Ranking National Climate Action - 2020 Performance Index

The United States and Canada are some of the worst climate performers in the world. None of the countries reviewed in the 2020 Performance Index have demonstrated that they are on a path that is compatible with the goals laid out in the Paris Climate agreement. Sweden leads the group of high-performing countries, as it did in the 2018 and 2019 Indices. The other four top performing countries in the top five are Denmark, Morocco, the UK and Lithuania. The US is in last place. The 2020 Climate Change Performance Index tracks the performance of 57 countries and the EU on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, renewable energy, energy use and climate policy. The 2020 Index finds that “no country performs well enough in all index categories to achieve an overall very high rating,” meaning that no country is yet “on a path compatible with the Paris climate targets.” Countries are assessed based on their compatibility with ambitions to keep temperatures from warming beyond 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial norms.

Top 10 Democratic Presidential Contenders Participate in Climate Town Halls

On September 4th, Democratic presidential contenders made history with their participation in back-to-back climate focused town halls in New York City. For seven hours, one after another, the ten Democrats vying for the party's presidential nomination spoke on the subject of the climate crisis. All ten of these candidates have put forth climate plans and this represents a historic shift for the party and the country. They all agree about the veracity of anthropogenic climate change and the need for consorted action. This is in stark contrast to the current president and most GOP legislators, who equivocate about the veracity or deny it outright.

G19 Leaves Trump Behind and Moves Forward on Climate Action

A recent G20 summit communiqué out of Hamburg Germany acknowledged the abdication of Trump but emphasized the global commitment to responsible climate action. Historically the G20 has made unanimous declarations but Trump's decision to quit the Paris Climate Agreement resulted in a break with this tradition. Despite the isolation of the US, the world's leading economic powers indicated that they remain serious about climate action. The summit was marked by riots and Trump was singled out as the preferred target of the protestors.

Trump was characteristically awkward at the summit and he appeared to have difficulty following the discussion at times. At one point Trump had to be diverted from his day-dreaming to turn around and pose for the cameras. Trump's only contribution was an initiative to help other countries burn fossil fuels more cleanly. This is rather ironic as the Paris Agreement seeks to end the burning of hydrocarbons.

Vive La France! French Electorate Rejects Climate Denial and Commits to Progressive Action

The world can breathe a sigh of relief as the country that hosted COP21 has recommitted itself to continue its climate leadership. On Sunday May 6th, three-quarters of French voters rejected the anti-globalization, anti-immigration, anti-climate rhetoric of the far-right.

Emmanuel Macron won the French election by a landslide (66 percent), beating xenophobic candidate Marine Le Pen and her National Front party. In the French election globalization defeated populism, a more open worldly vision for France defeated the closed, nativist view of the far-right.

Climate change appears to have been a key issue that contributed to Le Pen's defeat. She was forced to change her stance on the issue because unlike her counterpart in the US, French voters would not go along with her climate denial. In 2012 Le Pen said: "I am not sure that human activity is the principal origin of this phenomenon." In an attempt to capture voters she recently revised her position adopting the Republican line saying, "I am not a climate expert, I think that human activity does contribute to a proportion, which I can’t measure, to this phenomenon."

Event - COP 22 and IRENA Renewable Energy Side Events

COP 22 will take place November 7-18, 2016 in Marrakech, Morocco. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), established in 1994, aims to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level that prevents "dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system".

Event - Green Sports Alliance Summit: College Sports Sustainability Summit

PAC-12 will host the first conference wide College Sports Sustainability Summit. It will take place on June 27th 2017 in Sacramento, California. This event is part of the annual Green Sports Alliance Summit.

The College Sports Sustainability Summit is part of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's (OSTP) call to action to tackle climate through sports. This event is supported by member universities that have pledged to take a leadership position in promoting sustainability through sports.

Paris Climate Agreement Comes into Force

The world's first global initiative to reign in climate change has come into effect. On October 5, 2016, less than a year after the Paris Climate Agreement was signed at COP21, a critical threshold was passed. With the ratification of more than 62 countries, the pact will formally enter into force on November 4, 2016.

Many thought we would not be able to secure a deal in Paris at the end of last year. Then detractors doubted that enough countries would ratify it. The naysayers have been proven wrong.

This historic agreement is designed to combat climate change through drastic emissions reduction pledges known as the INDCs. To bring this carbon cutting global agreement into force 55 countries representing 55 percent of global emissions had to formally join.  The US, China and the EU have all signed onto the deal.

Hilary Clinton is our Last Best Hope of Tackling Climate Change

Anyone interested in climate action needs to appreciate that Hilary Clinton is our last best hope. Clinton has emerged as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and she is a far better choice than the Republican candidate Donald Trump. To get a handle on what is at stake, voters need to understand that without US involvement, efforts to reign-in climate change are doomed to fail. Clinton has recently received endorsements from the greenest candidate in this election cycle Tom O'Malley and Potus himself, President Barack Obama.

US China and Others to Sign the Paris Climate Agreement on Earth Day Suggesting an Early Start to Implementation

The US and China, the world's leading carbon emitters have agreed to sign the historic Paris Climate Agreement at a signing ceremony on Earth Day. The signing of the agreement on Friday April 22nd at UN headquarters is more than just a symbolic gesture.

Of the 196 countries on-board at COP21 in Paris last December, as many as 155 other nations, including India, are expected to sign the agreement on Earth Day.

Justice Scalia's Death Bodes Well for the Clean Power Plan

The EPA's Clean Power Plan (CPP), the centerpiece of the Obama administration's climate efforts was stayed by the US Supreme Court on February 9, however the death of Conservative justice Antonin Scalia just a few days later breathes new life into the plan.

In total 27 states, the coal industry, and the Republican party want to stop the EPA's efforts to reign in emissions from US power plants. Their efforts to undermine the plan are at odds with American opinions. Polls show that the majority of Americans support the CPP even in states that oppose it.

Green Sports Alliance: Making Athletics more Sustainable

With 344 members, 300 teams, 172 venues and 20 leagues, in 14 different countries the Green Sports Alliance is a major force in sustainable athletics.  The Green Sports Alliance helps sports leagues to be more sustainable.

Sports are an incredibly powerful activity that garner the attention and interest of billions of people around the world. With this is mind the Green Sports Alliance strives to leverage the cultural and market influence of sports to promote healthy, sustainable communities.

They inspire sports leagues, teams, venues, their partners and millions of fans to embrace renewable energy, healthy food, recycling, water efficiency, species preservation, safer chemicals and other environmentally preferable practices.

Hilary Maintains her Climate Silence as O'Malley Pushes his Green Agenda (Iowa Democratic Presidential Town Hall)

Hilary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley are the three remaining candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for president. On January 25th they fielded a barrage of questions from voters in a town hall meeting at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, The moderator was CNN anchor Chris Cuomo.

O'Malley emerged from the Iowa Town Hall as the greenest of the three candidates with Sanders trailing some distance behind. O'Malley bluntly stated that "this planet is worth saving," and Sanders reaffirmed his commitment to tackle climate change. Hilary remained silent on climate and clean energy and let her rivals steal the green thunder.

Climate and Energy Excerpts from the Fourth Democratic Primary Debate

Three candidates met for the fourth Democratic debate hosted by NBC News and YouTube and moderated by anchor Lester Holt. The debate took place in Charleston, South Carolina, on Sunday January 17th. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley were present for the debate. However, except for a passing reference to renewables ("I would work quickly to present to the congress my plans for creating more...clean and renewable energy...") Clinton did not address climate change or energy issues. Hilary's silence on these importance issues in the fourth debate mirrors her strategy in the preceding debate.

Here are the climate and energy remarks made by Sanders and O'Malley during the fourth debate:

Republican Climate Avoidance and the Sixth GOP Debate

Republican candidates for president seem to think that if you ignore the climate crisis American voters won't notice. During the sixth Republican debate there was no mention of climate change or global warming, the COP21 deal, renewable energy, cleantech, or the low carbon economy, and of course nary a word was uttered on emissions or greenhouse gases.

Climate change was a no show in the first Republican debate, the CNBC presidential debate and in the November debate they made their opposition to climate action clear. Republican presidential candidates have stated that they do not believe we should not do anything to combat climate change.

COP21 Deal Signals the End of Fossil Fuels and the Beginning of an Era of Unprecedented Growth for Renewables

The Paris climate deal erases any doubt that fossil fuels will be replaced by renewable energy. Even before the start of COP21, the world had already begun to accept that the end of fossil fuels and the dawn of a low carbon economy powered by renewables. We now have the political will, investment dollars and technological innovation required to drive the transition from fossil fuels to renewables.

In an interview taped for CBS' Face the Nation, John Kerry called the climate pact "a breakaway agreement" that will change how countries make decisions and "spur massive investment." We have already seen how reduced demand and increased supply have resulted in a glut of oil pushing prices to around $36 a barrel. Oil prices have not been this low in more than five years.

Market Reaction to COP21 Deal: Fossil Fuels Crash while Renewables Soar

As predicted renewable energy stocks soared while fossil fuels continued their slide after the announcement of the COP21 agreement. At the Paris climate summit a total of 195 countries effectively agreed to end fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy. This worsens an already grim forecast for fossil fuels and improves the prospects for even more growth in renewables. While clean energy is the clear winner fossil fuels are the clear loser post Paris. Due to the deal that was struck at COP21, the fossil fuel industry is facing a $33 trillion hit to its expected revenues over the next 20 years.

While it has long been known that fossil fuels are the leading cause of both pollution and climate change, it is now unavoidably obvious that petrochemicals are also a bad investment. Conversely renewable energy is both good for the environment and a tremendous investment opportunity.

Saudi Arabia is on the COP21 Naughty List

Saudi Arabia continued to block climate action at the Paris climate talks. The COP21 negotiations were marked by opposition from oil-producing states like Russia and Venezuela, but no country was more focused on trying to scuttle the talks than Saudi Arabia. By resisting carbon caps, periodic reviews, the 1.5C target, and full decarbonization by 2050, Saudi Arabia was accused of trying to "sabotage" the climate deal. Saudi Arabia has 18 percent of the world petroleum reserves is the the earth's tenth largest polluter. The nation has been the world's largest producer of crude oil until it was overtaken by the US in 2015. Saudi Arabia's economy is heavily dependent on fossil fuels and it uses its oil wealth to power its electricity grid.

"They are seeing the writing on the wall," environmental activist Wael Hmaidan told the Guardian, adding, "The world is changing and it’s making them very nervous. Anything that would increase ambition or fast forward this energy transition that is already taking place is something that they try to block," Hmaidan said.

COP21 Naughty List: Republicans Presidential Contenders

Republicans vying for the presidential nomination have all opposed the COP21 climate accord. Republicans have a well earned reputation for denying the veracity of climate change and opposing anything with a "clean" prefix (energy air and water). The GOP did all it could to undermine the COP21 climate agreement.

Republicans advanced two motions to kill the clean power plan. However, President Obama swiftly pocket vetoed the motions. The Republican's anti-science climate stance would be comical if it did not come with such grave implications for US climate action.

The COP21 Climate Deal and the Crucial Role of Obama's Leadership (Video)

Under the leadership of President Barack Obama the US played a salient role in securing an agreement at the recent COP21 climate talks in Paris. History will record that the US President was a pivotal figure who helping to craft a positive outcome at the Paris negotiations.

Republican's Failed Attempts to Undermine the COP21 Climate Agreement

Republicans in Congress did what they could to scuttle a climate deal at COP21. Just as Republicans are expert in sewing doubt about the scientific veracity of climate change they tried to cast doubt on US support for a climate agreement at COP21. Republican committee chairs held hearings and they tried to undermine the work of government scientific agencies.

Republicans also used their control over the purse strings to try to stop the US from contributing to the Green Climate Fund. They even threatened to shut down government by refusing to pass a spending bill.