The Climate Justice Project

Climate urgency is in the air.
Garnault Interim Report [Feb 2008] really gets behind C&C

Seems the UK HoC Environmental Audit Committee visit to Australia in
February this year was a happy meeting with the Ross Garnault Review
http://www.gci.org.uk/briefings/Interim_Report_Feb_2008.pdf

. . . . but now the Australian Government is reeling.
http://greensblog.org/2008/02/21/garnaut-leaving-the-government-behind/

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Garnaut Climate Change Review
Interim Report – February 2008 31

Contraction and Convergence

It is clear already that per capita allocation will have to play a
strong role in principles for national budgets. Indeed, it appears
inevitable that if global per capita emissions fall to the level
required by stabilisation scenarios, then the current stark divergences
in national per capita emissions rights will inevitably diminish— though
variation in national emissions levels will be possible through the
trading of emissions rights.

Some argue that a population-based allocation encourages environmentally
damaging global population growth. This is unlikely, as population
growth is decided by far more fundamental economic and social
determinants. This argument is not at all relevant to countries – mostly
developed countries and first of all Australia and Canada – where
population is growing through immigration. As discussed later, a focus
on per capita allocations is essential for equitable treatment across
developed countries with and without high levels of immigration.

The more important point is that any allocative formula that does not
emphasise population over current or past emissions levels as the basis
for long-term emissions rights has no chance at all of being accepted by
most developing countries.

One approach worth considering, consistent with giving weight to
population and with the need to allow time for adjustment, would be the
“contraction and convergence” approach that was developed by the Global
Commons Institute in the early 1990s, and has been discussed favourably
in Germany and the United Kingdom in recent times (WGBU, 2003; RCEP,
2000).

Greens see Australian Government being left behind
http://greensblog.org/2008/02/21/garnaut-leaving-the-government-behind/