News Roundup
‘WASHINGTON – A warning to delegates in Copenhagen: If you’re looking for President Barack Obama to cave to pressure and deepen U.S. efforts to curb greenhouse gases, don’t bet on it.
via Analysis: Obama won’t break new ground at summit – Yahoo! News.
Copenhagen, Dec 17, 2009
Today U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton announced that the United States would be willing to participate in an international climate fund reaching $100 billion/year by 2020, conditional upon China accepting “transparency” in carbon emissions monitoring. This offer may remove one major hurdle to a climate deal, the remaining issue being the very weak U.S. emissions cut offer of 17% from 2005 levels (equivalent to a 3 or 4% cut from 1990 levels).
Report by James George
‘COPENHAGEN — The United States on Thursday announced it would help build a $100 billion annual fund by 2020 to help poor countries cope with climate change, but said its commitment depended on whether the nations gathered here could reach a substantive pact that includes “transparency” on tracking emissions cuts.’
via U.S. pledges billions; China says climate pact is doubtful – washingtonpost.com.
Copenhagen, Dec 17, 2009
After Hilary Clinton announced the willingness of the U.S. to participate in an international $100 billion fund by 2020, Yvo de Boer began his press conference on an upbeat note, “Hold tight and mind the doors, the cable car is moving again”.
Copenhagen, Dec 17, 2009.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced an offer by the United States to participate with other nations to establish an international $100 billion/year fund by the year 2020 to assist poor nations deal with climate change mitigation and adaptation issues.
‘COPENHAGEN Reuters – A U.N.-backed system to pay poorer nations for saving or replanting their forests has made significant progress at climate talks in Denmark, the official who chairs talks on the scheme said on Wednesday.’
‘COPENHAGEN Reuters – U.S. Senator John Kerry raised the possibility on Wednesday that a major energy and climate change bill he is trying to craft might not contain the “cap and trade” mechanism for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.’
via John Kerry uncertain of fate of cap and trade | Reuters.
Copenhagen, Dec 16, 2009
Today John Kerry announced that he would only stay in Copenhagen for one day, as he needs to return to the U.S. quickly to cast his vote on the health care bill. However necessary, this can only add to the growing perception the U.S. is not putting forth the needed level of commitment to complete a climate agreement in the remaining two days of the conference.
In this short excerpt from a press conference here at the COP 15, Kerry makes a case for U.S. Energy Independence. This statement, like much of his presentation, seemed to be targeted more to his American audience than to the COP 15.
‘COPENHAGEN — Negotiators have all but completed a sweeping deal that would compensate countries for preserving forests, and in some cases, other natural landscapes like peat soils, swamps and fields that play a crucial role in curbing climate change.’
‘COPENHAGEN — Police officers used pepper spray and wielded batons on Wednesday to beat back hundreds of demonstrators outside the global climate meeting here, as a police spokesman said 250 people had been arrested.’
via Police Beat Back Massed Climate Protesters – NYTimes.com.