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Your daily must-read during the UN climate change summit in Paris | COP21 Day #10
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NEWS ALERT: France and UN to publish new draft of global climate change agreement today at 13:00 Paris time, keep an eye on Twitter for the latest.
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The European Union has formed an alliance with 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries in a final push for agreement at the climate summit COP21, the BBC reported last night. The new alliance has agreed a common position on some of the most divisive aspects of the proposed deal. They say the Paris agreement must be legally binding, inclusive and fair - and be reviewed every five years.
The EU will pay €475 million to support climate action in the partner countries up to 2020. The alliance has also agreed that the Paris text must include a "transparency and accountability system" to track nations' progress on their climate pledges, and share best practice. Meanwhile, China, the United States, Canada, and the European Union have all announced that they could endorse a final agreement that includes language about an ambitious 1.5 degrees warming limit, Pacific Standard reports.
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Attention cleantech investors and entrepreneurs! If ministers reach a COP21 deal this week, the transportation sector could find itself at the dawn of an unprecedented transformation. The sector consumes half the world’s oil, and may be a major target of new emission slashing policies. Vehicle efficiency and removal of fossil fuel subsidies can also reduce oil demand, Reuters reports. A deal could also boost alternative fuels in road transportation.
A strong political signal from Paris could boost investment in transportation. A breakthrough on electric vehicle batteries or hydrogen can dramatically disrupt future demand. Weaker oil demand as a result of vehicle innovation could cap long-term oil prices. Ten years ago, German utilities were seen as stable investments, now they are struggling under the weight of policies pushing renewables and reductions in technology costs. Ambitious entrepreneurs and investors should take notice, the Reuters article suggests.
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The fragmentation of the European airspace costs at least €5 billion a year and up to 50 million tonnes of CO2. The EU commission has proposed a new aviation strategy this week in an attempt to counter this, among other things. The European Commission’s energy chief Maroš Šefčovič said the plan "confirms the pioneering commitment of Europe to sustainable aviation."
If approved by EU lawmakers, the initiative would ask the 28 member governments to abandon their current practice of negotiating individual bilateral air services agreements, which the Commission says has created "a patchwork of differing market access and rules for airlines," Deutsche Welle reports. Air traffic in Europe is predicted to reach 14.4 million flights in 2035, 50 percent more than in 2012. New solutions are needed to sustain the sector. Later today major players in Europe's aviation industry will meet with start-up entrepreneurs in Paris to discuss just that: the latest breakthrough innovations.
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While COP21 is receiving unprecedented support from world leaders and celebrities alike, 10 nations have so far not indicated to have any interest in committing to a deal. These countries haven’t even submitted what the UN calls Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), reports Bloomberg. From worst to least polluting, the countries include: Venezuela, Uzbekistan, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Nicaragua, Nepal, Panama, East Timor, Saint Kitt's & Nevis.
But of the 195 countries represented at the discussions, 185 have submitted pledges. “You need to take a moment to realise that that is an absolutely extraordinary number,” US special envoy for climate change Todd Stern told reporters on Friday. And if you consider the political instability in some of the 10 countries listed above, it is not entirely surprising that they’re not leading the way in Paris.
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Scroll Down for Social Media Highlights
 Scroll down for our COP21 social media highlights, as well as The Daily Planet Report and #WordOnTheStreet with interesting comments overheard at COP21. Other items include a viewpoint on climate innovation, insider tips from Le Bourget where the negotiations are taking place, our insight of the day about the role of business in solving climate change as well an overview of climate innovation events in Paris and a flashback to how we made it there. Not a subscriber yet? Subscribe today!
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Video: The Daily Planet Report
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The Daily Planet news crew met with Isabelle of Climate-KIC partner the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) at the climate negotiations in Le Bourget.
Watch the interview on Facebook and find out how Isabelle and WWF France are working on promoting real climate change solutions.
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Make sure to watch the two-minute clip until the end so you don't miss our test of WWF's electricity generating bicycles! One of the projects WWF works on with Climate-KIC is the new CityActions Plaftorm, launched last week at COP21.
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Insider Tips from the Summit in Le Bourget
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The Daily Planet's latest insider tips, brought to you by Climate-KIC's observers at the COP21 negotiations.
- Drones for Justice: Make solutions, not war. If you haven't been yet make sure to check out the Indigenous Peoples Pavilion in the Green Zone. They organise a great event today at 13:00: Drones for Justice (PDF). Data is our weapon, and this is a cheap and reliable way to get it in places like Borneo.
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Aligning the global economy with the two degrees target can open up business to a vast reserve of untapped opportunities – if business leaders are willing to embrace the change, writes Bertrand van Ee.
Both EurActiv and Blue & Green Tomorrow carry this op-ed by Climate-KIC CEO Bertrand van Ee.
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Did You Know? Insight of the Day
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A new Climate-KIC study released in Paris last week shows European business is addicted to incrementalism, and lacks the skillset needed for an innovation step change in line with a 2°C trajectory. The Daily Planet brings you an insight per day!
Did you know, that only 32 per cent believe sharing the results of tests and best practice related to improving efficiency and reducing emissions could enable them to respond effectively?
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In #WordOnTheStreet, we bring you some of the most interesting comments overheard at COP21.
Sleep deprivation: COP21 negotiators tell the Daily Planet that there have not been many nights since the negotiations started last Monday that they ended their meetings before midnight, and that they've worked full-time all weekend.
Ministers speed up COP21: But the Daily Planet also hears the presence of their political masters this week allows them more flexibility — they don't have to follow their mandate to the letter, but can ask for a decision immediately. They hope this will help them reach a deal by Friday.
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Climate Innovation at COP21
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Today in central Paris (Grand Palais) at 13:00.
Open innovation is an asset for the aviation sector. The association of complementary skills from diverse actors can lead to a lighter carbon footprint and tangible savings.
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Today in central Paris (Grand Palais) from 15:00.
Climate-KIC and its partners present how the Climate Smart Agriculture programme is developing services to boost the development, exploitation and large-scale adoption of new solutions.
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Today in Le Bourget (Green Zone) at 13:30.
This event will showcase how cities, states and regions can and are decarbonising their grids whilst improving energy efficiency.
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Today in Le Bourget (Blue Zone, EU Pavilion) at 18:15.
Drawing upon fresh insights from the new Climate-KIC study ‘Sparking an Innovation Step Change’, this roundtable will discuss the need for corporate action at scale.
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Tomorrow in Le Bourget at 10:30.
Climate-KIC’s Carbocount project appears on the Web TV Stage in Le Bourget. The project focuses on atmospheric measurement and emissions modelling at city-scale.
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Tomorrow in Le Bourget at 15:00.
An interactive high-level discussion on improving cities’ access to climate finance. Topics include matchmaking platforms, green bonds, result-based finance, pooled-finance instruments and innovation labs for city-level climate finance.
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Who's buying?: Unilever CEO Paul Polman's discussion with UN chief Christiana Figueres and the governor of Vermont, Peter Shumlin, apparently got so heated that they decided to get some delicious Ben and Jerry's ice cream.
"Time to cool off during global warming talks @benandjerrys @cop21 with @CFigueres @GovPeterShumlin," he tweeted.
Presumably Polman was buying with Ben & Jerrry's being a Unilever brand and all that. But then again, the company's HQ and main factory is in Vermont...
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Bonjour!: Public transport between Paris and Le Bourget, where the negotiations are taking place, is dominated by COP21 attendees these days. The Rainforest Alliance's UK team is among them, and tweeted this photo of fellow commuters who might well have been on their way to the Indigenous Peoples Pavilion in the Green Zone.
"Another day on the way to #COP21 with our fellow commuters on the Paris metro! via @DonitaDooley," they tweeted.
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Sexiwhat?: Bill McKibben, founder of global climate change grassroots organisation 350.org, tweeted this photo of the initiative's co-founder and communications director Jamie Henn at COP21.
Henn holds up a sticker with "Sexify the Climate", part of a campaign to make climate change more attractive to young people. UN chief Christiana Figueres was recently also spotted with the sticker.
"The man. The message. @agent350," McKibben tweeted.
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Daily #JourneyToParis Flashback
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#JourneyToParis:
We have arrived!
 Following a virtual journey that started in June, we have arrived in Paris and now keep you up to date with daily reports from COP21.
Find out how we got here by checking out our Journey to Paris, which took us across 27 countries. We put a spotlight on innovators who are already creating solutions across Europe.
We have an unprecedented opportunity to create a prosperous zero carbon future, driven by innovation, jobs, and investment. Climate-KIC is seizing that opportunity for Europe by connecting both public and private sectors with climate change-focused education, research and innovation. Join us!
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Get in touch
 Drop the Daily Planet newsroom a line if you have any questions or tips!
Contact our editors — based in Paris and London during COP21 — on Twitter or send us an email at media@climate-kic.org.
Connect with Climate-KIC's COP21 observers at the official UN site in Le Bourget: Tweet @krptndr or email andrea.karpati@climate-kic.org.
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EDITORIAL: Executive Editor: Angela Howarth | Editor in Chief: Peter Koekoek | Editor, Events: Kelsey Hunter | Editor, Social Media: Molly Redmond | Reporter, Le Bourget: Andrea Karpati
PUBLISHER: Climate-KIC, the EU's main climate innovation initiative © 2015 Climate-KIC
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