17 Nov 2007 - Valencia,
Spain – Immediate action is essential if
the world is to avert “runaway” climate
change, according to the latest report by
the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The IPPC’s Synthesis Report — a compilation
of three previous IPCC assessment reports
— should send a strong signal to political
leaders and governments that the reality
of human-induced global warming is beyond
any reasonable doubt.
“The hard fact is we have caused climate
change,” said Hans Verolme, Director of
WWF’s Global Climate Change Programme, who
attended the IPCC meeting.
“The IPCC report shows that to avoid irreparable
harm, nothing less than deep cuts in carbon
pollution are needed. The next climate change
conference will be where political leaders
must act decisively.”
The IPCC findings will be presented at
the United Nations Climate Change Conference
in Bali, Indonesia, next month, when countries
launch formal negotiations on what might
happen after the Kyoto Protocol’s first
commitment period ends in 2012.
WWF is calling on rich, industrialized
countries to commit to cutting their emissions
by 30% below 11000 levels by 2020, and to
scale up investments in clean technologies
and adaptation projects in developing countries.
“The IPCC's scientific findings show the
high potential and low costs of ambitious
and speedy cuts in carbon pollution, helping
us avoid disastrous climate change,” added
Dr Stephan Singer, head of WWF’s European
Climate and Energy Programme.
“There is no excuse for any more delays.”
END NOTES:
• In 1992, most countries joined the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) to fight global warming
and to adapt to the inevitable temperature
increases. Fifteen years later Indonesia
will host the third Meeting of the Parties
to the Kyoto Protocol (MOP3) in conjunction
with the 13th session of the Conference
of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP13) in
Bali from 3 to 14 December.
Martin Hiller, Communications Manager
WWF International
+ More
Buyer beware of the voluntary carbon standard
20 Nov 2007 - Gland, Switzerland – A new
standard for carbon offsets fails to guarantee
climate benefits and promote sustainable
development, and could further increase
insecurity and volatility in the carbon
offsets market, says WWF.
The Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS), launched
by the Climate Group, the International
Association for Emission Trading, and the
World Business Council for Sustainable Development,
is meant to set a minimum benchmark for
the quality of carbon offsets. It is designed
to offer the most basic set of rules, focused
primarily on lowering transaction costs
and carbon prices to consumers.
WWF argues, however, that the VCS cannot
guarantee that accredited projects really
reduce climate-damaging emissions, and its
verification systems are insufficient. By
waiving all environmental and social safeguards
as well as requirements for stakeholder
consultation, the VCS substantially increases
the non-carbon risks of VCS projects.
"This new standard simply lacks credibility,"
says Liam Salter of WWF-Hong Kong.
"Carbon buyers using the VCS will
remain exposed to significant risk. The
VCS cannot guarantee that credits are real
nor projects valuable to host countries."
WWF recommends buyers take extra steps
to ensure they are acting responsibly.
Foregoing many essential checks and balances
in terms of managing both carbon and non-carbon
risk, the VCS appears to rely to a considerable
degree on the goodwill and integrity of
project developers whose commercial success
depends on the sales of credits. WWF believes
that this approach carries significant potential
risk for buyers and the environment.
"The voluntary carbon offset market
is becoming like the Wild West," says
Hans Verolme, Director of WWF's Global Climate
Change Programme.
"We are concerned that bad offset
projects will register under the VCS to
make a quick buck. If the VCS Board is serious
about its standard they should screen its
impact in a very transparent way and show
they are ready to make improvements."
Carbon offsetting, if used appropriately,
could play a limited part in strategies
to reduce carbon emissions and contribute
to sustainable development, helping to catalyze
the transition globally to a low-carbon
economy.
The voluntary market could also help: projects
to be undertaken in countries where capacity
and expertise in applying Clean Development
Mechanism accreditation is lacking; enable
small projects to gain access to the carbon
markets; and provide a test bed that allows
innovation and testing of new technologies
and ideas.
Martin Hiller, Communications Manager
WWF International
