On the opening day of #COP29, the COP presidency gavelled through the controversial carbon market provisions under #Article6 without any further discussion. Both procedurally and substantially, this is hugely problematic:
Negotiations on Article 6 had reached an impasse at the two previous COPs because governments could not agree on controversial issues. Pretty much the same?documents, without improvement and further discussion, have now been greenlighted on the first day of COP. Governments at COP29 should clearly have rejected this bad process to avoid setting a dangerous precedent of evading COP governance and oversight. It seems not only the COP Presidency was interested in an “early win” and did not want COP29 to look like a failure. However, failure is bound to happen with weak rules and dangerous distractions in carbon markets.
Parties will be able to develop further guidance on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and it will be important to follow this closely. But fundamental problems will remain.
? Particularly concerning: the inclusion of “carbon removals” in global carbon markets. The definition of “carbon removals” currently is very vague - but it is likely that it will include both natural approaches to sequester CO2 - think reforestation, restoration of ecosystems, peatlands, mangroves, etc., and large-scale technological approaches to removing CO2 from the atmosphere – known as carbon dioxide removal (CDR) or carbon geoengineering, such as #BECCS, #DACCS and marine geoengineering #mCDR. The latter is a novelty under the UNFCCC and will give these risky and untested technologies a real boost. But: none of these optios should have a place in global carbon markets!
?? Technological Carbon Dioxide Removal: these new technologies that come with major ecological and social risks that could make the climate crisis even worse on balance. Just in October, the UN Biodiversity Convention reaffirmed its moratorium on all climate-related geoengineering approaches a few weeks ago. The UNFCCC COP29 should not undermine the important precautionary work undertaking in other UN Fora and facilitate high-risk tech approaches! For more information on CDR technologies >> https://lnkd.in/eW-pFVYW
?? Ecosystem solutions: these are vital in addressing the twin crises of climate and biodiversity, but they should never be used to offset fossil fuel emissions in carbon markets!
Read up on the background of the controversial Article 6 negotiations:
?? https://lnkd.in/em3sPRBF
?? https://lnkd.in/ewyZS6wx
?? https://lnkd.in/evDcEWnp
Hands Off Mother Earth! (HOME) Alliance Indigenous Environmental Network Geoengineering Monitor Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) Friends of the Earth International Heinrich-B?ll-Stiftung
