New BBC investigation, w/@Conserva_North, has found Drax power plant is still sourcing wood from old-growth forests in Canada.

Why does this matter now? Bcos companies like Drax are asking for billions pounds more to keep burning trees after 2027. 🧵

bbc.co.uk/news/science-e… In 2022 @BBCPanorama investigated Drax and its conclusions were similar.

Drax, and the Government, denied there was an issue. The Government repeatedly said it had spoken to "forestry experts" from Canada.

While there was grumbling about long queues for decent food #COP27, climate change has been pushing people into malnutrition and serious hunger in many places in the world this yr. 🌽 🚜 Nature also featured heavily, both for the impacts of climate change on it, but also how it can help absorb and store carbon. 🦅 🌳

#Article6 : Endgame - what was the final outcome?

🧵 ↓

#COP27 A carbon market system that allows secrecy, downgraded the rights of indigenous peoples, and will permit fake carbon credits to potentially be counted twice.

I won't do another massive #Article6 thread (ok, go on then, a little one 🧵) but we have new texts this morning.

unfccc.int/documents/6243…

And

unfccc.int/documents/6243…

#Cop27 These are *still* not final.

They are, if anything, a little weaker.

If you enjoyed y'day's #Article6 thread, strap in for the sequel.

There's some changes, but still a tale of potential 💰 for 💩 carbon credits.

🧵 ↓

#COP27 For a quick refresher on what Article 6 is and why it matters, see y'day's 🧵

https://twitter.com/mattadamw/status/1593114612722847744

Here's a (hopefully) much neater thread on #Article6 and what's happening here #COP27.

But let's not bury the lead: what's being set up is a system of potentially 💩 💰 for carbon.

(thanks @CarbonMrktWatch too for ongoing excellent analysis)

Here's why 🧵 ↓ : First of all let's remind ourselves what #Article6 is and why it matters:

These are the rules about how carbon markets will work - how countries can trade efforts to cut emissions with each other.

Avoided emissions - claiming some emissions that would have happened now won't (e.g. that forest over there was going to be cut down, now it won't - devilishly hard to prove) - back on table.

This zombie concept won't die & is bad news for integrity of carbon markets

#Article6

https://twitter.com/mattadamw/status/1592820617853947905

Countries can label information on carbon credits "confidential". There were hopes they wouldn't be allowed to do so.

They just have to explain why.

This could make carbon credits black box & shrouded in secrecy - we man not know how much climate good/harm they do

#Article6

"Nature based solutions are best bang for buck." says @theresecoffey

#COP27 Biodiversity Day @theresecoffey "Meeting goals of Paris Agreement is critical to recovery of natural world and our ocean." @theresecoffey

#COP27

Today is #BiodiversityDay at #COP27.

So what do birds, butterflies, and badgers have to do with climate change?

So here's a 🧵 ↓ full of🦉 🦋 🦡 🌳 Around 18% of global emissions come from agriculture, forestry, and land use.

ourworldindata.org/ghg-emissions-…

@OurWorldInData

Let's talk about food at #COP27.

No, not the $35 croissants you might have been hearing about, but food and farming and their role in climate and the negotiations.

🧵↓ For years, farmers and others have been calling for food and farming to become more central part of these negotiations.

There has been a lot of reporting of the Government's new Food Strategy, including some confusion and mis-reporting because a draft was leaked last week and it was superseded by final version which was different.

Some thoughts and clarifications. 🧵

gov.uk/government/pub… [NB this thread looks mostly at the part of the Strategy that covers new farming system, especially para 1.2.3. Not at other parts of Strategy]

The new version of #Article6 has been published this morning. Some 🔑 points:
1⃣ overall the text looks stronger and could avoid some of the worst risks of double counting

#COP26 2⃣ But it doesn't completely prevent countries/companies from gaming system, continuing to pollute while using carbon credits that may provide no real climate benefit
3⃣ The hand of some countries (Japan/US) can be seen, eg in resistance to funds going to dvng country adaptation

New #Article 6 update (based on new text out this morning):

🔑 point: this bit of negotiations is all abt honesty + ambition: whether countries (+ companies) want tight rules on trading emissions cuts, or want to game system by counting cuts 2x & using old carbon credits There is still language that could allow 2x counting of a single emissions cut (creating false impression of benefit to climate).

Building on this superb (and fast!) analysis by my colleague, important to note that these new texts also contain critical mentions of role of nature.

https://twitter.com/_richardblack/status/1459067930164052015

1/CMA.3 mentions the importance of "nature and ecosystems" to "achieve the Paris Agreement temperature goal", i.e. limiting temp rises to 1.5C