Montreal, 22 September 2007. The 191 Parties to the Montreal Protocol reached a historic agreement late last night to strengthen the ozone treaty to address reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 25 billion tons of CO2 equivalent—five times more than the Kyoto Protocol will do during its initial reduction period (2008-2012). "Five times Kyoto's climate reductions is an extraordinary accomplishment," said Durwood Zaelke, the President of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development. He added that "This historic decision marks the first time both developed and developing countries have agreed to mandatory climate reductions." Last night's decision also will advance the recovery of the ozone layer by several years. The decision speeds up by ten years the phase-out of HCFCs, chemicals that destroy the ozone layer and contribute to climate change. Developed country Parties promised to continue to pay into a technology fund to help developing country Parties meet their new phase-out obligations. Success was achieved by an unusual coalition of both developing and developed country Parties who were determined to strengthen the treaty to realize its full potential to reduce climate emissions. Argentina and Brazil led the developing country Parties, and were strongly supported by low-lying island and coastal countries, including Micronesia, Mauritius, and Mauritania, who were concerned by the threat of rising sea-levels that threaten their very existence. The United States proposed the most aggressive phase-out schedule, supported by the Group of 8 strongest economies in the world, along with Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland. Argentina and Brazil also proposed an aggressive phase-out of HCFCs, and worked effectively to build support from other developed country Parties. India and Mexico also were supporters. China, which has the largest production and consumption of HCFCs in its air conditioning and refrigeration industry, continued its long history of faithful participation in the Montreal Protocol by joining the consensus, after long and difficult negotiations. "Their gracious statement of support in the final high-level meeting last night was the highlight of the meeting," said Zaelke, "demonstrating true leadership and commitment to the spirit of cooperation that is the heart of the Montreal Protocol." "The decision is an enormous achievement for the environment," said Dan Reifsnyder, lead U.S. negotiator. "When we first proposed an accelerated phase-out for HCFCs, we knew it would be a difficult undertaking but we are thrilled with the momentum it generated so quickly and now with the momentous result—not only for the ozone layer but also for the climate system." The United States is hosting a meeting of the world's largest climate emitters September 27-28 in Washington, DC. US leadership in Montreal to accelerate the phase-out of HCFCs in a way that supports energy efficiency and climate change objectives should give a boost to these talks. Argentina's Environmental Minister Romina Picolotti was an early and outspoken champion for strengthening the ozone treaty to do more for climate mitigation. Argentina suffers from environmental and health impacts due to its close proximity to the Antarctic. "Our success is important for the ozone layer, and even more important for the climate, as it shows us what we can do when we have the spirit to cooperate," said Ms. Picolotti. "This was the right idea at the right time with the right team," said Dr. Husamuddin Ahmadzai, Senior Advisor for Enforcement and Implementation, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. "The Montreal Protocol's role in reducing climate emissions should be heralded throughout the world," he added. Without the Montreal Protocol, and earlier efforts to reduce CFCs starting in 1974 when Drs. Rowland & Molina first warned of their danger, radiative forcing from ozone depleting substances would almost have matched emissions from CO2 by 2010. "This early action on ozone has delayed climate change up to a Planet-saving 35-41 years," said Scott Stone, Research Fellow at the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development. He referred to the seminal science paper calculating the climate benefits of the Montreal Protocol by Guus Velders of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, and colleagues at NASA, DuPont, and the US EPA. Micronesia, Mauritius, and Mauritania, who all made proposals to speed the HCFC phase-out, reminded the Parties throughout the negotiations that the 25 billion tons of CO2 equivalent on the negotiating table would help keep the Planet from reaching the "tipping point" for abrupt and irreversible climate change, including catastrophic sea-level rise. "For small-island states, reaching consensus on this decision was a matter of survival," said Kandhi Elieisar, Assistant Secretary for Asia-Pacific Multilateral Affairs of Micronesia. Mr. Sateeaved Seebaluck, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment for Mauritius stated that "We proved to the world that multilateralism can produce good results when the spirit of trust and cooperation prevails. The success of today's negotiations will remain a landmark in the history of mankind and it is the best gift we could give ourselves on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Protocol." Seebaluck added, "It is yet another long stride in protection of life. My only hope is that other multilateral environmental agreements take this example and emulate the Montreal Protocol. And when we look forward that we can carry the same spirit to the negotiations for the new climate treaty that will follow the Kyoto Protocol." Negotiations will begin in Bali in December. Zaelke said, "Our success this week should give us the courage we need to move forward with a strong post-Kyoto climate agreement, starting in December in Bali," when negotiators meet to discuss the climate treaty that will succeed the Kyoto agreement. He continued, "It also should give us some key lessons to consider as we design the post-Kyoto climate regime, including that a Montreal-type regulatory approach can work very effectively and efficiently to deliver real climate reductions." Summary of the HCFC Adjustment The adjustment will accelerate the phase-out of HCFCs in both developed and developing countries and avoid the significant increases in HCFC use that had been projected over the next decade. Under the accelerated schedule, developing countries will freeze HCFC use at an average of 2009-2010 levels by 2013 and then begin reducing HCFC use in a series of stepwise reductions every five years until 2030. After 2030, developing countries can use a small percentage of HCFCs for superior environmental benefits until 2040. Developed countries, which were already well on their way to phasing out HCFCs, will phase-out nearly all HCFC use by the end of the decade, with small percentages, also for superior environmental benefits, allowed until a complete elimination in 2030. Under the Montreal Protocol, countries typically comply with phase-outs well ahead of schedule, with the provisions listed below representing only the outer limits of what is permissible. As a result, accelerating the HCFC phase-out will actually result in a much faster reduction of HCFC use. Climate and Financial/Technical Assistance The adjustment also locks in the potential climate benefits from accelerating the HCFC phase-out with measures designed to avoid the use of high GWP substitutes and energy inefficient technologies. It also ensures that, consistent with the past successes of the Montreal Protocol, financial and technical assistance will be provided to promote compliance and transfer new, environmentally-friendly technologies to developing countries. In particular, the adjustment takes into account the needs of developing countries that use only small amounts of HCFCs, but often require special consideration to ensure compliance. Paragraph 5 on financial and technical assistance: "To agree that the funding available through the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of MP in the upcoming replenishments shall be stable and sufficient to meet all agreed incremental costs to enable A5 parties to comply with the accelerated phase-out schedule both for production and consumption sectors as set out above, and based on that understanding, to also direct the Executive Committee of Multilateral Fund to make the necessary changes to the eligibility criteria related to the post-1995 facilities and second conversions." Paragraph 9 on climate change: "To encourage Parties to promote the selection of alternatives to HCFCs that minimize environmental impacts, in particular impacts on climate, as well as meeting other health, safety and economic considerations." Paragraph 11 on climate change "To … give priority to cost-effective projects and programmes which focus on … [s]ubstitutes and alternatives that minimize other impacts on the environment, including on the climate, taking into account global warming potential, energy use, and other relevant facts." Challenges Ahead Implementing the accelerated HCFC phase-out will require continued effort and leadership, both by the Montreal Protocol's 191 countries as well as by industry and environmental groups. - The Parties must continue to emphasize that only zero and low GWP substitutes and more energy efficient equipment should replace HCFCs. - Industry must continue to pursue new ozone- and climate-friendly chemicals and technologies, carrying on the remarkable history of technological innovation under the Montreal Protocol. - Environmental groups must continue to engage the Parties and emphasize the link between ozone depletion and climate change, to ensure that neither problem is solved at the expense of the other. For further information, contact: Durwood Zaelke President, Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development zaelke@igsd.org (202) 498-2457 Scott Stone Research Fellow, Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development sstone@igsd.org (312) 961-3819 Alexandra Viets Communications Officer, Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development aviets@igsd.org (213) 321-0911

An important outcome of the Workshop on Governance for Sustainable Development(GSD) was the creation of the Sustainability Network. The GSD Workshop brought scholars together at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management for an intensive two day meeting in October. Lively and productive papers, presentations and discussions began the process of developing a common analytic framework and of setting research priorities for those whose thinking about governance is rooted in a variety of fields including corporate environmental management as well as environmental politics and policy. Work has now started on a comprehensive range of future activities, including publicatins and a conference in May 2007.

November 16, 2006

Nairobi, KENYA. INECE President Durwood Zaelke led a panel at last week’s Climate Change Convention on how improved compliance and enforcement is essential for expanding the role of forests in fighting climate change. “Compliance will make forests work for the climate and create value and enhance competitiveness in the process,” Zaelke explained.

Current rules under the Kyoto Protocol provide only limited mechanisms for forests and other land-use activities despite accounting for nearly one-fifth of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Avoided deforestation in the developing world – home to the largest forested ecosystems in the Amazon and the Congo Basin – is completely excluded from the current regime.

“It’s time to get serious about forests and climate change,” Zaelke told the audience. “We need a 60%-80% reduction from 1990 emissions, and possibly more, to avoid dangerous interference with the Earth’s climate, and dramatically improved forestry is key to our success.” After years of limited success on countering illegal logging and promoting sustainable forestry management, the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change now presents a major opportunity for the world’s forests and the multitudes of people that depend on them directly for survival.

There have been three major objections to the expanded use of forests in mitigating climate change in the past: (1) expanding biocarbon projects will divert attention away from energy reduction projects and renewables; (2) biocarbon sequestration is too hard to measure and monitor; and (3) and enforcement and verification is too hard to ensure compliance, especially in the developing world.

These objections are no longer credible, Zaelke explained. First, both biocarbon and emission-reduction projects are necessary for averting catastrophic climate change; the two are not mutually exclusive. Second, methodologies – both high- and low-tech – have been developed for accurate measurement and monitoring. And third, governance tools exist, or can be created, to ensure enforcement, verification and compliance of biocarbon projects.

Rules and procedures for managing biocarbon have been devised under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Although far from perfect, they provide a starting point for a larger-scale forestry governance system. Another key to success is recognizing and supporting the grassroots compliance and enforcement processes that local groups like Kenya’s Green Belt Movement have mastered over the past few decades of community-based tree-planting.

Wangari Maathai, the founder of the Green Belt Movement and the 2004 Nobel Peace laureate, also attended the event in support of efforts to expand the role of local communities in ensuring compliance with biocarbon projects. “Groups like Green Belt can provide the boots on the ground to ensure compliance with international, national, and local laws, thus improving the value of biocarbon projects while also promoting sustainable development in some of the poorest parts of the world,” said Zaelke.

INECE is expanding its compliance work with the Green Belt Movement and other local partners with the establishment of a new Nairobi office.

http://unfccc.int/2860.php

http://www.inece.org/

Achieving sustainable development requires an unprecedented effort at all levels - local to global - and actions to strengthen the effectiveness and accountability of institutions at the international level. It requires collaboration among a wider range of actors, including the private sector, public and parliamentarians.

The initiative seeks to contribute to a partnership to "create an environment - at the national and global levels alike - which is conducive to development and the elimination of poverty" (Millennium Declaration). It addresses an extraordinary demand by parliaments for capacity building activities, demonstrated by a needs assessment conducted by UNITAR and IPU of parliaments world-wide. And it provides a practical response to recommendations in a variety of international processes - including the Helsinki Process, Cardoso Report, follow-up to the Millennium Summit and other UN reform processes - for greater involvement by elected representatives in questions of development.

Climate leaders from California and the nation to discussed the urgent need for action at the university level to address climate change. Causes and effects of climate change and initiatives at the global, national, state and university levels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were explored, and attendees shared ideas about what students, faculty and administrators at California universities can do now to confront a great social challenge.

INECE was prominently featured in "Environmental Crimes: Profiting at the Earth's Expense," by Charles W. Schmidt, the lead story in the February issue of "Environmental Health Perspectives," the Journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

The Guest Editorial, by Duncan Brack of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, also refers to INECE.