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November 2001 (Update A)
This issue:
HOW TO MEASURE FOREST CARBON? : 3-day course to be presented
in Canberra by senior scientists from 14-16 November 2001. Incorporates
a practical visit to a field site in NSW as well as computer work. Course
Coordinator: Dr Janette Lindesay - office@greenhouse.crc.org.au.
Find out more at http://www.greenhouse.crc.org.au/crc/education/education.htm
NEWS
COP7 Update
The world's governments are meeting in Morocco over the next fortnight
to finalise procedures and institutions needed for the Kyoto Protocol.
In connection with this meeting, the Seventh Conference of the Parties
to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNEP/GRID-Arendal
announces the availability of new information resources on climate change
(see ON THE WEB listing below). Other products will be announced in the
second week of the conference. Comprehensive coverage of COP7, may be
found at: http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/climate/cop7/
IN THE CORRIDORS: WEDNESDAY, 31 OCTOBER 2001
A number of participants have been commenting on the considerable workload
at COP-7, pointing to the numerous issues taken up by the subsidiary bodies
and the many informal groups formed to address them, all of which is additional
to the remaining work of the negotiating groups on the various draft decisions
under the Bonn Agreements. While some seemed concerned at the lost opportunity
to make significant progress on subsidiary body matters, others said work
under the Bonn Agreements must be the priority, especially given the lack
of progress so far in the negotiating groups. In other news, rumors were
circulating late Wednesday that work was being undertaken on a Marrakesh
Declaration for consideration at next year's World Summit on Sustainable
Development in Johannesburg. Meanwhile, some delegates were expressing
confusion and concerns over the process for deciding the composition of
the CDM Executive Board.
(31 October) Event: Pres of Synthesis Report of the IPCC's Third Assessment
Report: http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/
At this event, members of the IPCC presented key findings from its Synthesis
Report, as adopted by the IPCC Plenary in September 2001. A Member of
the CRC, Dr Habiba Gitay (habiba.gitay@greenhouse.crc.org.au), joined
IPCC Chair, Dr Bob Watson and other IPCC members as the speakers.
The Synthesis Report's key findings emphasize that: climate change is
not only an environmental concern but also a development concern; the
consequences of limate change are both beneficial and adverse, but will
become increasingly adverse as climate change escalates; climate change
does and will affect primarily the poor; adaptation has the potential
to reduce the adverse effects of
climate change; and inertia is a key issue which needs to be taken into
account by policy makers. The Report also found that: sustained warming
of a few degrees Celcius over millennia is projected to lead to sea level
rise due to the loss of polar ice; stabilization of atmospheric concentrations
of carbon dioxide (CO2) will require the reduction of global emissions
to a fraction of current emissions; and even after the stabilization of
CO2concentrations, sea levels will continue to rise for millennia. The
Synthesis Report further notes that there are many opportunities to reduce
near-term emissions, but there are also significant barriers to their
deployment. Estimates of the cost of emissions reductions vary widely,
depending on modeling approaches and assumptions about fuel mix changes,
energy technology improvements and baselines. The Report underscores the
added importance of addressing climate change in light of its impacts
on desertification and biodiversity.
***
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE THIRD ASSESSMENT REPORT:
http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/
The IPCC is the world's foremost scientific body on the issue of climate
change. Its Third Assessment Report presents the current state of our
knowledge about climate change, in four volumes: The Scientific Basis;
Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability; Mitigation; and a Synthesis Report
that addresses a broad range of key policy-relevant questions. The complete
text of all four reports, along with all figures and data tables, is available.
***
Amongst other reports, the following was prepared at the request of
the Annex I Expert Group on the UNFCCC, for release at COP7: Forestry
Projects: Permanence, Credit Accounting and Lifetime
Jane Ellis, October 2001, OECD-IEA Information Paper http://www.oecd.org/pdf/M00020000/M00020137.pdf
If the carbon stored in an afforestation or reforestation project is re-released,
e.g. as a result of fire, the climate benefits of that project risk being
reversed. This paper identifies the different physical risks to
carbon stock reduction in forestry projects and options by which these
physical risks, and associated economic risks, could be managed by project
participants. This paper also examines eight different regimes that could
be established to allocate credits generated by forestry CDM and JI projects.
How these different crediting regimes are designed can determine whether
credits generated by forestry projects represent real, measurable and
long-term benefits and can also influence the economic impacts of premature
carbon release from a project.
CRC FUNDING AVAILABLE: TELL TALENTED STUDENTS ABOUT OUR SCIENCE
SCHOLARSHIPS!
The CRC for Greenhouse Accounting recently advertised postgraduate and
honours scholarships. Successful applicants will benefit strongly from
working with leading Australian and international researchers in the field
of carbon accounting within an organisation committed to furthering our
knowledge of the terrestrial carbon cycle as part of the study of global
change.
Ph.D AND MASTERS STUDENT GRANTS (Applications for funding to commence
in
the first quarter of 2002 close on 16 November 2001)
The CRC for Greenhouse Accounting is now offering postgraduate funding
opportunities (Grants of $20,000 for PhD and $10,000 for Masters) to students
of exceptional academic merit who propose research topics of interest
to the central research goals of the CRC and who are likely to receive
APA, OPRA or equivalent funding for study at an Australian university.
We also have a limited number of fully-funded PhD scholarships available
for outstanding applicants.
Further information on research topics for scholarships, the application
process (including application forms and related information), funding
levels, and the CRC and its research programs, is provided via our web
site at www.greenhouse.crc.org.au
HONOURS SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED (Expressions of interest are called
for by 16 November 2001)
The CRC for Greenhouse Accounting is offering Honours scholarships, for
students commencing full-time fourth-year Honours in first semester 2002.
The intention of the scholarships is to encourage students to develop
greenhouse-related research skills and to fund short-duration research
projects of interest to our research aims. Honours Scholarships are valued
at $2,500 ea. In addition, costs to attend the CRC's major Annual Science
Meeting are covered allowing the succesful applicant to interact with
all scientists and students in the CRC.
To discuss your application, contact Dr Janette Lindesay, Education
Manager, at education@greenhouse.crc.org.au Tel: 02 6125 4512. Further
information at www.greenhouse.crc.org.au. Application forms and information
on procedures are also available on the web site.
ON THE WEB
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION GRAPHICS:
http://www.grida.no/db/maps/collection/climate6/index.htm
The latest reports on the greenhouse gas emissions show that there has
been a small reduction in the emissions from the Annex I countries since
1990. Unfortunately most of this reduction is due to economic collapse
in some of these countries, not effective environmental policies. Emissions
have already begun to increase again in the last few years, and they are
projected to continue increasing for the forseeable future, placing us
well above the Kyoto targets by 2010. This series of graphs shows the
greenhouse gas emissions reported by the parties to the Convention on
Climate Change, including each country's actual emissions, its projected
emissions to 2010, and its commitment under the Kyoto Protocol.
Symposium on Public Funding of Environmental Issues - Conference Papers
Available
The Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society recently convened
a symposium to address this major issue of current public interest. The
event moved beyond academic and technical discussions, to engage and promote
public debate to address the major issues of current public interest related
to agricultural and resource economics. To read the conference papers
go to http://www.abc.net.au/rural/aares/default.htm
Some of the papers include 'Investing in salinity management options in
Victoria', Research Director, Agriculture and Natural Resources, ABARE;
and
'Land Degradation and Rehabilitation: A Policy Framework', Geoff Edwards,
Associate Professor of Economics, La Trobe University and Neil Byron,
Commissioner, Productivity Commission.
The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) just updated its "What's
New" page with a set of links to new online material. See the additions
at: http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/new.htm
The page is updated 1-2 times each month.
The July-September edition of Global Change Digest, a compendium of
references in peer-reviewed journals and selected gray literature, is
now available on the Global Change site, www.globalchange.org. Should
you wish to be informed of future updates of this and other resources
on the site, please sign up on the site's announcement list.
VISIT A NEW WEBSITE at http://www.earthscan.co.uk
for information on all books, special offers, sample chapters, features
and secure ordering.
PUBLICATIONS OF INTERESTS
Managing Climate Risk
An article by M. Obersteineret al. in Science 2001 October 26; 294: 786-787
now available at is now available at their IIASA web-site under:
http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/FOR/
International Relations and Global Climate Change
MiT Press. Co-edited by Urs Luterbacher and Detlef Sprinz. Surveys current
conceptual, theoretical, and methodological approaches to global climate
change and international relations. her global environmental
accords and world trade. More details at http://www.sprinz.org.
Public Subsidies and Policy Failures: How Subsidies Distort the Natural
Environment, Equity and Trade and How to Reform Them by Cees van Beers
and Andre de Moor For more information, see the websites of RIVM (http://www.rivm.nl/ieweb/ieweb/index_nl.html)
or Edward Elgar (http://www.e-elgar.co.uk/).
Contact the authors at c.p.vanbeers@tbm.tudelft.nl or andre.de.moor@rivm.nl
This new book addresses how public subsidies can harm the environment,
distort trade, and benefit those in society who do not require support.
We go on to develop innovative policy strategies and international 'Grand
Deals' in key sectors as agriculture, fisheries, energy and forestry,
which may engender effective subsidy reforms.
An analysis of the Bonn agreement: Background information for evaluating
business implications
Asbjørn Torvanger's report via a recently advertised link did not
work for everyone. Now please try:
http://www.cicero.uio.no/publications/detail.asp?1458
http://www.cicero.uio.no/media/1458.pdf
Publications from the PEW Centre:
Agriculture's Role in Addressing Climate Change In Brief Number 2 (October
2001) http://www.pewclimate.org/policy/index_ag.cfm
Climate Change: A Strategy for the Future (September 26, 2001)
http://www.pewclimate.org/media/transcript_09262001.cfm
"Climate Change: Science, Strategies, and Solutions" (Chapter
from recently released book)
http://www.pewclimate.org/book/ff_index.cfm
Risk Management of Investments in Joint Implementation and Clean Development
Mechanism Projects
Janssen, Josef (2001), Ph.D. thesis, University of St. Gallen. The target
group is both researchers and practitioners / decision makers in business
/ industry. Policy makers and public administrations are addressed by
policy conclusions derived from main analytical findings.Table of contents
and overview at http://www.iwoe.unisg.ch/kyoto
under the 'publications'. Topics discussed include:
- GHG Market Architecture, the Flexible Mechanisms and Permit Price
Estimates
- Systematic Analysis of Investment Risks Associated with JI and CDM
Projects
- Introduction to Risk Management
- Risk Management through Insurance
- Risk Management through Risk Diversification and Carbon Funds
- Carbon Funds in Practice
SEMINARS/CONFERENCES
(Melbourne - 9 November 2001)
Analysis of high-resolution climate change simulations of tropical
cyclones
Kevin Walsh & K. -C. Nguyen, CSIRO Atmospheric Research. Friday, 9
Nov,
11:00am, CAR Lecture Theatre. RSVP: Wenju Cai at Wenju.Cai@csiro.au
A number of recent simulations have addressed the issue of the effect
of climate change on tropical cyclones. Current understanding of this
issue is briefly reviewed. Climate change simulations of relatively high
horizontal resolution (30 km) for the Australian region are then analysed.
These are DARLAM (Division of Atmospheric Research Limited Area Model)
simulations which are multiply-nested within a CSIRO Mark 2 coupled model
GCM run and a subsequent 125 km DARLAM run. This modelling system gives
a good simulation of observed tropical cyclone formation, although peak
simulated wind speeds
tend to be less than observed. The impact of climate change is then determined,
including an analysis of changes in numbers and intensities of cyclones,
as well as their regions of typical occurrence. These results are placed
in the context of the remaining scientific uncertainties in these issues,
which could affect their relevance for planning purposes.
(Morocco, COP7- 5 November)
Issues relating to emissions from forest harvesting and wood products.
Contact or RSVP E-mail: form@hetnet.nl
Time: 13 - 15 h; Location: Hotel El Andalous, Avenue Kennedy, Marrakesh.
The International collaborative study on Harvest Wood Products initiated
by Forest Research in New Zealand have a follow up at a side-event during
COP7 in Marrakech. The aim of the international collaborative study was
'to provide a common framework under which we can all agree that certain
issues
exist in accounting for HWPs'. In this respect, ALTERRA and FORM-International
have carried out a study in which two available models were evaluated
quantitatively and qualitatively, as well as a sensitivity study on life
spans of wood products. The project was funded by the National Research
Programme on
Global Air Pollution and Climate Change. A second presentation will focus
on standardisation of baselines for JI and CDM projects, the PROBASE project.
On behalf of the PROBASE project, the German Institute HWWA will go further
into detail into forestry JI and CDM projects.
PRESS RELEASES OF INTEREST
(WBCSD/WRI)
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the
World Resources Institute (WRI) will launch their new joint report, 'The
Greenhouse Gas Protocol: a corporate accounting and reporting standard',
in Brussels on 26 October. Global warming and climate change are of worldwide
concern.
Increasingly, as regulatory programs are debated and developed at national
levels, governments will urge companies to reduce their greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions. A first step toward reducing emissions is to identify,
calculate and report them. The GHG Protocol can provide them with standards
to account and report their GHG emissions. Unlike for financial accounting
and reporting, there are no generally accepted international accounting
and reporting practices for corporate GHG emissions. The GHG Protocol
will
enable businesses to account and report information from global operations
in a way that is consistent with financial reporting standards.
The Protocol results from a unique three-year research process involving
over 350 businesses, NGOs and governments. The standards it presents have
been tested by more than 30 companies in 10 countries to ensure that they
suit the needs of a cross-section of business. The Protocol is a stepping-stone
toward unifying GHG accounting and reporting practices globally. Margot
Wallström, minister for the environment at the EU commission, will
participate in the Brussels launch. Hosted by WBCSD president Björn
Stigson, the event will gather representatives from WRI, WBCSD and member
companies, NGOs, government and media.
26 October, Brussels**, 2:30 pm, Hotel Dorint, Brussels, Boulevard
Charlemagne 11- 19, B - 1000, Brussels, Tel: (32) 231 09 09
To register please contact: Susanne Haefeli, WBCSD tel: (41) 22 839 31
97
E-mail: haefeli@wbcsd.org Visit the website at: www.ghgprotocol.org
(c) 2002 CRC for Greenhouse Accounting
Please notify the webmaster@greenhouse.crc.org.au
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2002 - The International Year of EcoTourism
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