UN climate talks were both encouraging and frustrating
The recent UN conference on climate change in Egypt was both encouraging and frustrating, says Midlands green energy expert Ron Fox.
He was delighted that world leaders agreed at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh to establish a fund to help countries impacted by climate change.
And Ron was pleased both by US legislation to reduce gas emissions and moves by Brazil to reverse the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. Plus, there was some positive news from China, India and Australia, three countries producing high amounts of carbon dioxide.
But he was disappointed that there were no new promises on reducing coal mining and the reliance on oil to help cut carbon emissions.
Ron said the biggest headline catcher was that after 30 years rich nations have agreed to pay poorer countries for the damage and economic losses from the impact of climate change.
Another important move was that US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first meeting last month since Biden took office. This is expected to improve the two countries’ joint action on climate problems after China had ended its co-operation when a senior US politician had controversially visited Taiwan.
On top of that earlier this year the US passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030.
The bill wants to make green energy play a greater part in industry, transport and electricity, plus people are being given a tax credit of around $7,500 (£6,500) to buy an electric car.
“The bad news,” added Ron, “is that in response to the energy crisis, President Biden released 15 million barrels of oil from reserves on to the market and approved new leases for oil and gas drilling.”
However, he said there were other encouraging signs around the world. The green energy expert was pleased to hear the new president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, promise that his country would act on climate change and to help protect the Amazon rainforest. He had had a dramatic election victory over previous leader Jair Bolsonaro who had championed more mining in the Amazon, causing deforestation there to increase by 48 per cent in 2021.
Another election has seen a second country accelerate its climate change plans. The new Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, who was elected in May this year, has promised the UN to reduce carbon emissions by 43 per cent by 2030, up from its previous figure of 26 per cent. Australia is one of the top five producers of coal in the world.
India, which is one of the few countries to have published updated climate targets this year, has pledged to reduce emissions by 2030 and wants 50 per cent of installed energy to be renewable. But at the same time, it is planning to reopen 100 coal mines.
“I do welcome the progress made at COP27 this year and at COP26 in Glasgow a year ago in tackling climate change, but more needs to be done as a matter of urgency,” concluded Ron, of Noreus Ltd on the University of Keele Science Innovation Park
For more information on how you can play your part in reducing climate change, call Ron on 01782 756995.
Caption: Growing hope – the new president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, promised that his country would act on climate change by helping protect the Amazon rainforest. Picture: Wikipedia
