45. A world you like

I just checked out the ‘A World You Like. With a Climate You Like.’ It is worth a look! The EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, puts it pretty nicely in a short film and the following text.

"Building a climate-friendly society is without doubt a big challenge, but it is also a huge opportunity. Making our society low-carbon will create new, green jobs and cutting-edge technologies. It will give us lower energy bills, comfortable and modern homes, cleaner air and more mobility. The low-carbon economy is about a smarter kind of growth. About getting more out of less. And if we start now we can make a smooth and cost-effective transition whereas the bill will rise if we postpone action.

A low-carbon society is not a distant Utopian vision. We already have many of the necessary technologies. The real challenge is to apply them and bring them to scale. And all of us can help with that. Fighting climate change is about creating a world we want to live in, a world we're proud to present to our kids. If we continue with business as usual, climate change can reach dangerous levels in the coming years and its consequences are already being felt around globe. But we can prevent that by taking action now." 

44. Beyond Growth Domestic Product?

I recently read an article entitled "Beyond Growth Domestic Product: Social Progress Index versus Happy Planet Index". As we all know, GDP is the global measure of progress. But there are increasing attempts to develop a replacement for GDP that better measures progress, quality of life, and environmental sustainability. A couple of initiates worth a look are the Social Progress Index and the Happy Planet Index.

The Social Progress Index is based on three dimensions:

1. Basic Human Needs: Does a country provide for its people’s most essential needs?
2. Foundations of Well-being: Are the building blocks in place for individuals and communities to enhance and sustain well-being?
3. Opportunity: Is there opportunity for all individuals to reach their full potential?

The Happy Planet Index also has three dimensions:
1. Experienced well-being
2. Life expectancy
3. Ecological footprint

The scores of both Costa Rica and Sweden illustrate the difference between these initiatives. In the Happy Planet Index, Costa Rica is rated the “happiest country in the world”. But in the Social Progress Index, Costa Rica ranks only #12 among the sample of 50 countries, due to poverty and lack of other "basic human needs". In the Social Progress Index, Sweden ranks #1 but only #52 in the Happy Planet Index due to a heavy ecological footprint.

Interestingly, this news article was posted on the Rebuild21 website, which is an annual international conference for "leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs who want to build alliances and drive change". The tagline for the Rebuilds21 conference is "the new Nordic way". It will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark on 22-23 May 2013. Looks pretty interesting!

43. Is Australia crucial to international climate policy and action?

I have been thinking quite a lot about the role Australia plays in global climate policy and action. I just read an article entitled "Does Australia hold the keys to solving climate change?" in Climate Spectator. Perhaps the title is a little bold, but the points raised are very valid. Opponents of climate change action often point out that Australia’s direct emissions are only 1.5 per cent of the global total, and claim that it does not matter what we do. But there are several key areas where Australia’s actions could affect global outcomes.

Australia’s action (or inaction) influences other countries, like China
While it’s true that Australia’s direct emissions are only 1.5 per cent of the global total, it’s worth bearing in mind that we are not only one of the highest per capital emitters in the world, but also the 15th largest emitter in total. This means that of the 196 odd nations of the world, barely a dozen are larger than Australia. Therefore, if Australia isn’t moving, most other nations in the world can feel justified in a similar degree of inactivity. In particular, as our most important trading partner, China watches about what Australia does. 

Australia can influence global renewable energy markets
As the 14th largest electricity consumer in the world, Australia has the potential to be a major player in developing renewable technologies. Renewables and fossil fuel technologies are now close enough in cost that investing heavily in renewables to bring them down the cost curve could have dramatic influence over the investment decisions of other nations. By bringing forward the point of cost competitiveness of renewable energy we could drive huge emissions reductions, particularly in developing economies that are likely to be reluctant to take on carbon pricing in the near term.

It remains Australia’s choice to expand fossil fuel exports (or not)
Of course, we also need to acknowledge that it remains our choice to expand our fossil fuel exports (or not), and with Australia on the path to becoming the largest fossil fuel exporter in the world, our potential influence in this space is immense. By supplying vast amounts of fossil fuels into international markets over the next two decades we have the potential to reduce global fossil fuel prices, increasing the likelihood that other nations (particularly developing nations) invest in coal and gas-fired generation. Alternatively, we could choose to slow or prevent expansion of fossil fuel mining through a range of possible mechanisms (such as meaningful mining taxes). 

Finally, Australia’s vast renewable resources give us a huge advantage in establishing ourselves as a home of energy intensive industries. In the past we have attracted them with the promise of low cost, low risk energy. By leading the global transformation we are excellently placed to continue in that tradition. As stated by David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, “it is the countries that prioritise green energy that will secure the biggest share of jobs and growth in a global low-carbon sector set to be worth $4 trillion by 2015.”

42. Decarbonisation

I just read two pieces of news today. The first was from the International Energy Agency that warns that decarbonisation of the global economy is proceeding alarmingly slowly. Despite rapid growth in renewables in recent years, the carbon intensity of energy production worldwide has remained flat for more than two decades. In 1990, 57.1 tonnes of CO2 were released per terrajoule produced while in 2010 the figure stood at 56.7. Not much change there! This puts decarbonisation efforts far below what is necessary to keep within a rise of 2˚C by 2050. Coal power continues to dominate growth in electricity generation. And about half of new capacity, found chiefly in the developing world, uses obsolete and inefficient technology. But there is some good news. Sales of electric and hybrid vehicles are increasing and the advanced biofuels sector grew its capacity in 2012. More countries are also improving the energy efficiency of buildings and appliances. Photovoltaic capacity rose by 42% in 2012, with wind power growing by 19%. The second news item I read came from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency where research shows that Sweden reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 5% between 2011 and 2012, and that since 1990 Sweden has reduced its emissions by 20%. Sweden is in the process decarbonisation!

41. The Ultimate Sustainable Community

Some friends and colleagues of mine recently launched greenApes with the tagline "You are not alone in the jungle". I am just learning how greenApes works but it aims to be the ultimate sustinable community where you can share green actions, learn from others, challenge your friends and be part of an online community making a difference in a fun way. On their facebook page it reads "Our mission is to help people become more sustainable. Enjoying it, every day. Our ambition is to challenge and inform, and to be able to offer access to accurate sustainability information to the greenApes community." Check out the film! And download greenApes today here.

40. Nearing the end?

It's been 9 months in Australia and just 3 months to go before I return "home" to Sweden. As a visiting researcher at Melbourne University I have been asked to give a talk, which I have entitled "Reflections on Sustainability: From Australia to Sweden and back again". My abstract for this talk reads "I grew up in Melbourne, Australia but have spent the last 10 years living in Sweden and working at Lund University (first as a doctoral candidate and today as an Assistant Professor). A fantastic opportunity came up for me to return to Melbourne University for 12 months (from July 2012 until June 2013). In this talk and discussion I will present my thoughts and activities on sustainability from my experiences in Australia and Sweden/Europe and back again. I have a background in political science and environmental science, and I engage in a combination of research, education, communication and innovation activities. Broadly speaking I work in the fields of sustainability and governance. Specifically, I concentrate on how to accelerate the implementation of renewable energy (focusing on bioenergy and biofuels) and energy efficiency, catalyze sustainable urban transformation, and promote education for sustainability." I plan to talk on 3 main points. First, there is much to learn from Sweden about sustainability transitions and climate action. Second, the world is watching Australia both in terms of climate policy (and the impending change of government) and climate impacts on weather patterns. Third, the role of the university in sustainability transitions is changing markedly as the science and understanding of global warming expands and spreads.

39. The Price of Carbon

I recently watched this great short film by the Climate Reality Project on the price of carbon (which is being debated in Australia and it is clear that the message in this film needs to be communicated better and stronger). This film tries to explain what global warming is costing us - individually, nationally and globally. It really goes straight to the core issue around emissions trading schemes and carbon taxes and why pricing carbon is fundamental to transformative shifts in our development path. Check it out!

The Climate Reality Project is dedicated to unleashing a global cultural movement demanding action on the climate crisis. Despite overwhelming international scientific consensus on climate change, the global community still lacks the resolve to implement meaningful solutions. The Climate Reality Project employs cutting-edge communications and grassroots engagement tools to break the dam of inaction and raise the profile of the climate crisis to its proper state of urgency.