Forthcoming Events

Is a US Climate Bill still possible? Can the Obama administration pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation in 2010?

Wednesday 10 March 2010, 13.00-14.30

ippr Offices, 30-32 Southampton Street, London WC2E 7RA

As the Copenhagen climate summit demonstrated, the task of agreeing a legally-binding international climate treaty will be hard to achieve without strong buy-in domestically in all major economies. No more so is this the case than in the US. Yet, as the US political divide widens over cap and trade, commentators are beginning to question whether climate legislation is still possible in 2010.

What, then, are the chances of a climate bill being passed this spring? What might it contain? What else can the Obama Administration do to curb domestic emissions?

We are delighted that Dr Andrew Light, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, the GCN's US partner, will join us directly from DC to illuminate the US climate legislation debate. Other panellists will be confirmed shortly.

We very much hope that you will be able to take part and join us on Wednesday 10 March. Please RSVP to David Nash at d.nash@ippr.org as soon as possible as places will be limited.

 

 

Past events

Private Evening Reception with the Global Climate Network and IMBEWU Sustainability Legal Specialists

Keynote address: Her Excellency the British High Commissioner to South Africa, Dr. Nicola Brewer

27 January 2010

IMBEWU Sustainability Legal Specialists
Johannesburg, South Africa

The imperative for future human development to be directed towards low-carbon alternatives is thrown into stark relief by the outcome of the recent COP15 summit in Denmark. The 'Copenhagen Accord', which emerged from the December 2009 meeting, fails to fulfil expectations for a new, legally binding agreement on climate change, which prevailed prior to the event. However, the Accord does provide a foundation for future negotiations and includes defined aspirations for an often highly-charged political process.

In marking its formal launch in South Africa, the Global Climate Network and Imbewu, our South African member, hosted this private reception in Johannesburg to reflect on the status of the multi-lateral climate change negotiation process as well as South Africa’s potential for a lower carbon future.

Dr Nicola Brewer, Britain’s High Commissioner to South Africa gave a keynote address at the reception and hailed the GCN as ‘vital’ in the effort to build consensus and support for a transformation to low-carbon economic development. Her speech was the first major address on climate change in South Africa since the Copenhagen summit.

Andrew Gilder, IMBEWU’s director who leads the GCN in South Africa said: ‘The GCN is a ground-breaking initiative that brings together some of the world’s best brains on climate change to try and change the terms of the debate. It is our aim to demonstrate the opportunities for an economy like South Africa in pursuing a coherent, government-led framework to spur a low-carbon revolution.’

Simon Retallack, an associate director and head of climate change at London’s Institute for Public Policy Research, where the GCN’s secretariat is based, also attended the Johannesburg launch. Mr Retallack said: ‘After the disappointment of Copenhagen, the GCN offers hope because it brings together leading institutions from all of the biggest emitters and economies in a drive to reframe the climate debate. Our work together on technology and job creation in low-carbon industries is already grabbing the attention of decision makers.’

Read the High Commissioner's speech here

Her Excellency Dr. Nicola Brewer, British High Commissioner to South Africa

 

Catherine Warburton, Managing Director, Imbewu

 

Simon Retallack, Associate Director and Head of Climate Change, ippr

 

Andrew Gilder, Director, Imbewu

 

The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference: Outcomes, Way Forward and Implications for Business

28 January 2010

IMBEWU Sustainability Legal Specialists
Johannesburg, South Africa

What did December's climate change summit in Copenhagen mean for the private sector? How can businesses position themselves to take advantage of new market opportunities that will arise as a result of a transition to national, regional and global low-carbon economies?

In this interactive panel discussion,  Global Climate Network members were joined by industry experts to discuss the successes and failings of COP15, the Copenhagen Accord and the implications thereof for business.

Panellists included:

• John Smith, Head of Climate Change, British High Commission, South Africa
• Wendy Poulton, General Manager - Corporate Sustainability, Eskom
• Rob Ashdown, Principal Consultant - Climate Change, Merchantec Carbon
• Glen Hodes, Senior Energy Economist, UNEP
• Sharmini Harrington, Sasol
• Pancho Ndebele, Director, EMVELO
• Simon Retallack, Associate Director and Head of Climate Change, ippr (chair)

This event was kindly supported by Merchantec Carbon.

 

Global Climate Network in Copenhagen: A good climate for jobs

17 December 2009

Download recordings

Copenhagen event (.mp3)
Questions and Answers session (.mp3)

(To download, right-click the above links and select 'Save Target As')

Can bold action on climate change lead to job creation? In a global economy, where will jobs be created? How can governments ensure that the transition to low carbon is fair and supports people whose jobs are lost?

Representatives from member organisations of the Global Climate Network gathered in Copenhagen to debate the economic opportunities on offer if governments take strong action to promote low-carbon transformation and tackle the climate crisis.

Panellists included:

• Andrew Light, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress, US
• Will McGoldrick, Policy and Research Manager, The Climate Institute, Australia
• Andrew Gilder, Director, IMBEWU Sustainability Legal specialists, South Africa
• Manish Shrivastava, Research Associate, The Energy and Resources Institute, India
• Andrew Pendleton, Senior Fellow, ippr, UK (Chair)
  

Download our brand new report: Creating Opportunity: Low Carbon Jobs in an Interconnected World 

This event was hosted by the Bellona Foundation and kindly supported by the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy. 

Contact us

Andrew Pendleton: +44 7789 997 376 / a.pendleton@ippr.org

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI): Right to Sustainable Development - An Ethical Approach to Climate Change

12 December 2009

Halfdan Rasmussen Room

Asserting that a climate deal is essentially an ethico-political choice and the protection of the right to sustainable development is a fundamental yardstick to judge any agreement, experts from academia and policy makers will discuss contentious issues continually stalling progress in negotiations.

Contact: Mr. Prabhat Upadhyaya prabhat@teri.res.in

 

Research Centre for Sustainable Development (RCSD): Carbon budgets for equity and sustainability - A framework for a global climate solution

14 December 2009

Halfdan Rasmussen Room

The Carbon Budget Proposal has been developed by China's RCSD as a framework to underpin a future global climate regime. It is based on quantitative analysis of both the emissions rights and future emissions budgets of developed and developing countries.

Contact: Ms. Ying Zhang zyonlinecn@yahoo.com.cn

 

Past Events

The Windsor Dialogue

Building Trust and Cooperation in a North-South Climate Change Compact: What role for Environmental Regulators?

The Global Climate Network co-hosted a high-level dialogue of national environmental regulators with the Environment Agency for England and Wales at St George’s House, Windsor Castle, UK. With December's UN Conference on climate change in Copenhagen fast approaching, the meeting provided a valuable and timely opportunity for senior representatives from national environmental protection agencies and ministries around the world to come together and discuss the practical challenges in implementing a post-2012 climate agreement.

National environmental regulators have a particularly important role to play in building a robust, effective and equitable future international climate change regime. Regulators can provide critical assistance in collecting and reporting greenhouse gas data and monitoring domestic policies aimed at reducing emissions. This task is central to the Bali Action Plan’s call for ‘measurable, reportable and verifiable’ (MRV) emission reduction commitments, actions and support, and will be crucial in helping to build trust among Parties to the Convention.

The two-day meeting was chaired by Lord Chris Smith, Chairman of the Environment Agency, and in the course of discussions a number of key and common themes emerged. Participants expressed a common interest in ensuring that their governments have the necessary high quality and reliable data to hand to make critical decisions on emissions reductions. They agreed that for this to happen, regulators will need to plan and make best use of their resources, focusing first on sectors and emitters where the largest possible impact can be made on emissions.

Participants also acknowledged that a future framework for MRV should build on existing processes and IPCC methodologies. Yet, it was suggested that their work could benefit from the standardisation and simplification of existing data measurement, reporting and verification systems at national and international levels.

Above all, participants stressed the importance of working in partnership to share knowledge, experiences and best practice, and foster greater understanding of their respective national- and sector-specific approaches to MRV. By collaborating closely, regulators can help build one-another’s capacity – financial, human and technical - to provide effective and transparent monitoring of commitments and nationally appropriate actions to cut emissions. Participants also called on governments and international aid agencies to ensure adequate funding is available to support capacity for MRV, especially in developing countries.

In supporting the Windsor Dialogue, the Global Climate Network has facilitated understanding of the constraints facing national regulators and possible solutions going forward.

Read the Chair’s summary statement of the meeting.

Read the Global Climate Network discussion paper outlining the key issues facing environmental regulators.

Speakers

The meeting was attended by the following individuals:

• Naima Haffaci, Director, Environmental Regulation and Assessment, Algerian Ministry of Environment, Land Planning and Tourism
• Geoff Leeper, Deputy Secretary, Australian Climate Change Regulatory Authority (ACCRA) Group, Australian Department of Climate Change
• Dr Suzana Kahn Ribeiro, Secretary, Department of Climate Change and Environmental Quality, Brazilian Ministry of the Environment
• Masnellyarti Hilman, Deputy Minister for Natural Resources Conservation, Enhancement and Environmental Degradation Control, Indonesian Ministry of Environment
• Jong-Soo Yoon, Director General, Bureau for Climate and Air Quality Policy, Korean Ministry of Environment
• Hak-Kyun Maeng, Deputy Director, Bureau for Climate and Air Quality Policy, Korean Ministry of Environment
• Tomasz Chruszczow, Director, Department of Climate Change and Atmosphere Protection, Polish Ministry of Environment
• Martin Eriksson, Director, Department of Climate Change, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
• Dr Henry Aryamanya-Mugisha, Executive Director, Ugandan National Environment Management Authority
• Nancy Ketcham-Colwill, Senior Policy Analyst, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S Environmental Protection Agency
• Damien Meadows, Deputy Head, Market based Instruments including Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Unit, Climate Change and Air Directorate, DG Environment, European Commission
• Simon Eggleston, Head of the Technical Support Unit, National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Task Force, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
• Vitaly Matsarski, Coordinator, Reporting, Data and Analysis Programme, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC)
• Jim Penman, Head of Response Strategies (Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases), United Kingdom Department of Energy and Climate Change
• Steven Gleave, Head of Environment Regulation Policy, United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Tony Grayling, Head of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Environment Agency for England and Wales
• Malcom Fergusson, Head of Climate Change, Environment Agency for England and Wales
• John Seager, Head of Environment Strategy, Environment Agency for England and Wales
• Harry Huyton, Climate Change Policy Adviser, Environment Agency for England and Wales
• Simon Retallack, Associate Director and Head of Climate Change, Institute for Public Policy Research and founder of the Global Climate Network
• Andrew Pendleton, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Public Policy Research and Lead Coordinator of the Global Climate Network
• David Nash, Researcher, Institute for Public Policy Research and Assistant Coordinator of the Global Climate Network

Contact: David Nash d.nash@ippr.org

ippr Thinking on Thursday: Will there be agreement in Copenhagen?

Discussion with the Global Climate Network

Thursday 21 May
ippr, London

December 2009 sees a landmark UN conference on Climate Change in Denmark's capital city at which it is hoped an agreement to reduce more of the world's greenhouse gas emissions will be reached. But big divisions are still evident between developed and developing countries, the US is running to catch up having spent eight years disengaged from negotiations and Europe is still struggling to reach a clear, cohesive position on what a Copenhagen agreement should involve.

Members of the Global Climate Network discussed their perceptions of the state of the negotiations and the key issues leading up to Copenhagen at this ippr ‘Thinking on Thursday’ event. They discussed ways to overcome the rift between developed and developing countries and the likelihood of a deal being struck.

Participants from the Network included Dr Rubens Born (Vitae Civilis, Brazil), Jake Caldwell (Center for American Progress), Andrew Gilder (IMBEWU Sustainability Legal Specialists (pty) Ltd), South Africa) and Will McGoldrick (The Climate Institute, Australia).

The event was chaired by Simon Retallack (Associate Director and Head of Climate Change, ippr).

Download the recording (.mp3)

Ippr-FCO reception with the Global Climate Network

Wednesday 20 May 2009
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London

The Rt. Hon David Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and Carey Oppenheim, Co-Director of ippr, launched a new programme of work to be carried out by the Global Climate Network with support from the FCO at a private reception in London.

In his speech, the Foreign Secretary commended the work of the Network which aims to reframe thinking on climate change policy towards a bold, new narrative of technological progress, economic and social prosperity and development. He emphasised the positive role the GCN could play in shaping national level policy and in helping pave the way for international action to be agreed at Copenhagen and beyond.

The reception was attended by senior government officials, embassy attachés, representatives from business and NGOs and members of the Network from ippr, the Center for American Progress, The Energy and Resources Institute in India, Germany's Wuppertal Institute, Vitae Civilis in Brazil, IMBEWU in South Africa and Nigeria’s International Centre for Energy, Environment and Development. 

The Network’s new two year programme of research and advocacy focuses on how barriers to low carbon technological deployment can be overcome, how low carbon development can be financed, and what the economic opportunities are associated with a low carbon transition.

‘Breaking through on technology at Copenhagen'

Event on the Global Climate Network’s technology project with the Department for International Development

Tuesday 19 May 2009
Royal Society, London 

Technology has often played the role of the ugly sister in the debate about environmental limits, but new ground-breaking research by the Global Climate Network shows it should be front and centre.

Based on evidence from qualitative interviews with over 100 individuals from government, industry and academia in eight countries key to tackling climate change, the study which is due to be published in June 2009 suggests that national technology policy is lacking and needs a major boost. By outlining the current barriers to technology development, transfer and deployment, it advises that a deal at Copenhagen will need to be capable of supporting countries to develop progressive technology policy at home, whilst enabling them to collaborate with one another in a rapid acceleration of low carbon technology internationally.

Simon Retallack, Associate Director and Head of Climate Change at ippr, presented the interim findings of the study with senior representatives of the Network at this event at the Royal Society, London.

Country Study perspectives were provided by Jake Caldwell (Director of Policy for Agriculture, Trade and Energy, Center for American Progress), Andrew Gilder (Director, IMBEWU Sustainability Legal Specialists (pty) Ltd), South Africa) and Ritu Kumar (Director, TERI-Europe).

The event was chaired by Lisa Harker (co-director, ippr).

Download the recording  (.mp3)

What are the barriers to Technology Transfer?: Official UNFCCC Side-Event

Research from the Global Climate Network

An official UNFCCC side event at AWG-KP7/AWG-LCA5 in Bonn
Thursday 2 April, 18.00-20.00, Tram Room

Presentation of interim findings and conclusions:
Tilman Santarius, Senior Fellow, Wuppertal Institute, Germany

Perspectives from country studies:

• Dr. Ying Chen, RCSD, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China
• Morrow Gaines Cambell III, Vitae Civilis, Brazil
• Dr Erwin Jackson, Head of Policy and Research, The Climate Institute, Australia.

Technology transfer is critical to both the negotiation and to the actual mitigation of GHG emissions. A new eight-country study by the Global Climate Network, due to be published later in April 2009, sheds new light on the debate by looking in detail at perceptions of barriers to development and deployment.

 

'A Shared Vision: The Global Climate Network': Official UNFCCC COP-14 Side Event

Tuesday 9 December, 9.00-10.30am
CCTV4, Poznań International Fair Ltd.
Glogowska street 14,60-734 Poznań, Poland

New research published collaboratively by members of the Global Climate Network shows how current developed country proposals for cutting emissions in 2020 will be insufficient if dangerous climate change is to be avoided. At this official UNFCCC side event at Poznań, Network members launched the research and discussed how, by focusing on technology and finance, the ‘mitigation gap’ can be closed.