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".

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.

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.

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.

Unpacking the COP21 Paris Climate Agreement (Infographic)

There is a lot of information in the 31 page climate agreement reached at COP21 in Paris. Here is an infographic from Climate Tracker that helps to unpack some of the more salient items in the historic deal. The highlights of the key topics include temperature increase limits, human rights, ambition mechanism, implementation and adaptation, finance, transparency and accountability,  mitigation, loss damage, and reviews.

The COP21 Agreement is a Momentous Leap Forward

The agreement signed in Paris is the most significant achievement in the history of climate action.. The world has come together to agree on a  31-page deal that lays a solid foundation for serious climate action. The signing of the Paris accord signals the start of globally coordinated efforts to reign-in climate change. History will record that the deal was signed at the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) on December 12, 2015.

Being Hopeful About the COP21 Climate Deal (Video)

After more than 12 days of negotiations, a final draft climate deal text was unveiled at COP21 in Paris. This most recent draft took more than 20 years and it is expected that it will be signed this afternoon. The deal was aided by strong leadership from nations like Canada and the US.

In the thick of the negotiations last week US Secretary of State John Kerry told world leaders that the United States wants to get even more ambitious over the next couple days.

Kerry said that the US has joined the "High Ambition Coalition," in calling for a robust deal. The US also doubled its financial contributions to vulnerable countries impacted by climate change ($861 million is being contributed by the US by 2020).

Breaking: We Have a Final Draft Climate Agreement at COP21

Sixteen hours after the scheduled conclusion of the COP21 climate talks an agreement on the final draft of the document has been reached. The language in this draft has been more than twenty years in the making and over the course of the last two weeks negotiators have succeeded in hammering out the final wording.

After being translated into the UN's six official languages, the draft was presented to ministers at 5:30 eastern time (10:30 GMT).

Compromise has helped to forge real progress on a range of issues including the important question differentiation. This involves different demands being put on different countries, which boils down to disagreements between rich and poor nations. Another sticking point that appears to have been overcome is unified reporting mechanisms. The US wants uniformity while nations like China and India want a different type of oversight.

As We Near the End of COP21 People are Demanding Climate Action

As COP21 is in its final hours people around the world are waiting with baited breath for the signing of an ambitious agreement. The people have spoken, they want change and they are demanding that their political leaderships deliver.

As reported by Climate Reality Project, on December 10, the day before the scheduled conclusion of COP21, civil society leaders delivered the names of more than 6 million people to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

Optimism at COP21 Despite Disagreements on the Meaning of Differentiated Responsibilities

Hope for a climate deal is alive and well at COP21 despite different interpretations of common but differentiated responsibilities. As we approach the finish line for COP21 there have been a number of positive developments, however obstacles remain before a final deal is signed.

One of the most promising features of the first week of negotiations is the fact that a majority of those present (106 of 195) indicated their support for an upper warming threshold limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius as opposed to 2 degrees Celsius.

COP21 Compact of States and Regions Pledges Emissions Reductions Equivalent to China's Annual Output

A number of state and regional governments have come together and pledged bold climate action at COP21. Together these states and regions have agreed to reduce their emissions output 12.4 GtC02e by 2030. To put that number into perspective that is equivalent to China's current annual emissions output. The Compact currently has the support of 44 states and regions together representing 325 million people and over US$10.5 trillion in GDP – which is one eighth of the global economy.

The Compact of States and Regions was announced at the UN Climate Summit in New York in 2014. It is the first ever single, global account of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets made by state and regional governments. the Compact is supported by the UN and is a partnership between The Climate Group, CDP, R20 and nrg4SD.

Be Part of History: Help Make COP21 a Success

As we head into the final stretch of the COP21 climate talks taking place in Paris we need to continue to put pressure on world leaders to realize the long awaited dream of a global climate agreement. The goal is in sight and we must keep working to make sure that we get an agreement.

As evidenced by the Global Climate March on the weekend of November 28th and 29th, the world is calling for climate action. There were more than 2000 events in about 100 countries in support of a positive outcome at COP21. From Melbourne to Tokyo and Manila to Los Angeles people demanded that world leaders craft a pact which will keep Earth from overheating.

A Guide to COP21 and Clean Energy Solutions from 24 Hours of Reality and Live Earth (Video)

A special two-hour presentation of 24 Hours of Reality and Live Earth: The World Is Watching has been created in support of efforts to secure a global climate agreement at COP21 in Paris. This presentation is both a field guide to the conference and clean energy solutions.

In this presentation former US Vice President Al Gore, musicians (Fall Out Boy, Elton John, and Florence and the Machine and many others), citizen innovators and influencers explore the implications of COP 21 and the global shift to clean energy.

Al Gore Says COP21 Will be a Turning Point in Global Policy (Video)

Nobel laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore said that he expects the United Nations climate change conference (COP21) will be a turning point in global policy. Gore made these remarks last spring at Austin's annual South by Southwest festival.

“We heard a lot of ‘no’s’ in the struggle to give women the right to vote; we heard a lot of ‘no’s’ in the Civil Rights movement and the abolition movement before it, and the struggle for LGBT rights,” Gore said. “But eventually there comes a ‘yes.’ There will be a ‘yes’ in Paris.”

COP21 and Stranded Fossil Fuel Assets

As the world pursues a global climate deal at COP21 in Paris a new report suggests more than 2 trillion worth of fossil fuel projects are at risk of being stranded. If we are to seriously attempt to keep warming below the internationally agreed upon 2 degree Celsius upper threshold limit, vast amounts of fossil fuel assets cannot be extracted and burned. As reported by the Guardian, the thinktank Carbon Tracker has produced a study which indicates that $2.2 trillion worth of projects are at risk as the market for fossil fuels shrinks.

Here are the top four countries at risk from stranded fossil fuel assets:

COP21 History and Guides

More than two decades have passed since the first Conference of the Parties (COP) meeting on climate change. There is a long history and a more than a bit of complexity associated with these climate negotiations. Despite outstanding issues that have yet to be resolved it is expected that this is the year when we will finally secure a global climate agreement. Here are some resources that help explain and contextualize the momentous history unfolding in Paris.