Eleanor Babcock
12/1/15
UNFCCC Week!

This is the week my Climate Studies class and the world have been anticipating for so long! Climate negotiations began yesterday on November 30th. agreements and statements of innovation have already been made by many nations. One of the first binding agreements nations have made is to double research and development for clean energy in private and public sectors in the next five years. This agreement, called Mission Innovation is a landmark agreement to increase production of renewable energy sources. The announcement for this agreement was made at the opening of the UNFCCC meetings.

Twenty of the worlds major economies are bound to this agreement. This commitment includes The United States, Germany, Australia, India, Indonesia and 14 other important nations. These economies account for 80% of renewables research. Once the five years is over up to $2 billion will be invested in global clean energy research and development. This initiative has high hopes to expand particularly in the private sector. So far 28 investors from 10 different nations have expressed commitment to this treaty. It is essential that this agreement includes privite business sectors because it will spur economic growth in smaller businesses and target growth from beneath to expand and support the economy.

Mission Innovation is significant to the beginning of the climate talks because it is progress from solely the first day of the negotiations. Nations such as the United States, one of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters, are eager to express commitment to the salvation of our atmosphere. This initial agreement to further research and development in clean energy is just the first step to the future of our planet. I am very excited to see the bud of agreement in these negotiations at UNFCCC and am anticipating more successes and commitments from nations to hold us fast to our 2 degree Celsius temperature limit.



Further Reading:
http://newsroom.unfccc.int/clean-energy/mission-innovation-clean-energy/