The Camp for Climate Action 2007

Tuesday 14th August to Tuesday 21st August
Climate Camp officially Injunction-Free

Eight days of low-impact living, debates, learning skills, and high-impact direct action tackling the root causes of climate change. Why?The science is clear: global emissions of carbon dioxide must go into rapid decline within the next decade. If they don't, humanity faces a bleak future.To achieve this in a way that respects global justice means 90% cuts in developed countries like the UK. How will we cut emissions and end inequality? How will we achieve this in the face of an economic system intent on expanding at any cost, with corporations stealing the language of change to disguise business as usual? Ordinary people will have to join together to create real solutions and take direct action against the root causes of the problem.This year the Camp for Climate Action will be at Heathrow, the world's busiest airport and a bigger source of CO2 emissions than most countries. It's sheer lunacy in this time of ecological crisis, but the aviation industry are pushing to almost double the airport's capacity by increasing flights and building a third runway. The battle to stop them will be one of the most important environmental battles in Western Europe.What we do now decides what the future holds. Those who came before us didn't know the problem, those who come after us will have severely limited options. We have both the power and the responsibility to make a radically better world.By uniting in collective action this summer we can begin to make it happen.

Climate Change Bill

We have added a link to the DEFRA site providing information on the Climate Change Bill currently being constructed by government. This will have huge implications across all sectors of the music industry. Click on the header to see the new link. This is a summary:

CLIMATE CHANGE BILL SUMMARY
The debate on climate change has shifted from whether we need to act to how much we need to do by when, and the economic implications of doing so. The time is therefore right for the introduction of a strong legal framework in the UK for tackling climate change. The draft Climate Change Bill is the first of its kind in any country.The Government has shown consistent leadership in the field of climate change by setting bold targets and pursuing ambitious policies. We are committed to securing a strong multilateral agreement beyond 2012, and within the EU, we are pushing hard for ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets, and to move to a low-carbon economy over time. At home, we have already shown progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and are set to double our Kyoto target.This Bill provides a legal framework to manage future emissions. It provides a clear, credible and long term framework that will provide greater clarity and confidence for businesses and individuals to plan and invest in delivering the changes needed to move to a low carbon economy. It will demonstrate leadership through example – a vital factor in helping to secure future international agreements.In summary the Bill:• makes challenging carbon dioxide reductions targets for 2020 and 2050 legally binding;• introduces a system of ‘carbon budgeting’ capping emissions over five-year periods – with three budgets set ahead to help businesses plan and invest with increased confidence;• creates a new independent body to advise on the setting of carbon budgets and to report on progress;• contains enabling powers to make future policies to control emissions quicker and easier to introduce; and• introduces a new system of Government reporting to Parliament including on climate change adaptation policies.Taken together these measures create a coherent framework that will ensure we achieve reductions in emissions whilst maintaining a strong and growing economy and high levels of social welfare.It is right that the public, Parliament and a wide range of interested organisations have an opportunity to discuss and debate these proposals – as climate change is an issue which affects us all and this Bill is intended to create a framework that lasts for more than a generation. The Government therefore looks forward to receiving a wide range of views on its proposals. We aim to introduce the final Bill to Parliament in autumn this year and the target date for Royal Assent is Spring 2008.Also published today is a strategy document setting out the broader context for the Bill. It highlights some key announcements coming up in the next few weeks and months which will be central to the Government’s strategy for tackling climate change – in particular the Energy White Paper, the Waste Strategy and the Planning White Paper. And it gives the broader international context, where the UK will continue to press for action through the EU, the G8 and the UN – recognising that only collective action can ultimately solve this unique global challenge.
Documents and links relating to the Climate Change Bill can be found at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/ /corporate/consult/climatechange-bill

20 Countries, 600 Groups, Will Meet in China to Reduce Greenhouse Gases - Over 20 Methane Reduction Project Opportunities at Beijing Expo

Contact Information: Dave Ryan, (202) 564-4355 / ryan.dave@epa.gov

(Washington, D.C. - Aug. 7, 2007) The Methane to Markets Partnership, an international initiative including 20 countries and nearly 600 public and private sector organizations, will be featuring over 20 methane reduction project opportunities at its Beijing exposition Oct. 30 - Nov. 1. EPA and China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) will co-host the Expo, in cooperation with several key Chinese ministries and corporations. An array of international organizations will participate as organizing sponsors, including: the Asian Development Bank, the Australian Government, the United Kingdom's Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Environment Canada, the International Energy Agency, and the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe."The Methane to Markets Expo is a unique opportunity to promote public-private partnerships which deliver benefits that are good for the environment, good for energy security and good for our wallets," said Marcus Peacock, EPA's deputy administrator. "EPA is committed to being a good global neighbor by exporting America's environmental successes to our international partners."Twenty times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, methane, the primary component of natural gas, is both a potent greenhouse gas and a valuable energy resource. The Methane to Markets Partnership focuses on promoting near-term, cost-effective projects that capture and use methane emissions as a clean energy source. The partnership focuses on project opportunities in agriculture, coal mining, landfill, and oil and gas sectors, where the collection and utilization of methane is possible using currently available technologies. The Expo's "International Methane Capture Marketplace" will be the first international forum devoted to the promotion of project opportunities and technologies related to methane recovery and use. It will be held in Beijing's China World hotel and up to 600 participants are anticipated from the public and private sector from countries spanning the globe. The Expo will provide attendees with the opportunity to:
Showcase project opportunities for potential investors
Meet with potential project partners and financiers
Learn about the latest technologies and services
Explore key technical, policy, and financial issues

The United States and 13 other countries launched the Methane to Markets Partnership in November 2004. By 2015, Methane to Markets has the potential to reduce annual methane emissions by up to 50 million metric tons of carbon equivalent – roughly equal to three times the greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity generated in New York State each year.

For more information about the Partnership and the Expo: http://www.methanetomarkets.org/or http://www.epa.gov/methanetomarkets

Get naked for the climate

From Reuters:

As art, we hasten to add, in Switzerland.

Greenpeace is seeking hundreds of volunteers willing to strip naked on a shrinking Swiss glacier next month for a photo shoot meant to raise alarm about global warming.
The environmental group said it hoped to attract as many people as possible to pose for U.S. photographic artist Spencer Tunick, who has previously staged mass nude photo shots in Mexico, Germany and Spain.
I don't mind sharing (just between you and I) that a few of the less inhibited folks from here at the International office are planing to go. No, no, don't be shocked. They'll take the train of course! Low CO2 footprint.

The message we want to get across is, "the human body is as vulnerable as a dying glacier". (That's from the press release.)
Although lots and lots of people are talking the talk on climate change, real change continues to be painfully slow. Some people are doing their bit in simple (clothes wearing) ways, like the 7 steps, while others want to make more of a statement. Some by even putting their bodies on the line (or in this case, on a glacier).
The photographer, Spencer Tunic (personal website, Wikipedia article), is world known for this sort of thing. He recently did a project here in Amsterdam. Sometimes I bike past one of his photos on the way to work.
If you want to be part of the Swiss glacier project, you can sign up on the Greenpeace Switzerland website. You can also sign up on Tunic's website.

Leaders in Environment, Society and Corporate Governance Outperform on Stock Market

July 31, 2007
A study by investment bank Goldman Sachs, has found that companies that are leaders in environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance have outperformed the MSCI World index by 25% since August 2005. Furthermore, 72% of the companies have outperformed their peers over the same period.

Companies need to perform well in five broad ESG categories to capitalise on the opportunities of globalisation while minimising the impact from environmental and social side-effects. These categories are: corporate governance, leadership, employees, stakeholders and environment.
Goldman Sachs has also launched a sustainable investment focus list – GS SUSTAIN – which selects companies with competitive advantage in mature industries and also picks those in emerging industries, such as renewable energy, environmental technology, biotechnology and nutrition.

Goldman Sachs analysed over 120 companies in five sectors (global energy, metals & mining, food & beverages, pharmaceuticals and European media) with respect to three areas: ESG performance; how well they are positioned vis-à-vis long-term industry trends; and the strength of their underlying financial returns. The results were clear – governance or management quality and sustainability are inextricably linked and companies with strong policies in these areas have superior economic returns.

However, the report suggests that analysing ESG in isolation does not correlate with stock market performance – two well known sustainable investing indices, the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the FTSE4Good Global Index have underperformed against their respective market benchmarks.
Goldman Sachs state that trends will only intensify, making this methodology helpful for investors and corporate managers alike who wish to establish sustained and sustainable growth.