Visions clash at World Energy Congress in Istanbul

(The World Energy Council gave out a clear message at the World Energy Congress that took place this week in Istanbul: the world needs to move away from fossil fuels much faster than it is doing today. That contrasted sharply with the message given out by most of the high-level speakers from government and business at the Congress, who stressed that the world needs more oil and gas. Mohammad Barkindo, the new Secretary General of oil cartel OPEC even warned that oil should not be “discriminated” against. Energy Post’s editor in chief Karel Beckman reports on the clashing visions in Istanbul)

 

“The biggest obstacle in achieving the climate goal is the rapid and successful transitioning of global transport to low carbon solutions”

The World Energy Congress is not just any event. Taking place every three years, organised by the World Energy Council, it is one of the biggest energy conferences in the world, and one of the most “high-level” – if you regard energy ministers and CEO’s of multinationals as “high-level”.

This year, in the troubled city of Istanbul, for the first time even a number of presidents showed up – those of Turkey, Russia, Venezuela and Azerbaijan – though the attendance was disappointing with around 2,000 delegates, only a third of the number at the previous Congress in Seoul in 2013. Fear of terrorist attacks no doubt prompted many to stay away.

Read the EnergyPost story - “Visions clash at World Energy Congress in Istanbul.”

G20 leaders slammed for failing to seize and boost Paris commitment

G

20 communique again underlines commitment to tackling climate change, but green groups slam leaders for failing to seize opportunity to boost Paris Summit.

The G20 group has today underlined it commitment to delivering a "fair, balanced, ambitious, durable and dynamic" Paris Agreement for tackling global greenhouse gas emissions, declaring that climate change remains "one of the greatest challenges of our time".

The communique published at the close of the two day Antalya Summit in Turkey included a lengthy section on "buttressing sustainability" that underscored leaders' public commitment to tackling climate change and enhancing sustainable development.

Read the BusinessGreen story - “G20: Climate change is one of the greenhouse gas emissionsof our time.”

Weather interrupts invasion centenary celebrations

Australia this year recognizes the centenary of its invasion of Turkey.

Many Federal Government bodies and institutions are making a particular effort broad community sentimentality and emotion about the invasion, but have been unable to program the weather.

The Melbourne Age reports today that storms in the area of Anzac Cove have upset plans and there is now a “Race to repair Anzac Cove storm damage ahead of Gallipoli anniversary”.

Climate change is not mentioned in the story and in what seems like an effort to normalize such happenings, the story point to a similar storm of 100 years ago.

Many world leaders face an intellectually impassable chasm

Many of the world leaders understand, but to the Abbott-led Australian Government it appears to be an intellectually impassable chasm.

Herman Daly's book has
been around since 1977
and it is long past time
it was read and taken
seriously by world leaders.

Climate change is rooted in complex science, but its impacts are real and understandable and its mitigation and processes of arrival at that are equally real and understandable.

The difficulty that many face, particularly the Abbott-led coalition, revolves around a new understanding of growth, making a lie of the goals at the present Brisbane G20 Summit.

Prime Minister Abbot and his principal cheer leader, Treasurer Joe Hockey, want the Brisbane G20 to agree on two per cent in the gross domestic product (GDP) for the world.

Sounds good, but defies all clearly understood mathematical realities of trying to achieve infinite growth in a finite world.

Also, the type of growth advocated by Australia’s PM and Treasurer flies in the face of what is needed if the world, and Australia, is to play a real and influential role in climate change mitigation.

Rather than advocating for growth as it is understood by his contemporary counterparts, Mr Abbott should be encouraging his fellow G20 participants to first read the work of Herman Daly who wrote in 1977 about the world’s need of steady-state economics and then talk about how they should shape business in the world.

Not everyone is as remote from the realities the world faces as Turkey's prime minister has described climate change in he Melbourne Age today as "the biggest challenge to all humanity today" and outlined a much broader and more inclusive agenda for when his country succeeds Australia as chair of the G20 next month.