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) and the Governance Regulation;
• the adoption of the agreement reached at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on an initial strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. 

Believes that:

• the Paris Agreement and the outlined path towards decarbonisation will give reliable guidance for decision-making, avoid costly lock-ins to high-carbon investments, provide certainty and predictability to business and investors, and encourage a shift from fossil fuel investments towards more sustainable alternative investments;
• the adoption of the revision of the EU Emissions Trading System for the period 2021-2030 and the Effort Sharing Regulation for the same period is an important step that needs to be followed by higher ambition within a mid-term review if the Union will stay on track to meet the Paris Agreement;
• raising the ambition, as was done in the revision of EU legislation regarding energy efficiency and renewable energy, was important in order to show that higher ambition is not only needed but also very much possible;
• a sustainable bioeconomy and circular economy will be a crucial part of the green transition;
• the role of private actors in ensuring the achievement of environmental goals cannot be understated, and that it is crucial that the necessary frameworks, stability for investments and long term goals exist for the private sector to fulfil their full potential in the environmental area;
• youth engagement plays an essential role in climate policy, as it is the youth that will have to face the results of the decisions of today;
• facilitating the development of market solutions, new technology, and green private investment is crucial if we are to reach our common environmental goals;
• it is important that the EU shows global leadership through established climate frameworks and that they, where appropriate, are open to non-EU actors;
• Europe must take global leadership in combating climate change through reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and the transition to a fossil free economy;
• the EU and its Member States must take action in prevention and necessary adaptation of present and future climate change impacts, for example by strengthening its resilience in all areas and making use of all funding instruments available;
• a robust and credible rule book on how to fully implement the Paris Agreement is needed if the aims of the agreement are to be met.

Calls on:

• the Commission to swiftly propose an ambitious European Green Deal, including at least a trillion Euros of investments over the coming decade, and an effective climate law that raises the targets for the EU greenhouse gas emissions to be at least 55% below 1990 levels by 2030, and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, also including considerable economic consequences, for example economic fines or withheld payments from the EU budget, for countries failing to reach their climate and energy targets, ensuring that the Union will meet its commitment under the Paris Agreement;
• the European Council to commit, as soon as possible, to the target of climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest;
• the Commission to come up with a strengthened governance framework to prevent and respond to climate risk and climate-related disasters in the European Union;
• the Commission to promote sustainable agriculture practices and investments including sustainable practices to prevent and control pests;
• the Commission to propose measures to strengthen the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS), including to increase the linear reduction factor reducing the number of allowances distributed each year, reducing the surplus more rapidly by keeping the withdrawal rate to the market stability reserve at 24% a year even after 2023, to include more sectors such as shipping and international aviation, and move to full auctioning of allowances for all sectors, in order to ensure a sufficiently high carbon price and investments in low carbon technologies and innovation to drive 142 own emissions at the rate needed to reach climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest;
• the Commission to propose a framework at the EU level in order to promote technical solutions for negative emissions;
• increased and binding EU energy targets for energy efficiency and renewable energy to at least 40% for 2030 in order to achieve EU climate targets;
• the Commission to propose a strategy to promote and simplify rail transport across borders to make it more competitive with aviation;
• the Commission to propose a strategy for greener aviation, in particular by promoting technical solutions for aviation biofuel and electric aircraft;
• the building of bridges and common frameworks between all European countries to promote environmental and climate cooperation towards the agreed international goals of the Paris Agreement;
• the European Parliament and the Council of the EU to agree on a Paris-compatible Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027 that rules out fossil fuel subsidies and supports the transition to a more sustainable, competitive European economy;
• all ALDE member parties to work towards ending the $65 billion (€57.5 billion) fuel tax exemption for international aviation, and insist on an update of Article 24 of the Chicago Convention from 1944 in order to end the obsolete fuel tax exemption for international aviation;
• the Commission to propose a contingency plan on how to handle the consequences of climate change, including natural disasters, climate migration and the projections of its impact;
• all ALDE member parties that substantial progress is needed at the 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25) to the UNFCCC, in particular in finalising the outstanding issues for the rule book on how to implement the Paris Agreement from COP24 in Katowice, in particular on cooperative mechanisms under Article 6.

Well, you certainly can't describe it as sketchy or unambitious, and I suspect that it stands up well.

Svalbard Diary, Day 3: Encountering the luckiest polar bear in the world...

It's an increasingly tough life as a polar bear. Climate change has caused a reduction in the amount of sea ice upon which they rely as a platform for catching seals, their staple diet. And sometimes, in high summer, they're forced to make a choice - rely on the sea ice as it retreats northwards, or stay on land and hope to be able to scavenge enough to keep body and soul together.

We were supposed to be heading out on the zodiacs to making a landing near a walrus haulout, but the tide had turned unexpectedly, and the last boat was diverted in the opposite direction, where a whale had recently washed ashore. Bad news for the whale, but the equivalent of a winning lottery ticket for a nearby polar bear, who we found on the scene. Off we went, and we were able to get incredibly close, close enough to watch it rip a huge chunk out of the carcass and get a good feed.

The bear, his appetite clearly sated, decided that a nap was called for, so we set off back to the walrus. My love of walrus knows no bounds, so I was perfectly happy. And we were in time to find a group of them in the shallows, wallowing around. Graceful is not a word often associated with walrus, even in the water, but they are attractive in a whiskery sort of way, and I got some good pictures before we had to return to the ship.

The afternoon was spent on a nature ramble at Rautfjord. The flora of Svalbard is not dramatic - the height of the trees can be measured in millimetres, and lichen are big here. Well, I say "big", but I suspect that you know what I mean. Clinging to every little opportunity, every slightly sheltered spot, life is somehow sustained.

The expedition team includes a range of expertise, birds, mammals, geology, and there is much useful information imparted. I now know about hairy lousewort, and purple saxifrage, and could, at a pinch, identify a Svalbard poppy. Delicate, yes, but surprisingly pretty. And the reindeer need to eat something, I suppose...

@ALDEParty Congress resolutions 2014 - COP 21 - a turning-point for the Climate

Swedish member parties have been, as usual, very active in the area of policy-making this year, and Centerpartiet have come up with a contribution here that would probably annoy most UKIP members if they took the time to read it...

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party convening in Lisbon, Portugal on 20-22 November 2014:

Notes that

• global greenhouse gas emissions over the period from 2000 to 2010 were the highest in human history and that without significant action to reduce emissions, global average temperature is likely to be as much as 5°C higher by the end of the century;
• the EU has decreased its emissions by 19% in 2012 compared to 1990, while at the same time growing its GDP by more than 45%;
• according to the World Bank, fighting climate change would add up to €1.9 trillion a year to global GDP growth in the coming decades.
• the report by the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate released in September 2014 shows that a low-carbon path, although requiring marginally more investment upfront, would generate $5 trillion in savings from lower operating costs for renewable energy sources and increased energy efficiency, making this the far cheaper option in the long run;
• applying climate-related innovations in the energy and industry sectors would be an advantage for Europe as an early mover in the growing global market for energy and energy efficiency related goods and services, creating jobs, stimulating economic growth and increasing energy independence;
• the recent signals from the US and Chinese governments regarding climate action, and their willingness to play a more significant role in global efforts to address climate change;
• fighting climate change is also a rights-issue, given that according to the UN, women in the developing world are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change such as droughts, floods, and extreme weather;

Believes that

• in line with the IPCC's findings, global greenhouse gas emissions need to peak by 2015 at the latest and continue to decline thereafter in order to maintain a likely chance of keeping the rise in global average temperature below 2°C relative to pre-industrial levels;
• the important role of other policy measures, including energy efficiency, substantial energy savings, renewable energy and the phase-down of HFCs contribute to closing the gigatonne gap;
• applying climate related innovations in the energy and industry sectors would be an advantage for Europe as an early mover in the growing global market for energy and energy efficiency related goods and services;
• the climate change challenge provides business opportunities for industry and SMEs and in this respect stresses the importance of clear, long-term climate and energy goals;
• tackling climate change needs to be an inclusive process and that the decision-making as well as new technologies and innovations should open to all and take into account, for example, the historical challenges faced by women in the developing world;

Calls on

• all European countries to urgently contribute to cut emissions;
• the EU, as a major global player, to speak with "one voice" at the Paris Conference, in seeking progress towards an international agreement;
• the EU and its Member States to honour their commitment to scaling up the mobilisation of climate finance, in order to contribute their share to the Copenhagen Accord commitment to jointly mobilise $100 billion per year by 2020 and calls on other donor countries to play their part in order to foster further mobilisation of climate finance;
• the EU to act now to maintain its forefront position in the global green race to harvest the potential for growth and competitiveness;
• three clear, binding, ambitious climate and energy targets in the EU for the year 2030: for reduction of greenhouse gases, enhancing energy efficiency and renewable energy;
• the implementation of the European Council conclusions of May 2013 to phase out environmentally and economically harmful subsidies including subsidies for fossil fuels which according to the IEA accounted for $544 billion worldwide in 2012;
• an international commitment to increase research and development (R&D) investment in sustainable breakthrough technologies in the relevant sectors. We consider it essential that the EU lead by example by directing expenditure devoted to research on the demonstration of innovative climate-friendly and energy-efficient technologies, and that the EU develops close scientific cooperation in this field with international partners, such as the BRIC countries and the USA;
• the EU and its partners to find, in the immediate future, the most effective way of promoting links between the EU Emissions Trading System and other trading schemes aiming for a global carbon market.