Stories Archive: December, 2009

The result from Copenhagen is an Accord that looks very different than what has come before.

As I write this letter, the climate negotiations in Copenhagen have come to a close. The resulting Copenhagen Accord—produced after excruciating round-the-clock negotiations—is an important step on the road to an international agreement.

A recent U.S. government raid on illegally sourced wood is a wake-up call to businesses.

What is the Lacey Act and how can companies comply? This fact sheet provides answers to frequently asked questions.

Here is a Q&A on some of the most important legal questions surrounding the Copenhagen Accord.

To be successful, money pledged to protect forests must tackle the underlying drivers of deforestation.

Nutrient pollution emerges as one of the greatest threats to water quality.

New reports may emphasize disagreements between the U.S. and China, but the reality is much less dramatic.

How industry has learned to live with (and perhaps even love) cap-and-trade in Europe.

Even the best possible Copenhagen outcome will be a waypoint, not an endpoint.

This document provides a detailed summary of the greenhouse gas (GHG) offset provisions in the Clean Energy Partnerships Act of 2009 (S.2729), which was introduced as a bill by Senators Stabenow, Baucus, Klobuchar, Brown, Begich and Harkin on November 5, 2009.

The international community must negotiate targets for new, significant, predictable, and stable finance to support developing countries’ transition to low-carbon economies.

A new Fact Sheet on nutrient trading in the Chesapeake Bay region covers issues such as potential costs and revenues, and how farmers and other stakeholders can benefit.

Assisting poor countries now and in the future in adapting to climate change must be a top priority.

President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana will give the keynote speech at WRI’s official side event at the Copenhagen climate conference on Tuesday December 15.

A new map shows a world of opportunity for restoration of forest landscapes. COP-15 negotiators should take note.

The new bipartisan framework for climate legislation will help negotiators in Copenhagen better understand where the Senate stands.

One by one, developing countries are coming forward with commitments to reduce emissions.

Chinese officials give more details on carbon intensity targets at their first ever dedicated space at a major climate meeting.

This kind of drama — the “leaking” of furtive texts, the kneejerk outrage — is part of the routine of climate negotiations.

The attached table summarizes the GHG reduction pledges of 13 non-Annex1 countries, organized by type of pledge.

Los Angeles’ Metro is marketing its public transportation as if it were a private company, and the rebranding seems to be paying off.

This bulletin provides updated context for United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) member countries on the full range of recent U.S. climate change actions in the buildup to the Conference of Parties (COP)-15 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

As COP-15 approaches, the world already has a precedent for how the United States and China can work together.

This framework for looking at possible outcomes of the COP-15 convention was first introduced at a press event on November 20th.

What goes on behind the scenes of the different eco-labels? A new survey from WRI and Ecolabelling.org will find out.

As South Africa moves forward with its own preparations for climate change, other countries are taking note.