Jake Schmidt’s Posts

• It's the Little Things

  Global warming negotiations with 21 (or so) negotiation days left 0

  Posted 1 month agoYou know the saying: "it's the little things that matter." Well you can't really take that saying too literally when discussing global warming pollution as it is the big things that ultimately matter, such as: pollution reduction cuts, assistance for developing countries in cutting emissions further, and support for the most vulnerable countries to adapt to the impacts of global warming.

• Shifting into High Gear

  Wrapping up Climate Week, G20 Outcome & on to Bangkok 0

  Posted 1 month, 1 week ago

  Well “climate week” has just wrapped up with the conclusion of the G20 summit in Pittsburgh.  This week was an important one to build international and US momentum for addressing global warming pollution (as I discussed here).

   

  As I discussed Read More

• On to the steel city

  Seizing the opportunity: reflections from the U.N. Climate Summit 2

  Posted 1 month, 2 weeks agoRemember, there are five key building blocks for the agreement that emerges from Copenhagen so we need to watch what details are filled in on each of these.

• Some Rays of Hope for Global Efforts

  Important week for global warming 0

  Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago

  Today begins a week dubbed because of all the high-level climate discussions that are occurring.  And they just all happen to be occurring in the U.S. at an important time for the domestic debate to pass a clean energy and climate bill in the Senate.

• Sterny Likes It!

  Obama administration comes out in support of key international provisions in climate bill 1

  Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago

  Todd Stern the Special Envoy for Climate Change, just testified before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming on: The Road to Copenhagen and International Climate Agreement.

All Posts

Jake Schmidt’s Recent Comments

• Click here to view comment in original post

  But, we need to evolve from the current CDM system if we are going to solve global warming.  CDM was the first step, but the second step needs to be bigger, better, and be modified to address the changing dynamics of which countries need to take action and under what designs.  That is why we need to Evolve from "Offsets" to Sectoral Approaches for Developing Countries.

  This is the direction that the Waxman-Markey discussion draft heads and I believe it Provides the Tools to Get a Strong International Climate Agreement.  In particular, it provides these tools around the "evolution of the CDM" by designing international carbon market access rules to encourage unilateral actions from developing countries before they can sell credits into the US market.  And sectoral approaches for crediting is one key strategy that is spelled out.   

  On Why the CDM should matter to the United States posted 6 months, 4 weeks ago 11 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Capping and leading internationally

  President Obama has provided another clear signal that the US needs to be a leader in developing solutions to global warming and that addressing this challenge is one of his top priorities (as I discussed here: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jschmidt/obamas_speech_ ...)

  He stressed the need for this Congress to pass legislation to cap global warming pollution. It is crucial to pass a cap on global warming pollution this year if we want to help secure a strong international agreement to address global warming. The US needs to lead!

  There are a lot of pieces that need to come together to get a strong agreement in Copenhagen, but the key cornerstone is strong action from the US. If the US leads then I believe that other countries will commit to strong actions as well. They are waiting for the clear signal that the US is serious.
  

  Jake Schmidt International Climate Policy Director Natural Resources Defense Council

  On Obama puts climate and energy atop his priorities list in his first address to Congress posted 8 months, 2 weeks ago 8 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  One more theme-start to tackle the key challenges

  Dave,

  Thanks for the great summary.  We completely agree that the US and China need to make progress and start to come together if we are going to get a strong agreement in Copenhagen.  That is why we put together our recommendations (you can read a summary here: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jschmidt/reengaging_chi ...).

  While our recommendations don't focus on going straight after emissions reduction commitments, we do highlight that it is crucial that the two start a serious dialouge on the key challenges that have arisen in the international negotiations.  In particular, a serious focus on fleshing out the details of a sectoral commitment for China--where they agree to cut emissions in key sectors of the economy--is a promising start to an emissions reduction commitment.

  In addition, we also emphasize getting started quickly.  We don't have time to wait for these two key players to come together.

   

  Jake Schmidt International Climate Policy Director Natural Resources Defense Council

  On The game plan: partnership with China posted 8 months, 2 weeks ago 2 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Calling all leaders

  The Natural Resources Defense Council joined this call to leadership and helped launch it because the US and the world need to simultaneously cut all sources of global warming pollution - from both the energy sector and tropical deforestation.  With deforestation accounting for about 20% of the world's global warming pollution, addressing deforestation is a critical component of the world's efforts to combat global warming.  So that is why we came together to launch this "Call for Leadership"...to focus US attention on helping to get a solution to this challenge (as I discussed here: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jschmidt/leadership_nee ...)

  Leadership needs to come both by ensuring that significant financial resources and other support is effectively integrated into the US climate legislative and that the US plays a strong role in ensuring that the new international global warming agreement also includes these tools.

  We hope that you'll join us in this effort to address the loss of the world's tropical forests before it is too late.

  Jake Schmidt International Climate Policy Director Natural Resources Defense Council

  On Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders urge action to avoid deforestation posted 9 months ago 10 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Team in place and ready to negotiate

  President Obama and Secretary Clinton are continuing to show that they are going to make addressing global warming a top priority as they are putting their team in place in record time.  Oh how refreshing a change from the last eight years of no leadership and no progress.  So now we have real leadership on this issue, let's hope that we can make real progress by Copenhagen.  (I discuss some of the hints of that change that Clinton and Todd Stern outlined here: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jschmidt/us_climate_cha ...).

  This team will have to get up to speed fast, start to reach out to other countries, and begin to flesh out the US positions as the pace of the negotiations are set to pick up speed following the meeting in Poznan, Poland this past December.  In just over 60 days, this team will be sitting with other countries at the negotiating table as the next international negotiations will be held the end of March in Bonn, Germany.

  Jake Schmidt International Climate Policy Director Natural Resources Defense Council

  On Clinton taps Todd Stern as her climate envoy posted 9 months, 2 weeks ago 3 Responses