Climate at the G20: Obama to press cuts in fossil fuel subsidies

by Emily Gertz

categories: Activism, Climate Security, Environmental Justice, International Action, Jobs & Economy, Politics

Published September 24, 2009 @ 09:10AM PT

After three days of an all-climate schedule in New York City, featuring Tuesday's all-day United Nations Climate Summit, I'm now in Pittsburgh to cover the meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies.  My thanks to Grist and G20Voice for helping me to be here.

Given that the heads of state chewed over global warming at the United Nations Climate Summit on Tuesday, where will climate figure into tomorrow's G20 agenda of meetings?

According to reports, it's on the list of confab issues -- "Fresh from the UN general assembly in New York, heads of government and a vast diplomatic entourage will descend on Pittsburgh today to kick off two days of talks on economic stability, financial regulation, climate change and bankers' bonuses," reports the Guardian.

President Obama is expected to put a stunner of a demand on the G20 table, as my Grist colleague Dave Roberts notes: that nations stop subsidising fossil fuels, which could cut 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Since fossil energy subsidies dwarf those going to renewables, such a move would also likely transform energy prices, better reflecting the true costs of dirty energy while making clean more competitive.

There's also the not-small matter of how much aid wealthy nations will provide to poorer nations to help them mitigate and adapt to climate disruptions -- buzzworded as "climate financing."  "Wealthy nations promised in 2001 to provide the 49 least developed countries $2 billion for immediate climate change adaptation, but they only funded about a 10th of that," reports Solve Climate. "Since then, the UNFCCC has estimated the cost of global adaptation to be between $40 billion and $170 billion a year through 2030, and more recent studies now suggest the costs will be far higher — with the price growing each year the world delays action on climate change."

In New York, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for a $100 billion commitment from the industrialized nations.  But the White House is playing down the potential that any firm agreements on climate action will come out of Pittsburgh, and so are climate advocates.

From what non-governmental organization activists have told me, the hope is that the world leaders are accepting the idea that climate action is no longer a distinct issue from either economic or national security.

Gordon Brown agrees:  “Just as the collapse of the banks focused our minds a year ago we must now grasp this next set of issues,” he told reporters earlier in the week. “This is the moment now to limit and reverse the climate change -- not later at another conference in another decade, after we have lost 10 years to inaction and delay.”   The evidence is growing that energy efficiency and clean energy development represent two of the most promising pathways out of the economic recession -- both arenas capable of creating scores of jobs in research, development,and bringing products and services to market, as well as weatherization, industrial-scale manufacturing, and construction."

Both humanitarian activists and the leaders of the least prosperous nations are emphasizing that climate shifts change age-old weather patterns, disrupt local agriculture, and affect water supplies in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, they will bring on massive population displacements and violent struggles for resources.  These are very real threats to the peace and prosperity of the entire world.  (Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma just said as much before the UN Security Council a few minutes ago.)

Pittsburgh itself is a weird mix today of eerie quiet (the city center is largely closed to auto traffic) and tension, as protestors begin demonstrations along pre-approved routes, and the police stand by with handfuls of wrist binders waiting for something arrest-worthy to happen.  Yesterday the city's mayor swore in 1,000 out-of-town police officers brought in from across the midwest to augment the local force; 2,000 National Guard troops are on standby.

14 people were taken into custody yesterday -- nine known to be Greenpeace activists -- after kicking off the demonstration season by hanging their 80 x 30' banner reading "Danger: Climate Destruction Ahead"  from Pittsburgh's iconic West End Bridge. (Nice photo from the action above, courtesy of Greenpeace.) Greenpeace is among the many urging President Obama to commit the nation to slashing greenhouse gas pollution.

From what I heard at the Climate Summit, strong leadership by the US is still considered key to negotiating a strong climate change treaty in December.