347,301 research outputs found
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Seventh Oregon climate assessment
No full textConsistent with its charge under Oregon House Bill 3543, the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI) conducts a biennial assessment of the state of climate change science, including biological, physical, and social science, as it relates to Oregon and the likely effects of climate change on Oregon. This seventh Oregon Climate Assessment, which builds on the previous assessments, is structured with the goal of supporting the state’s mitigation planning for natural hazards and implementation of the Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework
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Sixth Oregon climate assessment
No full textConsistent with its charge under Oregon House Bill 3543, the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI) conducts a biennial assessment of the state of climate change science, including biological, physical, and social science, as it relates to Oregon and the likely effects of climate change on Oregon. This sixth Oregon Climate Assessment builds on the previous assessments by continuing to evaluate past and projected future changes in Oregon’s climate and water supply. Like the fifth assessment, it is structured with the goal of supporting the state’s mitigation planning for natural hazards and implementation of the 2021 Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Going for zero: state decarbonisation strategies for prosperity in a zero-emission world
No full textThis paper explains why states should have a decarbonisation strategy and explores some key policy elements.
Abstract
Across the world, governments at all levels are implementing policies to reduce carbon emissions, address local air pollution, improve energy productivity, grow new industries and address energy security concerns. While these initiatives are as yet insufficient to avoid dangerous climate change or achieve the internationally agreed goal of avoiding 2°C warming above pre-industrial levels, the trend is clear.
What is also clear is the ultimate destination or strategic objective that these policies need to have: the progressive phase-out of emissions to reach net zero levels, or ‘decarbonisation’. The OECD, World Bank and latest IPCC report have warned that avoiding irreversible and severe climate change impacts will require the global economy to be decarbonised before the end of the century. This requires energy systems, particularly electricity, to decarbonise well before then.
Private sector actors are also moving forward. Leading multinational business groups and corporate leaders have called for action to achieve net zero global emissions by 2050. The financial sector is increasingly aware of the risks of ‘stranded assets’ resulting from both global decarbonisation efforts and the physical impacts of climate change.
In Australia recent political and policy turmoil saw state governments retreat from many past climate policy initiatives. However some governments are now reconsidering their position and the risks posed to their economies and communities should they be left behind by this global trend toward decarbonisation.
This paper explains why states should have a decarbonisation strategy and explores these key policy elements:
Setting binding emission limits on major emitting facilities
Incorporating carbon considerations into policy and planning processes
Using procurement and management policies to help build markets for lower emission goods and services
Continuing to develop and link energy efficiency policy frameworks
Providing assistance: funding, technical, regulatory, trainin
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Fifth Oregon climate assessment
No full textConsistent with its charge under Oregon House Bill 3543, the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI) conducts a biennial assessment of the state of climate change science, including biological, physical, and social science, as it relates to Oregon and the likely effects of climate change on Oregon. This fifth Oregon Climate Assessment builds on previous assessments (Dello and Mote 2010; Dalton et al. 2013, 2017; Mote et al. 2019) by continuing to evaluate past and projected future changes in Oregon’s climate and hydrology. This Assessment is structured with the goal of serving as a resource for the state’s mitigation planning for natural hazards and implementation of the 2021 Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework
A national agenda for climate action
No full textThe more we find out about the effects of climate change, the greater the insights we gather into how we can to become a resilient, innovative, and safe Australia, that is prospering in a zero carbon global economy. Achieving this will not be easy. But it is necessary.
Addressing climate change will require transformation, particularly of the energy sector. Not addressing climate change will require even greater transformation, as we struggle to cope with growing climate impacts. To this end, it is imperative that we integrate climate, energy and economic policy through a stable, long term framework that is both fair and inclusive.
The Climate Institute\u27s National Agenda for Climate Action provides a comprehensive roadmap for achieving outcomes across three inter-related policy dimensions:
setting a credible pathway to net zero emissions;
ensuring investor, business and community confidence in clean energy; and
integrating climate costs and opportunities into mainstream decision-making
Global Climate Action – May Update:
No full textThe Climate Institute\u27s May update on the most recent developmentson new targets and other policies.
Overview
In the lead-up to the Paris climate talks in November, countries are advancing their domestic climate and clean energy efforts and developing their post-2020 emission reduction targets. This is The Climate Institute\u27s May update on the most recent developmentson new targets and other policies.
As Australia continues to mull over its post-2020 emissions reductions target, a number of countries and now state governments have started to ramp up their action to limit pollution.
Many major countries announced their initial targets earlier, but April saw important announcements from the governments of California and Ontario, as well as Japan.
California has announced it will aim to reduce emissions by 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030 as part of its contribution to avoiding a 2°C increase in global temperature. If Australia were to match California’s target it would need to aim for pollution reductions of around 30 per cent below 2000 levels by 2025 (see more below).
Ontario in Canada announced that it will implement an economy-wide cap and trade system, which will link with the similar systems in Quebec and California. Among the less rosy announcements was Japan’s draft post-2020 target of 26 per cent reduction below 2013 levels by 2030 (or 25.4 per cent below 2005 levels). This target would leave Japan on the sidelines of serious international action and clean technology investment
Climate of the nation 2016: Australian attitudes on climate change
No full textExamines the views of Australians about matters relating to climate change and energy policy, through the ups and downs of changing weather patterns, related natural disasters and the waxing and waning of the political landscape.
Executive Summary
The Climate Institute has been conducting our annual Climate of the Nation attitudinal research since 2007. It is the longest continuous survey of community attitudes about climate change. During this time we have charted the views of Australians about matters relating to climate change and energy policy, through the ups and downs of changing weather patterns, related natural disasters and the waxing and waning of the political landscape.
This year\u27s research, conducted by polling over 2,000 people across the country, as well as holding focus groups in Brisbane, Melbourne and Newcastle, once again benchmarks the views of everyday people on these key issues. And we compare and contrast them to the findings over these past years.
For many years now, Australians have been through a heavily contested political and media climate change debate. They have been presented with views that intensely question and debate the scientific evidence about climate change, its projected impacts and the cost of solutions. Progress and reversals of government climate and energy policy have been a constant.
This has resulted in an erosion of the trust Australians have in leadership on this issue, predominantly at the federal government level, which people overwhelmingly indicate has the greatest responsibility to act.
For some, this has encouraged a lack of urgency. However, an increasing majority support action to reduce emissions and are frustrated with Australia’s lack of commitment in developing renewable energy, especially solar and wind energy. People may have grown weary of the political debate, but they increasingly accept the science and want solutions. In fact, a large majority not only think climate change is happening, they increasingly trust the science that suggests it is due to human activity – a view that was in the minority in 2012.
Three quarters see economic benefits flowing from leadership on climate action and energy policy, including new jobs and investment in clean energy. The majority also think Australia should be a world leader in finding solutions to climate change.
In short, while Australians are frustrated by the debate they want action, see opportunities for our country in taking it, and want clarity about how they and their communities can contribute
Climate change 2015: growing risks, critical choices
No full textThis latest Climate Council report provides an update of climate change science, impacts and risks. This report draws from the massive body of evidence that human activities - primarily from the burning of coal, oil and gas - are driving dramatic changes in our climate system. The report outlines how the changing climate poses substantial and escalating risks for health, property, infrastructure, agriculture and natural ecosystems in Australia. Compared to our understanding when the last Critical Decade report was published, the risks of climate change for our well-being now look more serious at lower levels of climate change, strengthening the case for urgent action. Finally, the report describes why it is in Australia’s national interest to play a leadership role in the global move for strong climate action leading up to the Paris climate conference at the end of 2015
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Oregon climate assessment report : December 2010
No full textThe group of scientists that make up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found in 2007 that the warming of Earth’s climate is unequivocal and largely due to human activity. Earth’s climate has changed in the past, though the recent magnitude and pace of changes are unprecedented in human existence. Recent decades have been warmer than at any time in roughly 120,000 years. Most of this warming can be attributed to anthropogenic activity, primarily burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) for energy. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other heat trapping gases, also known as greenhouse gases, into the atmosphere. This warming cannot be explained by natural causes (volcanic and solar) alone. It can be said with confidence that human activities are primarily responsible for the observed 1.5 ˚F increase in 20th century temperatures in the Pacific Northwest. A warmer climate will affect this state substantially.
In 2007, the Oregon State Legislature charged the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, via HB 3543, with assessing the state of climate change science including biological, physical and social science as it relates to Oregon and the likely effects of climate change on the state. This inaugural assessment report is meant to act as a compendium of the relevant research on climate change and its impacts on the state of Oregon. This report draws on a large body of work on climate change impacts in the western US from the Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington and the California Climate Action Team. In this report, we also identify knowledge gaps, where we acknowledge the need for more research in certain areas. We hope this report will serve as a useful resource for decision-makers, stakeholders, researchers and all Oregonians. The following chapters address key sectors that fall within the biological, physical and social sciences in the state of Oregon
Lima Climate Summit: striding or shuffling to Paris?
No full textThis paper argues that Australia should restate its commitment to participate in a new post-2020 framework that is consistent with the national interest of avoiding 2C of global warming.
Overview
In Lima Climate Summit: Striding or Shuffling to Paris? The Climate Institute lays out the process for the year ahead of the Paris climate summit, when the new international climate framework will be agreed, suggests possible scenarios for Lima, and considers an appropriate role for Australia.
The report finds that as nations head into the Lima climate change negotiations later this month, Australia should restate its commitment to participate in a new post-2020 framework that is consistent with the national interest of avoiding 2C of global warming, should lay out a transparent process for defining our initial post-2020 target, and boost short-term domestic actions.
The report concluded that the government needs to catch up with the growing global coalition of climate action recognising the economic threats of climate change and make clear that it will join efforts to keep global warming below 2C. The past few weeks have seen major emitters and the world’s largest economies, from the US, China and Europe, put forth initial post 2020 targets. We also saw important announcements from G20 countries around climate financing for poor countries to bolster their climate resilience and accelerate low carbon development
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