Glasgow Dispatch - November 11

View this newsletter online Subscribe Review EESI Welcome! Today is cities, regions, and built environment day at COP26 Conversations focused on reducing emissions from the built environment, with a financial commitment from the U.K. to support decarbonization in developing cities. Denmark and Costa Rica announced the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, and the negotiations continued.  As Executive Director of the U.N. Environment Programme Inger Andersen said, “we can't achieve the 1.5 goal unless we think about the three primary sectors that drive emissions: energy, transport, and yes … buildings.” Andersen emphasized that existing buildings must be retrofitted to withstand climate impacts and new buildings must be net zero. “Some of the most cost-effective mitigation and resilience solutions are in buildings,” according to Andersen.   ⇒⇒⇒ EESI Resource: Watch or read the highlights from our briefing, Congressional Climate Camp #2: Federal Policies for High Emitting Sectors, which includes a presentation on the building sector.   Missed yesterday’s issue? Check it out here! Confused by COP terminology and acronyms? Check out the UNFCCC glossary of terms and other helpful guides in the Resources section!   Topics   Key Takeaways  |  Negotiations  |  U.S. Updates  |  Around the World  |  Resources  |  Events   Founding members of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance. Photo Credit: UNFCCC Beyond oil & gas: Denmark and Costa Rica launched the Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance to phase-out oil and gas production. Costa Rican Minister of Energy and Environment Andrea Meza Murillo stated “we need to continue addressing the demand side … [but] we need to start seeing concrete measures around the supply side as well.” Danish Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities Dan Jørgensen stated “we are all charting a common cause for net zero. And yet, it is somehow provocative to state that we need to end our own production of fossil fuels … But just as the stone age did not end due to the lack of stone, the fossil era will not end because there is no more oil left in the ground.” Core members include France, Greenland, Ireland, Quebec, Sweden, and Wales, and associate members include the state of California, New Zealand, and Portugal.   Global Climate Action Portal: UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa re-launched the Global Climate Action Portal, which now features non-state actors and initiatives in addition to country initiatives. There are currently over 26,300 companies, investors, organizations, cities, regions, and country governments catalogued on the portal, including over 2,700 entities in the United States.   Climate finance: The Scottish government has committed to increase its climate finance contribution from £24 million to £36 million (about $48 million) and its contribution for loss and damage from £1 million to £2 million (about $2.6 million).   Decarbonizing developing cities: The U.K. announced it would provide £27.5 million (about $36.8 million) through the Urban Climate Action program to help developing cities reduce their emissions through initiatives around renewable energy and public transportation.   U.K. net-zero buildings report: The U.K. Green Building Council launched the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap for the Built Environment today. The report is meant to lay out a common vision for achieving net zero in the operation of building and infrastructure in the U.K., excluding transportation. The report lays out a number of policy recommendations, including retrofitting homes nationwide and mandating public disclosure of energy use. “This transition is going to take radical collaboration,” Julie Hirigoyen, chief executive of the U.K. Green Building Council, said. “Every single sub sector in this industry has a really critical role to play in driving this transition.” ⇒⇒⇒ EESI Resources: Watch or read the highlights of our briefing, Energy Efficiency Means Business: Learn How Energy Efficiency Programs Deliver Benefits to Your Constituents.     Egypt's Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad speaks about hosting COP27 in 2022. Credit: UNFCCC. The path forward: This morning, the COP26 Presidency laid out a plan for the final two scheduled days of negotiations. Draft texts on adaptation, loss and damage, finance, transparency, and Article 6 came out last night. Parties assessed and responded to those today. COP26 President Alok Sharma recognized that there are particular challenges in the finance negotiations, so he set a meeting for all country ministers to convene to discuss the issues Thursday evening. Ministers from all parties also met on Article 6 this afternoon. The Presidency expects that new texts, including a new draft of the cover decision (which summarizes the negotiation takeaways), will come out late tonight. Tomorrow, all ministers will come together again to resolve final issues (though it is worth noting that COPs almost never conclude on their official end date, which this year is Friday, November 12).   Cover decision: The cover decision draft has been met with strong and differing responses, with some groups saying that the language is not bold enough and another group, the Like-minded Developing Countries (LMDCs), requesting that the entire mitigation section be removed. The LMDCs argued that developed countries “are trying to shift their responsibilities” to reduce emissions onto developing countries. There is also much conversation about the line calling on “Parties to accelerate the phasing out of coal and subsidies for fossil fuels” (1/CP.26). There are very political positions being expressed across the board as it relates to the cover decision, and much work remains to nail down an agreed upon text.   Closing plenaries: The COP26, CMP16 (issues under the Kyoto Protocol), and CMA3 (issues under the Paris Agreement) closing plenaries took place to formally adopt decisions on issues for which negotiations have concluded, including: COP27 will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from November 7-18, 2022, and the United Arab Emirates will host COP28 from November 6-17, 2023. The COP adopted the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) draft decision on the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform, which provides guidance on a work plan for 2022-2024. Other draft SBSTA decisions presented to the COP were also adopted. The Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) recommended nine draft decisions be adopted by the COP, including the Glasgow Work Programme on Action for Climate Empowerment and guidance for National Adaptation Plans. The SBSTA and SBI chairs also identified the issue areas that remain unresolved, including matters related to the global goal on adaptation and issues around the impacts of implementing response measures. The UNFCCC website includes the full Closing Plenary agenda, documents, and outcomes. ⇒⇒⇒ EESI Resource: Watch or read the highlights from our briefing, The Negotiations: What’s on the Table, to learn more about the UNFCCC process. Earth Negotiations Bulletin: For the best play-by-play of what is happening in the negotiating rooms, read a report of the main proceedings and highlights from the Earth Negotiations Bulletin.   HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge gives virtual remarks on housing equity. Photo Credit: U.S. Center Congress at COP26: The House Democratic delegation departed COP26 today, with what Speaker Pelosi called, “a re-energized spirit of ambition, boldness, and urgency to the climate fight.” While in Glasgow, the delegation met with Presidential Climate Envoy John Kerry, former President Barack Obama, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, and EPA Administrator Michael Regan.   Building better buildings: The COP26 Presidency held an event on decarbonizing the building sector. Mayor Steve Adler of Austin, Texas, spoke about his city’s goals for decarbonizing buildings: by 2030, new buildings in Austin will be net zero, emissions from existing buildings will be reduced by 25%, and the embodied carbon emissions of building materials used in construction will be reduced by 40%.   Climate services: Today, USAID and NASA showcased two joint programs that use remote sensing data to inform climate action on the ground around the world. SERVIR is an existing program that works with regional hubs in Asia, South America, and Africa to understand information gaps and deliver customized climate services. At COP26, USAID, NASA, and the State Department along with the World Resources Institute, Unilever, Google, and the U.N. launched the Forest Data Partnership to “address a key barrier to private investment in forest and restoration—a lack of reliable and accessible data on forests and lands,” according to a White House fact sheet.   Cities as climate leaders: Representatives from city governments around the country were on a U.S. Center panel to discuss how cities can drive action on climate change. The panel raised successes, such as Mayor Todd Gloria of San Diego, California, talking about his city’s legally-binding commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2035. Panelists also highlighted challenges, such as the need to create local jobs and recover from COVID-19. Overall, they emphasized that cities have created real change and can do more. “We have not been absent on the subnational level,” Gloria said. “What’s next? We’ve got to get to work.” ⇒⇒⇒ EESI Resource: Watch or read the highlights from our briefing on U.S. subnational climate action, 2020 Climate Action Update. Housing equity: At a U.S. Center event on innovative housing policy and equity, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge stated “Americans of color have been forced to live in the least desirable areas near hazards like landfills and toxic waste facilities and areas like flood zones that leave us exposed to extreme weather.” Other officials discussed programs that improve the resilience of housing, such as the Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery and Mitigation. ⇒⇒⇒ EESI Resources: Check out our article, “Can the Housing Market Be Resilient in the Face of Climate Change?” and watch or read the highlights from our briefings Protecting Vulnerable Communities from Climate Impacts and Resilient Housing and Communities: Recovery & Resilience in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.​​​​​​ Female ministers at COP26. Photo Credit: UNFCCC  IPCC: The IPCC announced its intention to produce a Summary for Urban Policymakers—a series of four reports, released over the course of 2022, that will highlight the findings from the sixth assessment report that are most relevant for cities. During the launch of the initiative, Debra Roberts, co-chair of the IPCC’s working group on climate impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, explained that cities need this information because not only are they home to billions of people, but they are also “the centers of money, power, and politics, so the scale of the transition, the complexity of the transition is enormous.” ⇒⇒⇒ EESI Resource: Check out our article, “We Need Climate Action, Bigger, Faster, and Sooner to Avoid the Worst Outcomes Outlined in the Latest IPCC Report.” Under2: The Under2 Coalition—a global community of state and regional governments committed to ambitious climate action—held an event highlighting subnational climate leaders. The 260 jurisdictions in the coalition represent about 50% of the world’s GDP and 25% of the world’s population. “Collectively, this group is the international climate initiative with the greatest potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the world today,” Tim Ash Vie, director of the Under2 Coalition Secretariat, said. “Our collective impact by 2030 could be greater than removing the entire emissions of the E.U.”   Fossil fuel subsidies: A number of tools for measuring fossil fuel subsidies were discussed during a Nordic Pavillion event, such as this tracker providing country and global estimates on fossil fuel subsidies and this G20 scorecard on fossil fuel funding. According to International Institute for Sustainable Development Policy Advisor Chido Muzondo, “fossil fuel subsidies are harmful for both people and the environment … tax subsidies encourage wasteful consumption and make fossil fuel investments more competitive compared to investments in … renewable energies or electric vehicles.” ⇒⇒⇒ EESI Resource: Check out our fact sheet, Proposals to Reduce Fossil Fuel Subsidies. Fossil fuel transparency: The prototype of a global registry of fossil fuel reserves and production was released to “enable policymakers and experts around the world to assess whether countries are on track to meet their climate commitments and provide data and analytics tools for identifying a means of winding down fossil fuel production.”   E.U.-Pacific Green-Blue Alliance: Diederik Samsom of the European Commission and Prime Minister of Samoa Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa launched the E.U.-Pacific Green-Blue Alliance. The initiative will focus on implementation of NDCs and “sustainable use of the Pacific’s natural capital,” according to Mata’afa. The alliance is focused on consulting youth to ensure their full participation in the design and implementation of the partnership.   Decarbonizing construction: At a U.K. Pavilion event, speakers discussed ongoing initiatives that aim to decarbonize the construction sector, including the Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative and the Pacific Coast Collaboration.   Clean heat: The Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction and many federal, local, and private partners launched the Clean Heat Forum today. The goal of the forum is to strengthen collaboration between the public sector, private sector, and research institutions to accelerate clean heat solutions and help with the overall goal of decarbonizing the built environment. Panelists discussed leveraging energy efficiency, heat pumps, and other electric heating solutions to drive this transition.   Ocean action = climate action: Several speakers from the U.N. system spoke about the importance of the ocean in climate action. CMS COP-appointed Councilor on Climate Change Colin Galbraith discussed the importance of whales, dolphins, and porpoises in tackling climate change as they regulate ocean ecosystems and store carbon. Fun fact: if whale populations were restored to pre-whaling levels, it is estimated that they could store 1.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year, which is about the same as the emissions from Russia in 2019. Tracking the negotiations Earth Negotiation Bulletin: A play-by-play of the negotiations plus expert analysis from the International Institute for Sustainable Development | @IISD_ENB Carbon Brief: Who wants what at COP26 living document to be updated in real time | @CarbonBrief ECO Newsletter: The climate advocate’s perspective from Climate Action Network International | @CANIntl COP26 Resource Hub: Analysis from the World Resources Institute | @WRIClimate Research and Independent NGOs: Notes from negotiating session taken by researchers at COP26  Background and logistics U.K. COP26 Presidency website: Priorities, details, and logistics for the negotiations | @COP26 UNFCCC COP26 website: Conference details and all updates on documents produced during the negotiations | @UNFCCC and @UNFCCCDocuments Congressional Research Service: Reports related to the UNFCCC UNFCCC glossary of terms EESI resources Briefing series: What Congress needs to know in the lead up to COP26 Creating Policies, Coalitions, and Actions for Global Sustainable Development Momentum on Climate Adaptation The Role of International Climate Finance The Negotiations: What’s on the Table Articles: Quick reads connecting international climate talks to Congress Climate Change Solutions: Biweekly newsletter covering climate, energy, and environmental issues

Friday, November 12   A Changing Arctic: The U.S. Contributions to Arctic Research, Applications, and Decision Support 5:00am ET/ 10:00am GMT Host: U.S. Center   Climate Smart Infrastructure: Building Back Better and Catalyzing Green Growth 7:00am ET/ 12:00pm GMT Host: U.S. Center   California Rising: Fighting Fire, Finding Water, and Charting a Renewable Future through Offshore Wind with U.S. State Senator John Laird 8:00am-8:30am ET/ 1:00pm-1:30pm GMT Host: UNFCCC Press Conference Questions about COP26?   Reach out to EESI Policy Manager Anna McGinn with your question and we will get back to you or include the information in an upcoming newsletter. Thanks for reading!   This newsletter covering COP26 will be running from November 1 to November 14. If you thought this newsletter was interesting, forward it to someone you know! If you were forwarded this edition, sign up here. Thank you to EESI staff for their contributions: Anna McGinn, Savannah Bertrand, Emma Johnson, Amaury Laporte   Environmental and Energy Study Institute  Daniel Bresette, Executive Director   EESI is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1984 by a bipartisan Congressional caucus to provide timely information and develop innovative policy solutions that set us on a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy path.   www.eesi.org                 CFC #10627