Marshall Islands seek regular UN climate summit

Last week, the Marshall Islands released plans for a UN climate summit of world leaders every five years.

The summit would be based on the 2014 New York summit led by Ban Ki-moon, during which US President Barack Obama introduced a new Climate Pact.

RMI President Hilda Heine said: “These summits should then become a regular fixture every five years as part of the Paris ambition mechanism as countries finish work on their targets for the next cycle.”

Read the ClimateAction story - “Marshall Islands demand regular UN climate meeting for world leaders.”

The message is clear - the fossil fuel age is over

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rom Dhaka to Tokyo, Geneva to Jakarta, citizens around the world made their voices heard today, and their message was clear: the fossil fuel age is over.

On the eve of the Paris Climate Summit, in over 2,300 events across 175 countries, at least 570,000 people of all ages, backgrounds and beliefs took to the streets to call in unison for a fairer, cleaner, safer world.

With marches in the Americas still ongoing, the total figure is likely to grow. Some of the biggest marches so far included Melbourne with 60,000, London with 50,000, and Sydney with 45,000.

But even towns high up in the Himalayas, on low-lying islands in the Pacific, or in the Latin American rainforest saw hundreds gathering to march, dance or cycle for climate action.

In Cairns protesters took refuge from the extreme heat by protesting in a lagoon, while in many European cities protesters weathered pouring rain and strong winds to join the action. In Paris, where marches were officially banned, thousands of people found creative ways to stand up for a future powered by 100% renewables.

Read more - “People out in force, Paris under pressure to deliver.”

Tom Arup wonders, can a wounded Paris deliver on the climate?

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s the gunsmoke clears from the streets of Paris, in its place a sense of resolve has set in. In a week, the wounded city will host 45,000 people for the long-awaited climate summit.

The French government is insisting that the terror will not stop it going ahead, albeit with heightened security and public marches cancelled.

Among those attending, there is a belief that the violence must not hamper the summit's goal – to deliver a long-awaited new global agreement to tackle climate change.

Read Tom Arup’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Climate change: Can a wounded Paris deliver for the planet?”

Frybenberg says Paris climate summit 'must' go ahead

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lanned international meetings in Paris such as the COP21 climate summit "must" go ahead as planned or the terrorists will have won, Australian Government Minister Josh Frydenberg said during an emotional visit to one site of Paris' latest terror attack.

Australian Government
Minister Josh Frydenberg

Mr Frydenberg laid a simple green and gold bunch of flowers on the pavement outside the Bataclan Theatre in Paris, where three days earlier 19-year-old Australian Emma Parkinson was shot fleeing terrorists as almost 90 people were killed around her.

Read the Melbourne Age story - “Paris attacks: Climate summit 'must' go ahead as planned, says Josh Frydenberg.”

(Blatant political hypocrisy astounds me – John Frydenburg was an active participant in the Abbott Government that moved immediately after being elected to disband Australia’s key advisory Climate Commission, scrapped the only effective defence we had against climate change, the so-called “Carbon Tax” and worked hard to derail and destroy any institution, or person, in Australia eager to advance the country’s understanding of climate change.

Tony Abbott had earlier described climate science as “crap” and that view had become de facto government policy, but now with the change of leader to Malcolm Turnbull, who was once a “climate champion”, but since taking over as PM has been rather quite, there has been a subtle shift in the government’s approach, and now Josh Frydenburg is arguing the Paris conference “must” go ahead – that change of heart and mind is to be  welcomed, but is little more than political opportunism and hypocrisy – Robert McLean.)

PNG PM calls on Australia to push for strong climate agreement

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apua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has urged Australia to be an advocate for the Pacific in pushing for a strong agreement at this month’s worldwide climate change talks in Paris.

PNG PM, Peter O'Neill calls
on Australia to push for
strong climate agreement.

The governments of more than 190 nations will meet at COP21 in the French capital, beginning on 30 November, to discuss a new global climate accord.

O’Neill and other Pacific leaders – whose countries are already experiencing the impacts of climate change – are preparing to vigorously prosecute their concerns on global climate action in Paris.

Read The Guardian story - “Australia must help Pacific islands at Paris climate summit, says PNG leader.”

Australia's Paris climate target 'towards the back of the pack'

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n the lead-up to the major United Nations climate summit in Paris later this year, Australia has announced plans to reduce its greenhouse gas pollution by 26-28% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.

According to a variety of experts, the target range puts Australia towards the back of the pack based on our wealth and emissions per person. By 2030 we’ll still have the highest emissions per person among comparable economies. Australia’s announcement has already attracted international criticism.

Read The Conversation story - “New UN rules put the spotlight on climate laggards to lift their game.”

Australia is thumbing its nose at the world

Australia is thumbing its nose at the world in not having its Prime Minster attend high level climate talks in New York next week.

Tony Abbott has been gallivanting around the snaring political points as he has immersed himself, and by default Australia, in emotive matters, while demonstrating complete disregard for what is unquestionably humanity’s most threatening dilemma.

Sadly, he has done this again in not aligning himself with other world leaders when they gather in New York to discuss a response to climate change.

A story published today on the ABC headed: “Climate Summit: European Union surprised Tony Abbott will not attend high level climate talks” outlines the disappointment the world has shown at Mr Abbott’s behaviour.

World leaders including US president Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron will attend the UN secretary-general's Climate Summit, but Mr Abbott will not be seen, although his Foreign Minster Julie Bishop will represent Australia at the climate talks, but his office did not explain why Mr Abbott would not be attending.

The ABC reports: “Mr Abbott will not be attending, despite the fact that he is due to attend a UN Security Council meeting in New York the next day”.