News: ‘Events & Conferences’ Archive
Copenhagen, Dec 8, 2009
The second day of the COP 15 ended with a powerful press conference this evening by Lumumba Li-Aping, lead negotiator for G77 and China.
“The climate change finance should be allocated from a global climate fund … the management of this fund cannot be really given to the World Bank of the IMF for the simple reason – their record on development is an absolute failure.”
Copenhagen, Dec 7, 2009
Today COP 15’s plenary opening began with a video featuring a small child having a climate nightmare asking leaders to take action action. Next was a performance by a group of popular Danish musicians featuring harp, trumpet, and a Greek-like women’s chorus – hopefully not to imply this 12 day negotiation session could end like a Greek tragedy.
The first speakers was Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen. Some excerpts of his comments:
“The sheer magnitude of our task is matched only by our determination.”
“For more than a year, we have been conducting intensive consultations in preparation for this conference. In that context I have had the pleasure of engaging with leaders from around the world. Your leaders.”
“Without exception, they have been supporting an ambitious agreement to halt global warming. I am painfully aware, that you have different perspectives on the framing and precise content of such an agreement. And I am sure that no one in this hall underestimates the difficulty we are facing in finding a common approach in the coming two weeks.”
“But the political resolve to forge a global agreement is manifest. And differences can be overcome, if the political will is present. I believe it is.”
After a few more opening speeches, the first order of business was to confirm Connie Hedegaard as the new COP 15 President.
A peek inside the plenary hall
Despite it’s extremely poor GHG status – beef was a lunch option at COP 15
Helen Caldicott arrives at COP 15 to sound the alarm over nuclear power.
Tom Goldtooth speaks to the press
Dec 6, Copenhagen
Yvo de Boer responded to a question suggesting that military expenses could be reallocated to pay down the enormous historical ’emissions debt’ owed by industrialized nations.
Text of response:
“I was hoping you were going to ask somebody else”
“I think the issues that you raise are very important but historic responsibility is an issue that’s been thoughout these negotiations and one that is very difficult one to deal with. I think that many people would share your sentiments on military spending and probably have a whole lot of ideas, especially on the eve of Christmas, on much better ways to use that money.”
“What I would advocate for this conference – in spite of all the attention – is keep it simple. Focus on an outcome that can deliver immediate action on the ground the day this conference ends. And what I want to see at the end of this conference is a list of rich country targets that are ambitious, clarity on what major developing countries will do to limit the growth of their emissions, and a list of financial pledges that will make it possible for the much broader developing nation community both to change the direction of their economic growth and to adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change. That’s what I’m asking father Christmas for.”
Sunday, Dec 6 Copenhagen
Text:
‘I agree with Micheal that you can’t negotiate private capital, but you can drive private capital. And I think if countries here, if industrialized nations agree to a 25 to 40% cut by 2020, and also say they plan to reduce their by 80 to 85% by mid century, then anyone investing in the energy sector and industry not taking that into account would be mad. We know that over the next 20 or so years, about 20 trillion dollars is going to be invested in the energy sector as the world economy picks up. 85% of that investment is going to come from the private sector. And I think that those private sector investments will be guided by those short and long term goals. And if we can use the much more limited public money that will flow from Copenhagen to help the private sector to go that extra green mile that’s not possible within that a normal investment equation, we will have an excellent blending of financial resources to a much greater effect over the longer term.’
Copenhagen, Dec 6 2009
The COP15 participants streaming in to the Bella Center to register:
The plane into Copenhagen from Heathrow was packed yesterday afternoon, with a good percentage of the passengers en route to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, known as COP 15.
Today even larger numbers should be arriving, as Copenhagen gears up to receive the expected tens of thousands of COP 15 participants from all over the world. Special guides at the airport brandishing white COP15 T-shirts stood at the ready to provide info and assistance.
Roberto Sanchez was one of the 30 such guides covering the afternoon shift.
Other other not-so-welcoming preparations have taken place here. Anticipating large and potentially unruly demonstrations, police have displayed some 37 ‘cages’ capable of holding 370 people. The police will also be equipped with pepper spray and water cannons, a threatening measure considering the near freezing temperatures here in December.
An overcast “Sunrise” over the harbor in Copenhagen. There are just over 7 hours of sunlight per day this time of year.
Yve de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
“What we must do now is step back from self interest and let common interest prevail.”
Yvo de Boer addressing the press in Bangkok. Oct 9, 2009.
Text of Yvo de Boer’s Oct 9 address:
"I believe that people around the world have a right to know exactly what their governments will do to address dangerous climate change. And this session has shown that it can be done, all the ingredients for success are on the table, and what we must do now is step back from self interest and let common interest prevail.
At the New York summit two weeks ago world leaders set out a clear mandate to achieve this, but have not yet made clear all the commitments to make it work in practice. In Bangkok, their negotiators have shown rapid progress on concrete ways to implement the mandate, but there are still some long held differences. And now it’s urgent that governments bridge the disconnect and raise ambitions. The underlying spirit in this process remains constructive. And we have until up until yesterday evening seen significant advances in the process.
So it’s moving, but there is, as has been pointed out, this strong sense, this strong fear, that there is an attempt to, on the one hand, to kill the Kyoto protocol , as it has been explicitly said in the plenary this morning by a number of developing countries, to on the one hand kill the Kyoto protocol, while at the same time there is not even something better in sight or on offer. And that is causing a great deal of dissatisfaction, especially amongst developing countries. In spite of that, I think that people are driven by a huge sense of urgency – we’ve had two very constructive weeks here in Bangkok. People now have time to go back home. They have three weeks to think, to get ready for the next session when they open their exercise books again. And I hope they will use that period to go back to those world leaders who called for a breakthrough in Copenhagen, to tell those leaders where we stand in the process, and to get from those leaders a mandate to resolve the key political issues that are outstanding."
‘BANGKOK (Reuters) – Developing countries are standing their ground against demands by rich nations to add steps to curb carbon emissions into a formal registry or appendix as part a broader pact to fight climate change.’
via Poor hit back at rich over new carbon emission demands | Green Business | Reuters.
‘BANGKOK Reuters – China and a top G77 official accused rich nations on Monday of trying to kill off the Kyoto Protocol, the U.N.’s main weapon in the fight against global warming, as nations try to craft a broader climate pact.’
via Rich nations trying to kill Kyoto pact, says China | Green Business | Reuters.
‘UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – China laid out a plan to curb carbon emissions by 2020 and U.S. President Barack Obama called on all nations to act now to tackle global warming, as world leaders tried to inject momentum into climate change talks.’
via China and U.S. try to jumpstart U.N. climate talks | Green Business | Reuters.