Fresh impetus for the 2009 climate change negotiations in Poznań
N. Kosciusko-Morizet, J.-L. Borloo
© Laurent Mignaux / MEEDDAT
- On: 13.12.2008
- In: Poznań
The 187 signatory countries of the Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol met for two weeks in Poznań, Poland, to decide on the final steps to be taken to reach an agreement on a new treaty by the end of 2009.
The following elements will be tabled by March or April 2009:
- A first negotiating text which will prefigure the future treaty;
- Quantified commitments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the developed countries which have ratified the Kyoto protocol. These commitments will constitute a new stage by determining the actions to be taken on an international scale to limit temperature increases to 2C°.
The European Union has not waited until 2009 to take the lead in the fight against climate change, unanimously deciding on 12 December 2008, at the level of Heads of State and Government, a set of very ambitious measures implementing a reduction of 20% or even 30% should the international negotiations succeed. For the first time, a geographical area comprising 493 million inhabitants and representing 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions, has defined a working method of action to combat climate change in all sectors of the economy: the EU’s 11 000 industrial and energy installations, 210 million housing units, 18 million new cars sold annually in Europe and all everyday, energy-consuming products will gradually undergo an unprecedented energy change.
In Poznań, an additional step was taken towards solidarity with the countries most affected by climate change: the Adaptation Fund is now up and running and from 2009 should finance projects in the most vulnerable countries. It will notably receive contributions from the carbon emissions auction scheme, the EU having committed to earmarking 50% of the sums generated to fighting climate change, of which a part will go to non-EU countries.
An agreement was also reached on an accounting method for deforestation-related emissions, which paves the way for an agreement in 2009 on compensation for avoided deforestation.
Announcement : International Climate Change Conference in Poznań
- Updated: 30.12.2008
