WRI Insights

When the secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, takes the floor of the UN general assembly this week, he will address two of the most pressing challenges of our time: poverty and climate change.

Future U.S. power suppliers will need to limit their carbon pollution, thanks to new standards announced today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The [proposed emissions standards](https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan/2013-proposed-carbon-pollution-standard-new-power-plants_.html) for new power plants are [an important measure](http://wri.org/press/2013/09/statement-us-epa-announces-greenhouse-gas-standards-new-power-plants) in implementing the President’s [Climate Action Plan](http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/image/president27sclimateactionplan.pdf) (announced in June) to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate global warming. EPA’s announcement comes against the backdrop of [our deepening understanding](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/09/new-report-connects-2012-extreme-weather-events-human-caused-climate-change) of the science of climate change. It also arrives as we witness [multiple extreme weather events](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/07/timeline-look-extreme-weather-and-climate-events-2013) that present a vivid picture of what we are likely to experience in a changing world. This summer, we saw record rainfalls on the southeast coast, massive wildfires in California and Idaho, and most recently, deadly flooding in Colorado. These extreme events--to say nothing of their massive [economic cost](http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/ncdc-releases-2012-billion-dollar-weather-and-climate-disasters-information)--remind us of why the United States has an obligation to cut its emissions. As we’ve [previously written](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/06/first-take-looking-president-obama%E2%80%99s-climate-action-plan), the President’s plan recommits the United States to meeting its international commitment of reducing its GHG emissions by 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. With these new standards--along with additional recent steps toward [increasing energy efficiency](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/08/29/obama-administration-proposes-new-energy-efficiency-rules/) and reducing emissions of potent greenhouse gases like [hydrofluorocarbons](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/09/3-big-takeaways-new-global-commitment-phase-down-hfcs) and [methane](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/09/new-study-sheds-light-methane-leakage-natural-gas)--the Administration is making progress in all of the sectors WRI identified in our report earlier this year.

Water is never far from the news these days. This summer, northern India experienced one of its heaviest monsoon seasons in 80 years, leaving more than 800 people dead and forcing another 100,000 from their homes. Meanwhile, Central Europe faced its worst flooding in decades after heavy rains swelled major rivers like the Elbe and the Danube. In the United States, nearly half the country continues to suffer from drought, while heavy rainfall has broken records in the Northeast, devastated crops in the South, and now is inundating Colorado.

Indore, India—nicknamed “Mini Bombay”—is a booming city of two million people. Enter the [“iBus.”](http://thecityfix.com/blog/i-bus-launch-brt-bus-rapid-transit-transport-landscape-ab-road-indore-india-prashanth-bachu/) Indore’s new [Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line](http://www.embarq.org/en/node/28)—the iBus—recently completed 100 days of passenger operations.

“The time to act is now… We cannot afford to do nothing.” This was the message of Mayor Will Sessoms from Virginia Beach, VA, delivered last Friday at a conference on "[Adaptive Planning for Flooding and Coastal Change.](http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=5knx77cab&oeidk=a07e7vmzi4wb14caa97)" Like so many cities along the Atlantic coast, Virginia Beach is at the frontlines of climate change, experiencing impacts like sea-level rise and recurrent coastal flooding. But as we learned at the event, the city and its surrounding communities are emerging as leaders in engaging in initiatives to address these issues. “We are not as well prepared as we need to be to address the full scope of projected realities in the year 2100” Mayor Sessoms stated, “and we can, and must, make continued improvements.” His message was echoed by a group of bipartisan mayors and state delegates, city planners, legal experts, and university scientists. They stressed that while state and federal governments often struggle to move beyond the political debate of whether manmade climate change is happening, residents of the Tidewater area of Virginia are focused on developing a robust response to rising seas and recurrent coastal flooding. Mayor Sessoms’ sentiments paralleled the earlier statements of Democratic Mayor Paul Fraim from Norfolk, VA that "[t]his is one of the greatest threats of our lifetime,” and “a threat that we can no longer afford to ignore."

Natural gas wells represent a significant source of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as many of them [leak methane](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/04/close-look-fugitive-methane-emissions-natural-gas), which is more than 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. But while scientists know that [“fugitive methane”](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/04/close-look-fugitive-methane-emissions-natural-gas) is a concern, there’s much uncertainty about the full extent of [the problem](http://www.wri.org/publication/clearing-the-air). A [new study](http://www.engr.utexas.edu/news/releases/methanestudy) from the University of Texas—developed in partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund and nine natural gas production companies (Anadarko, BG Group, Chevron, EnCana, Pioneer, Shell, Southwest, Talisman, ExxonMobil)—sheds some light on this perplexing issue.

*As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moves forward with standards to reduce emissions from existing power plants—expected to be proposed by June 2014—many states are beginning to think about how they will comply. WRI’s fact sheet series, [Power Sector Opportunities for Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions](http://www.wri.org/power-sector-opportunities-for-reducing-carbon-dioxide-emissions), examines the policies and pathways various states can use to cost-effectively meet or even exceed future power plant emissions standards. This post explores these opportunities in Michigan. Read about [additional analyses](http://www.wri.org/power-sector-opportunities-for-reducing-carbon-dioxide-emissions) in this series.* [New analysis](http://www.wri.org/publication/power-sector-opportunities-for-reducing-carbon-dioxide-emissions-michigan) by WRI reveals that Michigan has already made big strides to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions, including saving energy and increasing renewable power. And, it has the potential to go even further. According to our research, Michigan can reduce its power sector carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions 33 percent below 2011 levels by 2020 by complying with existing policies and improving infrastructure already in place. Taking these actions now can help the state meet future EPA emissions standards for existing power plants and achieve significant economic benefits.

The [last in a series of expert workshops](http://www.iisd.ca/climate/ltf/wpwe/12sep.html) and consultations under the UNFCCC’s work-programme on [long-term finance](http://unfccc.int/cooperation_support/financial_mechanism/long-term_finance/items/6814.php) concluded late yesterday. This 2013 extended work programme on long-term [climate finance](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/04/why-climate-finance-so-hard-define) is designed to “[identify pathways](http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2012/cop18/eng/08a01.pdf) for mobilizing the scaling up of climate finance to USD 100 billion per year by 2020 from public, private, and alternative sources” and inform “enabling environments and policy frameworks to facilitate the mobilization and effective deployment of climate finance in developing countries.”I had the opportunity to participate quite actively in this year’s series, as WRI is working with co-chairs from the Philippines and Sweden to facilitate discussions on how to mobilize scaled-up finance for climate action.

A number of programs that require businesses to [report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions](http://www.ghgprotocol.org/) have emerged in the past decade at the regional, national, and sub-national levels. Most of these programs operate in developed countries, but some developing countries are also showing an interest in adopting mandatory emissions disclosure programs. Establishing these programs is a resource- and time-intensive exercise. It can be a daunting task for developing countries with competing priorities and limited resources. So where can these countries begin as they consider setting up their [greenhouse gas reporting schemes](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/04/tracking-greenhouse-gases-3-factors-successful-national-inventories)? WRI’s new working paper, *[Designing Greenhouse Gas Reporting Systems: Learning from Existing Programs](http://www.wri.org/publication/designing-greenhouse-gas-reporting-systems-learning-from-existing-programs)*, reviews corporate and facility-level greenhouse gas reporting programs in Australia, California, Canada, the European Union, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The paper identifies steps to implement a mandatory reporting program and discusses factors to be considered at each step in designing the program. It also discusses some strategies for developing countries keen to set up [reporting programs](http://insights.wri.org/news/2011/10/ghg-protocol-gold-standard-accounting-greenhouse-gas-emissions). Developing countries may find it easier to adopt a gradual, phased approach to develop a reporting program. Engaging in the following three key steps allows developing nations to make the most of their more limited resources:

*As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moves forward with standards to reduce power plant emissions—which are due to be finalized in June 2015—many states are wondering how they will comply. WRI’s fact sheet series, [Power Sector Opportunities for Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions](http://www.wri.org/power-sector-opportunities-for-reducing-carbon-dioxide-emissions), examines the policies and pathways various states can use to cost-effectively meet or even exceed future power plant emissions standards. This post explores these opportunities in North Carolina. Read about [additional analyses](http://www.wri.org/power-sector-opportunities-for-reducing-carbon-dioxide-emissions) in this series.*