The following are a sampling of climate action-related updates, activities or reports from an active Fall 2020, both internationally and closer-to-home:
Internationally:
- On December 2, 2020, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented a sobering State of the Planet. This must-view 28-minute fact-filled speech spans a diverse range of pressing global issues, primarily profiling the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, but also the many interconnected issues including, agriculture and fisheries, forest degradation, chemical and solid waste pollution, equity, resource extraction and negative subsidies, nature-based solutions, and much more. As the Secretary-General notes: “Humanity is waging war on nature. This is suicidal…Making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century. It must be the top, top priority for everyone, everywhere.”
- The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene – “As this [December 15th, 2020] report shows, no country in the world has yet achieved very high human development without putting immense strain on the planet. But we could be the first generation to right this wrong. That is the next frontier for human development…By adjusting its annual Human Development Index – the measure of a nation’s health, education, and standards of living – to include two more elements: a country’s carbon dioxide emissions and its material footprint, the new index shows how the global development landscape would change if both the wellbeing of people and also the planet were central to defining humanity’s progress.” The “people and planet on a ‘collision course’” warning is consistent with Antonio Guterres’ messaging (above).
- Spotlighting the Science: Fifty of the world’s leading scientists (two from Canada) from both the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) met for a four-day workshop the week of December 14th, entitled Spotlighting the Science. “The workshop will provide relevant information for the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, the post-2020 biodiversity framework and – more broadly – the Sustainable Development Goals…Biodiversity loss and climate change are inseparable threats to humanity that must be addressed together. They are also deeply interconnected in ways that pose complex challenges to effective policy-making and action.”
- The Production Gap: 2020 Special Report: “The Production Gap Report report, first launched in 2019, measures the gap between Paris Agreement goals and countries’ planned and projected production of coal, oil, and gas…This year’s special issue of the report finds that the production gap remains large: countries plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with a 1.5°C temperature limit.”
- Climate Transparency Report: “The Climate Transparency Report* constitutes this summary report and profiles for all G20 countries. It offers comparable and concise analysis of climate ambition and action across the G20…The 2020 edition of the Climate Transparency Report unpacks recent developments and longer-term trends, providing key insights into where and how to advance climate action, including through greening the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.”
- On December 12, 2020, five years to the day after the Paris Agreement was signed, the UN and partners co-sponsored the Global six-hour Climate Ambition Summit 2020, including 75 Heads of State, UN representatives, and numerous ‘non-state actors’ ramping up their commitments as the world heads to COP 26 in Glasgow this coming November 1st-12th, 2021. Choose your own Summit highlights On Demand.
- The four-part September to October Sustainable Investment Forum North America 2020 and the 5-day, November 16-20th Climate Action Sustainable Innovation Forum added to the list of well-attended high-profile international action-oriented events this Fall.
- The above all contribute drive or insight into the United Nations Decade of Action to 2030, where all levels of government are ramping up their commitments, encouraged by an informed and engaged citizenry and supportive organizations around the globe.
Nationally – Canada:
- Towards a Green and Just Recovery – This year, numerous Canadian organizations and groups of organizations stepped up to the federal government’s challenge to propose a post-COVID ‘green and just recovery’ – Corporate Knights and FCM to name two.
- A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy – This, the federal government’s updated climate plan, was released on December 11, 2020, identifying 64 measures to be undertaken to address climate change as the country works towards achieving “reductions within the range of 32 to 40 percent below 2005 levels in 2030”. A 25-minute podcast with guest Catherine Abreu, Executive Director, Climate Action Network Canada provides an informative interpretation of the strengths and the shortcomings of our updated and more extensive national approach – worth a listen.
Provincially – Province of British Columbia:
On November 26th, 2020, the Premier of British Columbia (John Horgan’s) sent Mandate Letters to his Provincial Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries, in part, strengthening its CleanBC and other environmental commitments* across multiple ministries. Beyond the dedicated issues being required of each Minister, and the interconnections between agencies, climate change was a stated priority for all of the Premier’s Cabinet:
“In 2018, our government launched our CleanBC climate action plan. CleanBC puts British Columbia on the path to a cleaner, better future by building a low-carbon economy with new clean-energy jobs and opportunities, protecting our air, land and water and supporting communities to prepare for climate impacts. It is every Minister’s responsibility to ensure your ministry’s work continues to achieve CleanBC’s goals.”
*Note – in a separate UVic in the Anthropocene blog post, a snapshot of each Ministry’s ‘climate change and environmentally sustainable’ commitments are listed.
BC/Canada Local Governments/Support Organizations:
Across BC and across Canada, local governments and their support organizations continue to step up to the climate change challenge, a couple of examples including:
- Across the country, local government support groups such as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (Partners in Climate Protection), the Climate Caucus, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy – Canada, and the Canadian Urban Sustainability Practitioners (CUSP) continue to support their progressive and growing memberships with a range of guides, funding or human resources.
- On December 2nd, UBCM’s Special Committee on Climate Action released its Recommendations on how British Columbia’s local governments can move towards a low-carbon future, outlining concrete actions for buildings, transportation, solid waste, resilience, land use-planning, social mobilization and governance.
- On November 17th, 2020, the City of Vancouver released its 2020-2025 Climate Emergency Action Plan (see Summary), backed up with a $500M financial commitment.