GROCC E-Newsletter
GROCC 3 Convenes in Reykjavik
The third meeting of the Global Roundtable on Climate Change convened on June 12 and 13 in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Over the course of the two-day meeting, participants discussed in increasing detail how members of the business, political and scientific communities can increase public understanding of the dangers posed by human-induced climate change and at the same time present some possible future courses of action that avert the worst risks associated with emissions of greenhouse gases.
Participants heard scientific, political and business leaders address some of the most pressing issues related to climate change and the future of society. Among those who spoke were government ministers of India, Nicaragua and Papua New Guinea; leaders of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), who invited Roundtable participants to review sections of the upcoming Fourth Assessment Report due early next year; and experts on topics ranging from carbon sequestration to rainforest deforestation to affordable energy solutions for the poor. Presentations from the meeting can be viewed here.
Jeffrey Sachs, Chair of the Roundtable, proposed that the Roundtable focus on two objectives: issuing by the end of the year a short, powerful statement of the Roundtable's advocacy of action to avoid the most dire consequences of climate change; and choosing a number of demonstration projects to champion.
Intersessional Work
Demonstration Projects
IIn an effort to stimulate collaboration on projects that help address the question of how to provide adequate energy for economic development while avoiding dangerous destabilization of the climate system, the Global Roundtable on Climate Change has invited participants to submit demonstration project proposals. Demonstration projects should (1) be relevant to Roundtable goals, (2) include stakeholders from multiple institutions, (3) be supported by the stakeholders, (4) lead to a net reduction in carbon emissions, (5) be innovative, (6) be feasible, and (7) have broader applicability and scalability. Although the Roundtable Secretariat is not able to finance or implement demonstration projects, it hopes to serve as a platform to connect interested parties for potential projects, provide additional visibility for existing projects, and otherwise focus attention and resources on projects that have the potential to provide solutions in the areas of mitigation and adaptation to climate change. As proposals continue to come in, the Roundtable Secretariat plans to begin evaluating and supporting projects by September.
IPCC Expert Review
Roundtable participation in the expert review of IPCC Working Group 3 second order draft has commenced, and continues through September 15. This part of the 4th Assessment Report (due out in 2007) assesses options for limiting greenhouse gas emissions and otherwise mitigating climate change.
GROCC-4
The next meeting of the Roundtable will be held December 18-19 at Columbia University in New York. The clear and pressing need to consider strategies and methods for adaptation to the changes that are already in evidence and those that are likely to come will be the focus of discussion at the upcoming meeting over a series of panels, featuring Roundtable participants and other experts. Possible panel topics include impacts and strategies to adapt to impacts of climate change on food production, health systems, infrastructure, insurance, finance, and investment. The Roundtable Secretariat welcomes input regarding topics, speakers, and formats for these panels. Please send suggestions and ideas to grocc@ei.columbia.edu.
The Roundtable will also discuss, in hopes to finalize, a revised version of the Joint Statement based on comments from the meeting in Reykjavik and the review to be conducted over the course of summer and fall. Finally, during a small number of break-out sessions, the Roundtable will discuss ongoing and newly proposed demonstration projects. With many exciting topics planned for discussion, GROCC-4 promises to be an important and productive meeting
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Other Events of Interest
Living with Climate Variability and Change: Understanding the Uncertainties and Managing the Risks
The conference reviewed the opportunities and constraints in integrating climate risks and uncertainties into the mainstreams of decision-making where sensitivity to climate variability and changes is but one among many factors to consider. With the goal of making substantial progress in the establishment of an operable agenda for climate related risk management, the conference focused on decision processes in real-world contexts, including agriculture, water resource management, disease control, power generation and disaster mitigation. As experts in natural disasters, public health, energy, water resources, agriculture, decision-related sciences, and policy and climate, conference participants produced a consensus statement calling for the development of mechanisms to promote evaluation and capacity building in climate-related risk management.
Global Warming Educational Initiative: Focus the Nation
The Roundtable Secretariat will host an organizational workshop by Focus the Nation, a major educational initiative designed to engage students and teachers in a multi-disciplinary discussion centered on the theme "Stabilizing the Climate in the 21st Century". The project will culminate in a day of symposia on campuses nationwide, to be held on January 18, 2008, at the beginning of the presidential election campaign. The workshop will take place September 18, 2006 at Columbia University.
View event web site here.
Climate News
Family albums highlight climate change
(Nature.com, August 9, 2006)
NOAA curtails hurricane forecast
(Washington Post, August 9, 2006)
Solar power brings relief to Nigerian village (Allafrica.com, August 5, 2006)
As power bills soar, companies embrace 'green' buildings (Washington Post, August 5, 2006)
More frequent heatwaves linked to global warming (New York Times, August 4, 2006)
22 Cities join Clinton anti-warming initiative
(August 2, 2006)
Blair and Schwarzenegger announce plans for GHG market (CNN.com July 31, 2006)
Heatwave with a global grip (The Times Online, July 30, 2006)
Colorado utility fundraises for global warming skeptic Pat Michaels (ABC News Online, July 27, 2006)
NASA's goals delete mention of home planet
(New York TImes, July 22, 2006)
US Supreme Court to hear case on regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles
(Associated Press, June 27, 2006)
Carbon market to treble in 2006 (Environmental Finance, May 11, 2006)
Europe fails on carbon limits (Nature, May 15, 2006)
White house climate panel report concludes global average temperatures are rising
(Nature, May 12, 2006)
IIndustries trying to improve environmental, social performance – UN report (UN News Center, May 10, 2006)
US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee climate conference (April 4, 2006)
Views:
Time to put climate change on the global agenda
(US Senator John Kerry, San Francisco Chronicle, August 9, 2006)
Global warming:Finally feeling the heat
(Gregg Easterbrook, New York Times, May 24, 2006)
There is no consensus on global warming (Richard Lindzen, Wall Street Journal editorial page, June 26, 2006)
Biomass movement
(John Deutch, Wall Street Journal, May 10, 2006)
Climate Activities of Roundtable participants:
Brussels conference hosted by the Wuppertal Institute tackles linking of emissions trading schemes (Conference summary)
Munich Re co-hosts workshop with University of Colorado: Climate Change and Disaster Losses - Understanding
and Attributing Trends and Projections
(Link to the Nature article)
Emissions Exchange Program Aims to Reduce Greenhouse Gases (The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, June 7, 2006)
Vattenfall breaks ground on oxyfuel pilot plant (May 29, 2006)