News: Author Archive
‘COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Industry has struggled to sway U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen, because of a remote negotiating process and a lobby split between winners and losers from climate policy, executives said on Friday.’
via Business struggles to sway U.N. climate talks | Reuters.
‘When President Obama lands in Copenhagen next week, he hopes to offer momentum to negotiations between world leaders to create a global agreement to stop climate change. That momentum, however, may be hampered by shifting public opinion in the United States and a brewing and questionable controversy over leaked emails written by prominent climate scientists in the UK.’
Copenhagen, Dec 10, 2009
There were several more demonstrations inside the Bella Center today. Here demonstrators marched through the halls chanting “Don’t kill Kyoto – climate justice now”.
Copenhagen, December 10, 2009
Notwithstanding statements the preceding afternoon by US special envoy Todd Stern that the United States would not become part of a Kyoto-like Protocol, Yvo de Boer today voiced his support for continuing the protocol.
“Yes I think the Kyoto Protocol will survive and the Kyoto protocol must survive, for a number of reasons.”
The first reason cited here was the extensive amount of time needed to move from drafting a protocol to actual implementation.
Copenhagen, Dec 9. 2009
US Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern stated in a press conference this afternoon:
“We’re not going to become part of the Kyoto Protocol, so that’s not on the table…”
‘COPENHAGEN – The $10 billion a year proposed by rich nations to help the poor adapt to climate change is “not sufficient” and the gap between what’s offered and what’s needed could wreck the Copenhagen climate conference, American billionaire George Soros said Thursday.’
via Soros: Finance gap could ‘wreck’ climate talks – Yahoo! News.
‘COPENHAGEN — The top American envoy to climate talks here flatly rejected arguments Wednesday by diplomats from poor lands that the United States owes a debt to developing nations for decades of American emissions that contributed to global warming.’
via U.S. Negotiator Dismisses Reparations for Climate – NYTimes.com.
‘AMSTERDAM Reuters – Fraudulent trading in European Union carbon emissions credits in the past 18 months has led to more than 5 billion euros in tax revenue losses for several EU nations, European police agency Europol said in a statement.’
‘COPENHAGEN Reuters – Four nations proposed guiding principles for “green funds” on Wednesday, hoping to end deadlock at U.N. talks on ways to manage billions of dollars to help the poor cope with global warming.’
via Four nations outline green fund plan for U.N. deal | Reuters.
Copenhagen, Dec 9, 2009.
While accepting that the US is the world’s largest historic GHG emitter, US Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern rejected outright the notion of a US climate debt or obligation for climate reparations, stating that there is no guilt because during most of the period since the industrial revolution people were blissfully ignorant of the climatic effects of CO2 emissions.
In recent days the G77 has been strongly critical of the $10 Billion adaptation figure being bandied about, stating it is not even enough to buy the coffins that will be needed. While saying he favors using funds to address real human needs, Stern did not specifically reply to a question of whether the US would consider more than the proposed $10 Billion/year for a climate fund.
Still the issue of climate debt is certainly a big part of the conversation here in Copenhagen, especially among representatives of developing nations. This morning, the “climate agents” were on display holding a banner saying “Rich countries pay your climate debt”.
