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Jake Schmidt, International Climate Policy Director, Washington, DC
I'm the international climate policy director at Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). I've been involved in climate policy development at various levels--state, US national, Europe, developing countries, and international negotiations. At NRDC I help develop the international response to climate change and the actions in key regions of the world to deliver on that agreement, such as China, India, and Mexico.
Recent Posts
Posted January 30, 2012 by Jake Schmidt in Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- brazil, cleanenergy, climatechange, climatetalks, earthsummit, earthsummit2012, highlevelpanel, racetorio, rio+20, rioplus20, sustainabledevelopment, uncsd2012, unitednations
Twenty-two high level representatives have just released their report – Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing—which sets out specific recommendations to “put sustainable development into practice and to mainstream it into economic policy as quickly as possible.” The...continued→
Posted January 20, 2012 by Jake Schmidt in Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- brazil, cleanenergy, climatechange, climatetalks, earthsummit, earthsummit2012, racetorio, rio+20, rioplus20, sustainabledevelopment, uncsd2012, unitednations
The global warming negotiations in Durban made important progress, but much more work lies ahead to address global warming. Countries have committed to action and are beginning to act at home. This is critical as the planet and humanity doesn’t care...continued→
Posted January 4, 2012 by Jake Schmidt in Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- aviation, aviationdirective, carbonpollution, climatechange, EU, europeanunion, globalwarming
Starting January 1, 2012 all aircraft that choose to use European airports have to reduce their carbon pollution that is causing global warming. It is a very simple program that has unfortunately generated opposition from some airlines and countries. ...continued→
Posted December 21, 2011 by Jake Schmidt in Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- aviation, aviationdirective, carbonpollution, climatechange, EU, europeancourtofjustice, europeanunion, globalwarming
The highest court of the land in Europe has just decided that Europe’s law to require that the aviation sector reduce its carbon pollution is completely legal. The European law requires that all flights that want to use European airports...continued→
Posted December 20, 2011 by Jake Schmidt in Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- canada, climatechange, climatetalks, dirtyfuels, globalwarming, keystonexl, kyotoprotocol, oilsands, presidentobama, tarsands, us
Literally one day after the global warming negotiations ended in Durban, South Africa the government of Canada formally notified the world that they were withdrawing from the global warming pollution targets they had taken on under the Kyoto Protocol. Canadian...continued→
Posted December 16, 2011 by Jake Schmidt in Greening China, Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- carbonpollution, china, climatetalks, cop17, durban, globalwarming, india, mrv, southafrica, transparency, us
The agreements in Durban provide very important hints of a stronger future agreement that includes legal commitments by all countries. This is important progress. Little noticed in the overall commentary of the Durban outcomes was important progress on implementing the...continued→
Posted December 11, 2011 by Jake Schmidt in Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- brazil, china, climatechange, climatetalks, cop17, durban, globalwarming, india, southafrica
As Nelson Mandela famously said*: “It always seems impossible, until we are done.” That is exactly how it seemed at the United Nations COP-17 climate negotiations over the past two weeks – extremely difficult (and even impossible at times). The negotiations...continued→
Posted December 8, 2011 by Jake Schmidt in Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- climatechange, climatenegotiations, climatetalks, cop17, durban, globalwarming, southafrica
This year the lanyards given out by the environmental groups have a famous Nelson Mandela quote that is quite fitting for the current state of play in the final days of the global warming negotiations in South Africa. The quote...continued→
Posted December 5, 2011 by Jake Schmidt in Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- cancunagreements, carbonpollution, China, climatechange, climatetalks, cop17, durban, europeanunion, globalwarming, India, kyotoprotocol, soutafrica, unfccc, US
It is Monday of the second week at the global warming negotiations. For anyone that has followed these negotiations you know that the second week is when the final action occurs. Some hints emerged last week on “where we are...continued→
Posted December 4, 2011 by Jake Schmidt in Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- cancunagreements, carbonpollution, China, climatechange, climatetalks, cop17, durban, europeanunion, globalwarming, India, kyotoprotocol, soutafrica, unfccc, US
For the last two global warming negotiations – in Copenhagen and Cancun – there were serious efforts by countries to get a “mandate” to negotiate a new legal agreement that would strengthen international efforts to address global warming. Before this...continued→
Posted December 1, 2011 by Jake Schmidt in Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- cancunagreements, carbonpollution, climatechange, climatetalks, cop17, durban, finance, globalwarming, southafrica, unfccc
Four days into the global warming negotiations in Durban, South Africa countries are beginning to draw clear lines in the sand. The European Union has signaled that they are unwilling to back down from their position that Durban needs to...continued→
Posted December 1, 2011 by Jake Schmidt in Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- cancunagreements, carbonpollution, climatechange, climatetalks, cop17, durban, globalwarming, southafrica, unfccc
Yesterday I did an interview with OneClimate TV. The interview covered the dynamics to date at this early stage in the negotiations and how things might shape up as we reach the end. We also discussed where to expect the...continued→
Posted November 28, 2011 by Jake Schmidt in Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- cancunagreements, carbonpollution, China, climatechange, climatetalks, cop17, durban, globalwarming, southafrica, unfccc
One year ago, countries rallied around the Cancun Agreements with multiple standing ovations and strong words of support. While these agreements are not sufficient by themselves to fully address global warming, there are several key elements which establish a foundation...continued→
Posted November 23, 2011 by Jake Schmidt in Greening China, Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- cancunagreements, carbonpollution, China, climatechange, climatetalks, cop17, durban, europeanunion, globalwarming, India, kyotoprotocol, soutafrica, srex, unfccc, US
Global warming negotiations are at an important fork in the road. With emerging signs of promising actions occurring on the ground and troubling signs in the atmosphere, countries must decide in Durban if they can turn standing ovations into guidelines...continued→
Posted November 21, 2011 by Jake Schmidt in Greening China, Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- cancunagreements, carbonpollution, climatechange, climatetalks, cop17, durban, globalwarming, iea, ipcc, kyotoprotocol, soutafrica, srex, unfccc
Nelson Mandela famously said: “I am fundamentally an optimist…Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would...continued→
