Monthly Archives: December 2011

The recent UN climate conference in Durban saw delegates from over 200 countries make a conceptual advance towards real action on climate change.

The biggest breakthrough was that the world’s largest emitters – India, China and the U.S. – have agreed to come back to the negotiating table in 2015.  The goal of the 2015 talks will be for an “agreed outcome with legal force.”  This agreed outcome is earmarked to take effect in 2020 and would include both developing and developed countries.

Many are quick to point out that this preliminary agreement is non-binding.  Indeed, the outcome at Durban is essentially a geopolitical rain-cheque.  But the time frame for future discussions is not that long.  In a space where countries outline emissions targets for 2200 and scientific reports feature predictions about the year 3000, a mere four-year hiatus is a pretty good result.

Between now and 2015, the outcome at Durban should drive domestic political support in democratic countries.  Many of those in public life here and abroad firmly took the position that restricting emissions is economically irresponsible unless other economies came to the table.  The result in Durban should help us do away with this mentality and become more internationally engaged.

This combined with the gas boom in Russia and continued growth of the renewables sector should only make an agreement in 2015 less pain full for all involved.

Of course a firmer result would have been better.  But for now the outcome at Durbin it is as good an outcome as we have seen from talks of this magnitude.

One must accept that climate change will continue to test the power of global political institutions for many years to come.  We must draw positives where possible and hope that 2015 brings further progress.

The City of Sydney’s efforts to tackle climate change have been given a ringing endorsement by the international Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

“The City of Sydney’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 presents a bold and compelling vision for how this centrally located area will tackle climate change, global competition, transportation congestion, and half a dozen other major challenges over the next 20 years,” the OECD report says.

“The Council of the City aspires to be a global leader and through leadership of the Lord Mayor and its Sustainable Sydney 2030 framework, the city has articulated a vision for a global, green and connected city.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the City’s long term plans to tackle climate change started seven years ago with an unprecedented community consultation.

“People said they wanted us to tackle climate change, cut traffic congestion and reconnect Sydney to its harbour and surrounding villages – that overwhelming community consensus has now received international support and recognition,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Sydney has extraordinary potential to pursue economic growth and wealth with lower carbon emissions, the report’s authors say, and while our work at the City was highlighted, it’s time local strategies and activities were coordinated right across the metropolitan area.”

The OECD report Climate Change, Employment and Local Development looked at how cities and regions are creating green jobs and developing a skilled workforce to meet the needs of a greener economy.

According to the report, Sydney’s strengths for the green economy include:

• Dense networks of globally competitive firms with strong links to the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in finance and business services
• A strong awareness about the threat of global warming and the need for concerted action
• An advanced economy with strong research, technological capabilities and skills base
• A globally recognised higher education and vocational education and training system
• Well-developed infrastructure, outstanding amenities and living environment that is attractive to mobile knowledge workers.

The report said a snapshot of Australia’s green potential suggested more than 100,000 new jobs have already been created in environmental protection industries, clean-tech companies, eco-tourism, waste disposal, environmental science and the recycling sector, contributing around $65 billion to the economy.

Read full article: http://www.investinaustralia.com/news/sydney%E2%80%99s-green-economy-gets-oecd-stamp-approval-34m5