UN climate conference kicks off in Poland - December 01, 2008
The United Nations global warming negotiations got of to a predictable start today in Poznan, Poland, with global leaders calling for urgent action to stem the rise in greenhouse gas emissions.
Day one also offered a taste of the antagonism that has become a hallmark of US relations with most of the world during the George W. Bush administration. This might make for good press, but everybody is already looking forward to President-Elect Obama, who has pledged aggressive regulatory action to curb emissions.
Polish Prime Minister and conference host Minister Donald Tusk himself in an awkward position as well. He called for action on global warming - and then had to answer questions about his opposition to a European Union proposal to begin a new round of emissions reductions in 2013. Tusk later cited his country's reliance on coal and said Poland is looking to "create and adapt the package, not to reject it," according to The Associated Press.
The United Kingdom also received a bit of a jolt Monday with the release of a new report documenting the early implications of its commitment to slash greenhouse gases by 80 percent by 2050 (see the Guardian's story here). Although the Committee on Climate Change led by Adair Turner was optimistic in saying that the proposed reductions are doable "without harming the UK's economy," Reuters reported that there will be consequences, namely increased energy costs that could push some 1.7 million homes into "fuel poverty."
Given the ongoing economic crisis, there are plenty of questions about how all of this will play out, both at the national and international levels. But one thing is clear: Poznan is unlikely to provide any concrete answers. The two-week conference is more of a preparatory forum for the nitty-gritty negotiations that will take place next year.
For all the news from the Poznan conference, check out our main conference blog here.
Comments
As a private sector enterprise who has committed large investment in CDM projects, we appeal to the negotiators to promote goodwill and concessions to give unequivocal support to a reformed and streamlined post 2012 policies. We also appeal to the UNFCCC EB members to remember that people are working hard to make Green House Gas reduction happen; yes the bureaucracy must ensure the quality and integrity of the commodity which is Certified Emission Reduction, but if the rules are too harsh and its application too rigid, then participants and investors will be prevented from contributing towards sustainable developments. Gikoko commits 7% of the carbon revenue to fill the National poverty reduction programme, local government service and NGO and grassroots aid. We transform dangerous and unhealthy open dumps to engineered landfills. CDM revenue and innovative finance from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank is making loans to overcome barriers. But we are finding the UNFCCC's bar of hurdle of frequent change of methodology, backlog in administration and requirements for information submission too high. The goodwill and determination of negotiators resulted in Kyoto Protocol. Our hope is that the leaders and the decision makers do nurture the carbon offset market so that climate change can be mitigated to with faster and greater market growth development with investment from the private sector in partnership with aid agencies.
Posted by: Joseph Wu Chao Hwang | December 3, 2008 05:45 AM
I fail to understand why this blog makes no mention of the set for release this week of the newly updated U.S. Senate Minority Report which features the dissenting voices of over 650 international scientists, many current and former UN IPCC scientists, who have now turned against the UN. The report has added about 250 scientists in 2008 to the over 400 scientists who spoke out in 2007. The over 650 dissenting scientists are more than 12 times the number of UN scientists (52) who authored IPCC 2007 Summary for Policymakers.
Even if Globel Warming is religon, I don't we've reached the point yet where relevant news is heresy to be concealed.
Posted by: Clement Alberts | December 11, 2008 01:42 AM