Political wrangling delays release of U.N. climate report
The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was originally scheduled to unveil a report on the sweeping societal changes needed to stave off catastrophic warming at 5 a.m. Eastern this morning.
That didn't happen. Instead, the negotiations over the final text were the longest in the IPCC's 34-year history, delaying the report's release until 11 a.m. Eastern today to the frustration of many journalists and observers.
Scientists and officials from nearly 200 countries haggled late into Sunday night over thorny questions such as how much funding wealthy nations should provide for developing countries to tackle climate change, and what emphasis to give policies such as phasing out subsidies for fossil fuels, the Guardian's Fiona Harvey reports.
- India demanded key changes on issues including climate finance, according to the Guardian.
- Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer, sought changes related to ensuring a continued role for fossil fuels as governments transition to renewable energy.
- Russia, which has faced international condemnation over its invasion of Ukraine, played a more muted role than some scientists and officials had feared.
“Every statement is loaded with implications for countries,” a person familiar with the report told our colleague Sarah Kaplan, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the negotiations.
Seemingly simple language about the need for renewable power sources can be fraught with consequences for low-income countries struggling to guarantee energy access for their citizens, as well as wealthier nations that might be asked to provide financial and technical support for the transition, the person said.
Paris goals vs. reality
Today's document is the IPCC's first report on “mitigation" — options to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere — since the 2015 Paris agreement, in which countries agreed to limit global temperature rise to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.4 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels.
That partly explains why the negotiations took so long, said Eddy Perez, the international climate diplomacy manager for Climate Action Network – Canada who has been following the approval process. It reveals how nations are nowhere near meeting the goals they set eight years ago.
“Countries were looking deep inside, into their own policies, to contrast them with what this report says must be done,” Perez told our colleague Sarah.
The role of policymakers
The report itself, which will stretch hundreds of pages, was largely settled on Sunday night. The last-minute haggling was over the “summary for policymakers,” which will be about 40 pages and will serve as the key document for governments.
While scientists drafted the report on their own over the past eight years, the summary for policymakers was edited with input from every U.N. member state that wanted to participate, leading to 40 consecutive hours of last-minute negotiations.
Some scientists and observers have criticized the involvement of policymakers, saying it results in a watered-down document and undermines the IPCC's credibility as an institution. They say policymakers should wait to push their agendas until the next U.N. climate summit, known as COP27, set to be hosted by Egypt in November.
But Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, a Belgian climatologist who participated in the approval process, took to Twitter to defend the IPCC process and its outcomes.
“The scientists authoring the report always have the last word on what is in the [summary for policymakers], even if they don’t on what is not in it, because we work by consensus,” he said. “The strong, and sometimes tense discussions between country delegates and the authors have a big advantage over a report that would be written by scientists alone, in their ivory tower: a common sense of ownership.”
This was the longest #IPCC approval Plenary in the 34-year long history of @IPCC_CH. Due to end on April 1st (probably a bad date😉), it will formally end on April 4. The world will have to wait a little more than expected to read it but it will be another landmark #ClimateReport
— Prof. Jean-Pascal van Ypersele (@JPvanYpersele) April 3, 2022
Environmental justice
Gordon Plaza was sold as a dream for Black home buyers. It was a toxic nightmare.
New Orleans city officials allowed developers to build homes on land contaminated with 149 toxic substances — 49 of which the Environmental Protection Agency says are linked to cancer — but didn’t tell the Black home buyers they encouraged to live there, The Washington Post's Darryl Fears reports.
Fifty-seven families live atop untreated soil of the former Agriculture Street Landfill in the Gordon Plaza subdivision, considered by many to be one of the worst examples of environmental injustice in the nation.
Before the EPA warned the community that the ground was toxic, it spent nine years telling them it was safe. Between 1986 and 1993, the EPA reassessed how it categorized toxicity of a number of contaminants and finally revealed the site was hazardous.
"Everybody knows somebody in the neighborhood who has cancer and has died from cancer,” said Joshua Allen Akeem, who was raised in the community.
Agency alert
Transportation Department finalizes rule to raise fuel economy standards for cars, light trucks
The Transportation Department on Friday finalized tailpipe pollution standards that would require the fuel efficiency of new cars and light trucks to reach 49 miles per gallon in less than four years, The Post’s Michael Laris reports. Biden administration officials said the new rule could help slash greenhouse gas emissions and lower costs for American drivers amid soaring gas prices.
The new rule requires the nation’s automakers to increase fuel efficiency by 8 percent starting late next year, an additional 8 percent the year after, and 10 percent for model year 2026 — echoing standards established in an agreement between California and multiple carmakers in 2019 when the Trump administration sought to remove Obama-era regulations.
The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country, and mileage standards are a crucial tool for cutting tailpipe pollution. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called the rule “a big step, and just one part” of a broader strategy to address climate change by shifting toward cleaner energy and electric vehicles.
To accelerate President Biden’s goal of cutting emissions in half by 2030, Buttigieg on Friday also urged Congress to pass Democrats' stalled reconciliation bill, which would provide tax credits to buyers of electric cars.
Pressure points
Tesla sales spiked in the first quarter, overtaking industry trends
Tesla, the world’s top electric car manufacturer, on Saturday reported an increase in global sales in the first three months of the year, overcoming supply chain issues and inching closer to the production levels of luxury companies such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Jack Ewing reports for The New York Times.
The company said it delivered 310,000 vehicles from January through March, up from 185,000 cars during the same period in 2021, following expectations from Wall Street and building on its momentum after nearly doubling sales last year. But its increase is in stark contrast with other major carmakers, which reported struggling sales on Friday because of shortages of key materials such as computer chips.
The market for electric cars is growing among established automakers as they begin to introduce more battery-powered models to compete with Tesla, which sells far more electric vehicles than any other carmaker. Sales of battery-powered cars overall are projected to increase even further by the end of the year as gas prices remain high.
On the Hill this week
It's another busy week on Capitol Hill for climate and energy policy wonks, as two congressional committees look to scrutinize the oil industry amid riising gas prices sparked by the war in Ukraine. Here's what we have on tap:
On Tuesday: The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing titled “Ensuring Transparency in Petroleum Markets.” The House Oversight and Reform Committee will also hold a hearing on the Postal Service’s decision to buy mostly gas-powered delivery trucks despite calls from the Biden administration to transition to an electric federal fleet.
On Wednesday: The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will meet to examine President Biden’s proposed budget of $11.9 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency for fiscal year 2023. The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will also hold a hearing titled “Gouged at the Gas Station: Big Oil and America’s Pain at the Pump,” with the following oil executives testifying:
- David Lawler, chairman and president of BP America
- Michael K. Wirth, chairman and CEO of Chevron
- Richard E. Muncrief, president and CEO of Devon Energy
- Darren Woods, CEO of ExxonMobil
- Scott D. Sheffield, CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources
- Gretchen Watkins, president of Shell USA
On Thursday: The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis will hold a hearing on the role of energy efficiency investments in promoting energy security and cutting energy bills. The House Natural Resources Committee will also hold a hearing on demand for critical minerals and the effects of recycling those elements.
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