tcktcktck — Copenhagen 7 Dec 09 | The World Is Ready

Europe’s current focus on recovery from recession must not distract us from the urgent question of what kind of economy we want to build.

Unless we ensure that the economic recovery sets our countries on a path to a sustainable low-carbon future, we will face continued uncertainty and significant costs from energy price volatility and a destabilising climate.

Source: Department of Energy and Climate Change

Tags: Economic opportunity | Chris Huhne | climate change | Dr Norbert Röttgen | Europe | Jean-Louis Borloo | race to the future

Butterflies inhabit every continent except Antarctica. Flitting from flower to flower, they assist in pollination. People are awed by their fragile beauty but more importantly, butterflies indicate the health of the environment. Cold-blooded, butterflies are dependent upon temperature, just as are rodents, birds, frogs and other insects. Measuring butterfly response to warming temperature helps researchers all over the world gauge the effect of climate change, and researchers are finding that butterflies are seeking new habitat to find the temperatures they need.

Source: Natural News

Tags: Human impact | butterflies | Climatic Risk Atlas of European Butterflies | effects of climate change | Europe | extinction | global warming

China has outperformed Western countries in new energy and other clean technologies thanks to its focus on commercialization, rather than the technology itself, said Melissa Guzy, China managing director of VantagePoint Venture Partners.

"In China there is a very practical view of investment in companies in the private sector, and that is also how the public sector views new technology and its implementation," she told Reuters in an interview in Beijing during the launch of VPVP's new China Low Carbon Index.

Source: Reuters

Tags: Economic opportunity | china | china low carbon index | clean technology | cleantech | climate financing | Europe | green energy | green investment | sustainability | USA

Connie Hedegaard, the EU's Climate Commissioner, is seeking to open a debate on whether the bloc should adopt a tougher target than it already has for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Back in the early months of last year, EU leaders signed off a target of 20% cuts from 1990 levels by 2020, rising to 30% if a global deal emerged at the Copenhagen summit that would see other countries and other blocs taking a commensurate share.

Source: BBC

Tags: Climate News | climate negotiations | connie hedegaard | EU | Europe | european commission | France | UK

This Sunday, January 31st, represents the official deadline for signatories to the Copenhagen Accord to submit their 2020 emissions targets. While UN officials have taken pains to stress this is a “soft” deadline, it is still an important milestone as countries make their first tentative steps on the global climate policy stage since COP15.

In this context it is paramount that Europe submit an unconditional target of 30% or higher to reinvigorate and normalize ambitious target setting internationally.

Tags: Campaign stories | Climate Accord | climate change | copenhagen | Europe | global warming | UN

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union has decided to stick to its lowest offer for cutting carbon emissions under a U.N climate accord, but will maintain a conditional pledge to do more if others follow suit, EU diplomats said on Wednesday.

Their comments after EU ambassadors met in Brussels confirmed the 27-nation bloc's commitment to unilateral target carbon dioxide emissions to 20 percent below 1990 levels over the next decade.

Source: Reuters

Tags: Climate News | climate change | emissions | Europe | global warming | target | UN | united nations

The EU remains committed to increase its emission reduction target to 30% by 2020 if other industrialised countries made comparable efforts, according to a compromise agreement reached by member state representatives in Brussels on Wednesday.

Source: Ends Europe

Tags: Climate News | committment | emission target | Europe

It would connect turbines off the wind-lashed north coast of Scotland with Germany's vast arrays of solar panels, and join the power of waves crashing on to the Belgian and Danish coasts with the hydro-electric dams nestled in Norway's fjords: Europe's first electricity grid dedicated to renewable power will become a political reality this month, as nine countries formally draw up plans to link their clean energy projects around the North Sea.

Source: Guardian UK

Tags: Climate News | Europe | green economy | renewable energy