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NO BIG NEW COMMITMENTS FROM WORLD’S BIGGEST EMITTERS AT CLIMATE SUMMIT: The world’s largest emitters did not commit to much at the United Nations Climate Summit.
President Trump made a surprise cameo appearance at the summit to watch, but did not speak.
The U.S., the world’s second largest emitter, remains far away from reaching its Paris target of reducing emissions 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025, even before Trump is able to leave the agreement in 2020.
China, the top emitter, offered no new promises, with its original Paris commitment of halting the increase in its emissions by 2030 considered insufficient. Prime Minister Xi Jingping skipped the event.
“There is no doubt they are the biggest emitter and it would have been good for them to signal they are going to do more,” Susan Biniaz, a former State Department lawyer in the Obama administration who helped lead negotiations over the Paris agreement, told Josh. “ At the same time, it’s undeniable the absence of the U.S. plays a role.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, the third biggest emitter, said nothing about reducing the country’s reliance on coal, even as he announced an intent to more than double his country’s renewable energy capacity by 2030.
The European Union could not agree to commit to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, after four countries, led by Poland, blocked the enacting the target.
Petroleum giant Russia, the fourth-largest emitter, announced it will formally ratify the Paris climate agreement, but did not pledge to cut emissions further.
“What is most apparent is the yawning gap between the action demanded by the strikers on Friday, and what was delivered by world leaders on Monday,” Nat Keohane, vice president for international climate at the Environmental Defense Fund, told Josh. “The summit failed to deliver the increased ambition we need to see from countries,” Keohane added, while noting “promising steps” taken in smaller areas like shipping and nature-based solutions.
U.N. Secretary Antonio Guterres did announce that 77 countries committed to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, including Germany.
But most of the biggest pledges came from smaller low-lying countries, including small islands and undeveloped countries vulnerable to the effects of climate change, despite the fact the they have contributed the least to the problem.
The designers of the Paris agreement intended for countries to voluntarily increase their goals over time, with the initial targets putting the U.S. on pace to reach at least 3 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of the century, short of the “well below” 2 degree Celsius goal.
“We have a long way to go,” Guterres said in closing the summit.
Welcome to Daily on Energy, written by Washington Examiner Energy and Environment Writer Josh Siegel (@SiegelScribe) and Abby Smith (@AbbySmithDC). Email [email protected] or [email protected] for tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list.
A SUMMIT OF CLIMATE COMMITMENTS: The U.N. climate summit did manage to include some notable announcements — from countries, states and cities, and companies — strengthening their pledges or making new commitments to cut greenhouse gases.
- A dozen countries announced new financial commitments to the Green Climate Fund, which helps developing countries pay for climate adaptation and mitigation. That includes announcements that France, Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom will double their contributions.
- Former Democratic California Governor Jerry Brown is teaming up with China, creating a new institute with the country’s top climate official. Brown will chair the California-China Climate Institute, which will focus on low-emission transportation, including electric vehicles and hydrogen cars, and climate-friendly agriculture, according to a Reuters report.
- Bill Gates led the World Bank and several European countries in announcing $790 million in investment to help small-scale farmers adapt to climate change impacts. Gates co-chairs the Global Commission on Adaptation, which recently unveiled a report urging world leaders to significantly strengthen investments in climate adaptation measures.
TRUMP NEEDLES 16 YEAR-OLD THUNBERG — SHE HAS A ‘BRIGHT AND WONDERFUL FUTURE’: The president tweeted sarcastically about 16-year old climate activist Greta Thunberg late Monday night, following her speech about climate change in front of the United Nations.
“She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future,” the president tweeted, which quote-tweeted an excerpt of Thunberg’s speech. “So nice to see!”
Trump and Thunberg went viral earlier in the day when the activist was caught glaring at the president as he arrived at the UN headquarters in New York City.
“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” Thunberg proclaimed to world leaders. “Entire ecosystems are collapsing, we are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!”
TRUMP ADDRESSES UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON SAUDI OIL ATTACK: Trump focused some of his Tuesday morning address at the U.N. General Assembly on America’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran.
He pledged to continue tightening economic sanctions on Iran because of the recent attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities.
“The United States does not seek conflict with any other nation,” Trump said. “We desire peace, cooperation, and mutual gain with all. But I will never fail to defend America’s interests.”
Britain, France, and Germany have now all said they agree with the U.S. assessment that Iran was behind the attacks on key oil facilities in Saudi Arabia 10 days ago.
The leaders of the three U.S allies said “there is no other plausible explanation” but that “Iran bears responsibility for this attack.”
DIGGING INTO DEMOCRATS’ CLIMATE PITCH TO RURAL VOTERS: Democratic presidential candidates have talked climate-friendly agriculture in all three debates so far — but would their plans do enough to break down barriers to farmers adopting sustainable practices?
The devil is in the details, as it often is, farmers, consumer goods companies, and environmentalists tell Abby.
Changing the way farmers maintain their fields — through planting so-called “cover crops” and doing no-till farming — can have a huge impact on the sector’s emissions. In fact, those practices could actually help to boost the amount of carbon that is stored in soils, experts told Abby. And those practices also have other benefits, boosting soil nutrients and strengthening resilience to extreme weather like drought and flood.
So why aren’t farmers doing it already? Farmers often aren’t able to easily switch practices due to financial or cultural barriers.
One such barrier is the way the federal crop insurance program is set up. The Trump Department of Agriculture has taken some steps to fix it — but farmers and environmentalists say the program needs fundamental change to allow farmers to absorb the cost of trying out new practices.
This dynamic is something Democratic candidates’ climate plans don’t go into detail about yet.
Read more in Abby’s magazine story out today.
CLIMATE PROTESTERS JUSTIFY SNARLING DC TRAFFIC: Protesters blocked major intersections around D.C. on Monday to raise awareness about climate change and call on politicians to take action.
The event, called “Shut Down DC,” saw hundreds of people stop traffic during rush hour in the nation’s capital. At one intersection near bustling Union Station, the activists threw confetti and danced in the middle of the road.
At another intersection near the White House, protesters blocked the road with a boat.
Other protesters chained themselves to step ladders that were placed in the middle of another intersection. At least 26 activists were arrested for blocking traffic.
Groups making up the climate coalition included Black Lives Matter DMV, Code Pink, Extinction Rebellion DC, Metro DMV Democratic Socialists of America, Movement for a People’s Party, Rising Tide North America, and Sunrise Movement DC.
Their demands included a Green New Deal, respect for indigenous lands, environmental justice, protection of biodiversity, and sustainable agriculture.
WORLD ENERGY USE COULD GROW 50% BY MIDCENTURY: World energy consumption will grow nearly 50% by 2050, the Energy Information Administration projected Tuesday.
Most of the demand growth will come from regions needing energy to support strong economic growth, mostly in Asia, EIA said in its annual International Energy Outlook.
The industrial sector, including refining, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, and construction, accounts for more than half of energy consumption projected through 2050.
Energy use from transportation will increase 40% by midcentury, while energy consumed in buildings, both residential and commercial structures, will rise by 65%.
Renewables — wind, solar, and hydro — are the fastest-growing energy source to serve the increase in energy demand through 2050, surpassing petroleum and other liquids.
INDUSTRY: EXTENDED SOLAR TAX BREAK WOULD DRIVE $87 BILLION IN INVESTMENT: Congress extending the solar investment tax credit would result in an additional 82 gigawatts of solar deployment by 2030, sparking $87 billion in private investment and creating 113,000 jobs, according to a new industry-backed study.
Extending the tax credit would offset an additional 363 million metric tons of CO2 emissions over the next 10 years, equivalent to 21% of emissions from U.S. electricity generation in 2018, says a report released Tuesday by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables.
The solar investment tax break is scheduled to begin phasing down at the end of this year unless Congress chooses to extend it.
“These forecasts prove that an ITC extension will continue to deliver real results for our economy and the planet,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association.
LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN RESOLUTIONS SUPPORTING CLEAN ENERGY WEEK: Republican Representative John Curtis of Utah and Democrat Alan Lowenthal of California introduced the first-ever bipartisan resolution in the House supporting the designation of National Clean Energy Week and encouraging the federal government, states and private industry to “invest in clean, low-emitting energy technologies.”
Senators Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, and Maria Cantwell, Democrat of Washington, plan to introduce the same resolution.
National Clean Energy Week, running through Friday, started three years ago as an initiative designed to bring more attention to the consensus among businesses, states, and policymakers about the need to transition to clean energy and reduce emissions. It is backed by 14 “Steering Committee” members, with participants as diverse as the American Petroleum Institute and the American Council on Renewable Energy.
The Rundown
New York Times Oil giants, under fire from climate activists and investors, mount a defense
Reuters Nuclear energy too slow, too expensive to save the climate: report
Wall Street Journal Struggling farmers see bright spot in solar
Lexington Herald-Leader: Feds to spend $3.72 million to retrain many of Kentucky’s Blackjewel coal miners
BBC: Climate change: Scientists to report on ocean ’emergency’ caused by warming
Calendar
TUESDAY | SEPTEMBER 24
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 4 F St NW. National Clean Energy Week Young Professionals Happy Hour.
WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 25
9:15 a.m. 406 Dirksen. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee holds a business meeting to consider the nominations of Aurelia Skipwith to be director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Katherine Lemos to be chairperson of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
10 a.m. 366 Dirksen. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee holds a business meeting to considering various energy bills.
6 p.m. to 9 p.m. 1127 Connecticut Ave NW. National Clean Energy Week VIP Reception & Banquet.
THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 26
9 a.m. to 7 p.m. 529 14th Street Northwest 13th Floor. National Clean Energy Week Policy Makers Symposium. Keynote speakers include Sens. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Reps. Garret Graves, R-La., Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., and more.
2 p.m. Room HVC-210 of the House Visitor Center. The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis holds a hearing on “Solving the Climate Crisis: Reducing Industrial Emissions Through U.S. Innovation.”
