FIRST AMONG NATIONS (TO CUT EMISSIONS)

The northernmost and southernmost independent countries in the world, the world’s 3rd biggest oil producing country and a country without an army will compete to be the world’s first “carbon neutral” country.

Well, not exactly. The Vatican claims the honor, having in one fell swoop made itself “neutral” (see VATICAN WILL OFFSET HOLY EMISSIONS…) by planting trees to restore a Hungarian forest in September 2007. The UNEP and other observers do not consider the Vatican’s claim valid. Though the Holy City did install solar panels (see HOLY SOLAR!), it has not yet offset emissions from its many traveling representatives or the emissions from holdings outside Vatican City.

So whether Iceland, New Zealand, Norway or Costa Rica wins the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) competition announced at its annual conclave in Monaco, the crown will be forever tainted by holy shennanigans. Seems nothing is sacred anymore, not even a good clean run at carbon neutrality.

Though winning probably means a lot to each of the competing nations, the real winners are all the world's citizens. Vatican City to Venezuela, Katmandu to Patagonia, Nova Scotia to Yemen and, yes, even the citizens of the big spewers like the U.S. and China. If this group of 4, so diverse and yet so serious about doing the right thing by their world community, can do it, surely we all can.

The race is on. (click to enlarge)

Four nations in race to be first to go carbon neutral; Iceland, New Zealand, Norway and Costa Rica are all hoping to turn their economies green, but the challenges they face are formidable
Geoffrey Lean and Bryan Kay, 30 March 2008 (UK Independent)

WHO
Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (Achim Steiner, executive director); Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, Costa Rica

What we choose to do matters. A lot. To the whole world. (click to enlarge)

WHAT
At the launch of the UNEP Climate Neutral Network, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway and Costa Rica pledged to go carbon neutral, beginning a competition to see which would be first to achieve it.

WHEN
- Iceland’s goal: Cut emissions 75% by 2050.
- New Zealand’s goals: Obtain 90% of its energy from New Energy by 2025 and cut its per capita transport emissions 50% by 2040.
- Norway’s goal: carbon neutrality by 2030.
- Costa Rica’s goal: carbon neutrality by 2021.

from UNEP - click to enlarge

WHERE
- The Climate Neutral Network was launched and the pledges made at the annual meeting of the UNEP Governing Council in Monaco February 21.
- The winner will be first among the world’s 195 countries – except for the Vatican, sort of.

from UNEP - click to enlarge

WHY
- Norway's main challenge will be dealing with the emissions from its 3rd-in-the-world oil and gas industry. The country now gets 95% of its electricity from hydro and its cars/taxes are so stringent a 4x4 costs four times what it costs in the U.S.
- New Zealand's worst emissions come from its growing-and-herding economy. Animal waste decay and flatulence account for 20% of world greenhouse gas emissions. Helen Clark, Prime Minister, had already announced she would make the country the world’s first to be carbon neutral.
- Iceland must clean up the emissions associated with its dependence on its import/export, fishing and travel sectors. Using its hydro and geothermal resources, it is already almost completely neutral in heating buildings and generating electricity.
Iceland’s government will give discounts for eco-friendly vehicles and fishing boat fuel cells.
- Costa Rica, still a developing nation, must figure out how to grow its economy without worsening its emissions. It is the poorest of the 4 competitors but its cars have grown 5 times over in the last 20 years and its air traffic has grown 7 times over in only 6 years.
- Costa Rica will plant trees. It planted 5 million in 2007. Its dominant industry, bananas, has pledged to go neutral.

from UNEP - click to enlarge

QUOTES
- Achim Steiner, executive director, UNEP: "[A nation becoming carbon neutral is] an idea whose time has come, driven by the urgent need to address climate change and the abundant economic opportunities emerging for those willing to embrace a transition to a green economy."
- Thorunn Sveinbjarnardottir, Environment Minister, Iceland: "…we have not entirely kicked our carbon habit…Our fishing fleets and our cars are still running on fossil fuels. Our car fleet is one of the biggest, per capita, in the world. And Icelanders tend to like big cars, as any visitor to our country will soon notice."
- Frederic Hauge, head of Bellona, Norwegian environment group: "We are a nice little country of petroholics and that has made us lazy…"