12-7-19
The weeds of progress reporting
I’m fascinated by how detailed the formal Paris Agreement discussions are. Yesterday I observed a session on methodologies of reporting national greenhouse gas inventories. Specifically, how should common reporting tables be formatted? What is the structure and content of these tables? How will countries report on their progress towards their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)? You can see one of the supporting documents here.
I find it reassuring to see countries working through the same logistics that we sometimes struggle with on the campus level. Colleges and universities in the Climate Leadership Network are definitely on the right path. The details of figuring out the best way to measure and report progress are tedious. And, there is always room for improvement as we continuously develop better ways to collect data. However, while it can be frustrating work, reporting and transparency are important. COP25 confirms for me that these details are a vital component of addressing climate change. I’m proud that many signatory schools have been measuring and reporting their greenhouse gas emissions for over 10 years!
Above post written by Ruby Woodside, Climate Programs Senior Manager for Second Nature, while she was attending COP25.
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12-8-19
It takes everyone
Cross-sector climate action seems to be a theme for my COP25 experience. From the events at the US Climate Action Center to discussions on adaptation and resilience, it’s clear that every sector needs to be involved in addressing climate change. Because climate change is a wicked problem, partnerships are key to moving forward solutions. Of course, colleges and universities have an important role to play in this. I know about great work happening in the US, but have been inspired to learn how higher education sectors in other countries are also engaged in cross-sector climate action. For example, I met with the coordinator of a Guatemalan network of campuses working on climate resilience. Eleven universities are working closely with the government and with their local communities on disaster risk management and climate adaptation. This includes incorporating climate change into planning decisions, protecting vital ecosystem services, and training teams of student volunteers. I see many parallels to how Climate and Resilience Commitment signatories, and UC3 members, are working with their communities. We can learn from networks like this, and share our own experiences and best practices.
Above post written by Ruby Woodside, Climate Programs Senior Manager for Second Nature, while she was attending COP25.
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12-10-19
Article 6
Article 6 is the main unresolved section of the Paris Agreement, and a hot topic at COP25. It covers international carbon markets and the rules for how countries can use carbon offsets to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). This WRI article provides a good overview.
During the first week I attended negotiating sessions related to Article 6. You can see some of the draft negotiating texts here. Brackets mean that the language is still under discussion and not final. Over several sessions, negotiators worked through technical details and defined clear options for the unresolved portions. However, it appears that the key decisions were left for the high level ministers, who arrived today. The unresolved questions include whether a share of proceeds from carbon trading will be allocated towards adaptation in especially vulnerable countries, and how countries will account for offsets to avoid double counting. There are also disagreements over which carbon offset units will be allowed, and whether some units should be voluntarily cancelled to ensure increased ambition and overall mitigation outcomes. I’m interested to see if the high level negotiators will be able to resolve these issues by the end of the week.
What does this mean for colleges and universities buying offsets in the U.S.? Immediately, probably not much. Because the U.S. is set to leave the Paris Agreement, the U.S. doesn’t have a NDC and there is no concern of double counting offsets within the U.S. However, Article 6 rules could impact the types of international offsets available. It could also create more opportunities for organizations (like campuses!) to engage with carbon offset markets. Ecosystem Marketplace’s report gives some insight into how the Paris Agreement outcomes could impact voluntary carbon markets.
Above post written by Ruby Woodside, Climate Programs Senior Manager for Second Nature, while she was attending COP25.
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