Day to Day Politics. Extra. Breaking News. The world can breathe a little easier.
Sunday 13 December.
After twenty years of negotiations the countries of the world have finally reached an historic agreement on climate change.
200 countries have signed an agreement that will impose ambitious targets. Targets that will limit temperature rises and at the same time hold governments to account.
The deal known as the ‘Paris Outcome’ comes just six years after the collapse of the Copenhagen climate summit.
In essence the deal means that a consensus has been reached. That all countries have agreed to reduce emissions and at the same time rich nations have agreed to raise $100 billion dollars annually by 2020 to help poorer nations transform their economies.
The agreement whilst not legally binding it does send a strong signal that the days of dirty coal are numbered.
Quoting the Guardian:
“The International Investors Group on Climate Change, a network managing $13 trillion of assets, said the decision would help trigger a shift away from fossil fuels and encourage greater investment in renewable energy”.
“Although the target set at below 2% is aspirational the aim is to keep emissions at 1.5%”.
“We will be hearing a lot more about the agreement in the coming days and Australia’s commitment will be under the spotlight”.
“The government will now have to make it clear to the public just how it intends to really reduce our emissions and how it intends to pay for it”.
The time has now come for the end of the lying about direction action and for Hunt to get fair dinkum as we Australians are fond of saying.
If innovation is really in Turnbulls heart and jobs the catchcry then there is no better place to start than with the technologies of the future.
This agreement is not 100% ideal but it is one that the world can grasp without choking to death.
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Sounds encouraging, if not all that good. However, as government decisions that impact multinational profits can be challenged under the TPP’s Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanism these climate change agreements may be the starter for coordinated opposition and actions by the fossil fuel industries.
Not ideal …. but hopefully better than no deal at all …. here’s hoping it can be worked upon. Also, as regards the TPP, just noticed the other day that the odious Kentucky Senator in charge of the Republicans in the Senate in Washington (Mitch McConnell) has said that the TPP will NOT be signed before the next US election. That will make at least a delay in that till after November 2016. By which time, fingers crossed, growing more general opposition derails its implementation.
At last there appears to be SOME sort of consensus … cheering ! …. as far as Australia is concerned , the outcome could be determined by the amount of wriggle room available, given the slant towards coal.
On the matter of the TPP it’s cheering to note the US is putting off signing …. making it an election issue ? !
Where do we in Australia stand in this event ?
Human race 1 Andrew Bolt 0
Consigns Copenhagen to the garbage dump.
“The deal known as the ‘Paris Outcome’ comes just six years after the collapse of the Copenhagen climate summit.”
Can we use this to stop any more coal mines from being opened?
Smart coal mining executives would limit supply to maximise profits and maximise the industries life.
The operative words seem to be ‘The agreement whilst not legally binding’. Thats all this denying Govt needs.
“The agreement whilst not legally binding it does send a strong signal that the days of dirty coal are numbered.”
I would argue in the contrary: The fact that the agreements made at the ‘Paris Outcome’ are not legally binding sends a poor signal that the days of dirty coal are numbered.
Seriously, this is nothing more than the mother of all shit polishing.
‘The world can breathe a little easier’. What a joke of a heading:
More like: ‘Under international law, the profits of the tiniest of minorities will continue to be considered legally more important than the well-being of anything else that exists on planet Earth.’
“We have to really think like human beings. And, just accept the reality of now. And, the reality of now is that the system is unfair, and it’s not gonna be fair. This system is designed to exploit and oppress. That’s the way this civilization is built. That’s what makes it run. So we need to recognize that — I think when we recognize it, and really understand that, that we will think more clearly about how to deal with things.” – John Trudell
RIP
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/obituaries/2015/12/12/john-trudell-american-indian-activist-poet/x8FRYRd4REraI9Y8KjeeaI/story.html
I wonder what Plan B will be, when the reduction in CO2 doesn’t reduce the warming? Oh, I forgot. It will be someone else’s problem…
David Bruce
No point in having a Plan B if the science is correct and we don’t act while we can. If we keep on the current path until we destroy the planet who to blame won’t be an issue there won’t be anyone left.
Is it that hard to work out that even if the science proves to be wrong taking action will clean up the planet so we still win? Might even save some animals from extinction along the way.