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Landmark UN climate change conference kicks off in Copenhagen

1,160 views · Published 7 December 2009 · 4:30 · Indexed 6 November 2026

Channel: United Nations · 2009 · News & Politics

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United Nations, New York, 7 December 2009  - The United Nations Climate Change Conference started today in Copenhagen with what Yvo de Boer, the top UN climate change official, called "unprecedented political momentum for a deal".
World leaders are calling for an agreement that offers serious emission limitation goals, one that would provide significant financial and technological support to developing countries, he said. 
De Boer called on negotiators to focus on solid and practical proposals that will unleash prompt action on mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology, reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries and capacity-building.
He also spoke about the three layers of action that governments needed to agree to by the end of the conference. Those are: fast and effective implementation of immediate action on climate change; ambitious commitments to cut and limit emissions; and a long term shared vision on a low-emissions future for all. 
For his part, the Chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel  on Climate Change, Rajendra Pachauri, stressed that "the evidence is now overwhelming that the world would benefit greatly from early action and that delay would only lead to costs in economic and human terms that would become progressively high." 
Negotiators now have six days to conclude their work before the Ministerial High Level Segment—which will start on 16 December. Ministers will then have two days to take any unresolved issues forward before more than 100 world leaders arrive on 17 December. The conference is expected close on 18 December. 
More than 15,000 participants, including government delegates and representatives from business and industry, environmental organizations and research institutions, are attending the two-week gathering.
Also, the Secretary-General is expected to make some brief remarks on climate change this afternoon, after his meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.

As for the Secretary-General's travel plans, we can now confirm to you that he will be in Copenhagen next week to attend the high-level segment and summit of the United Nations Climate Change Conference session and the summit. The high-level segment begins Tuesday afternoon.
The Secretary-General is also scheduled to hold a press conference next Monday morning at 11 a.m. at UN headquarters in advance of his departure for Copenhagen.
The Secretary-General expects a robust agreement at Copenhagen that will be effective immediately and include specific commitments on mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology.
He says Copenhagen can and must be the turning point in the world's efforts to prevent runaway climate change and usher in a new era of green growth for all. 
From all corners of the globe we see unprecedented momentum for a deal. 
More than 100 Heads of State and Government, including President Obama and Premier Jiabao, have said they will go to Copenhagen to provide their support for a global agreement.  Never have so many different nations of all size and economic status made so many firm pledges together. 
As the Secretary-General says "We must seize this moment, and continue pushing for still higher ambition, the secret is the time for action- and results."

And also on climate change, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says that countries meeting in Copenhagen may be closer than some observers realize to agreeing the emissions cuts required to give the world a reasonable chance of avoiding global warming of more than 2°C.
In an analysis of national proposals for annual emissions reductions launched today, UNEP says that the gap between countries' strongest proposed cuts and what is needed may be only a few billion tonnes of greenhouse gases.  

News story:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33160&Cr=climate+change&Cr1=

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