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UN Climate Change Conference in Poznan Poland
Posted by Montreal Environment in Climate Change, Events/Conferences
The 14th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCC and the 4th meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol kicks off today in Poznan, Poland, and will run until December 12th. The event is intended to draw together the work of a year long negotiations leading to an effective international climate change deal to be reached in Copenhagen in 2009. The parties are expected to agree on strengthened action on mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology to curb climate change impacts.
The road to an international climate change deal was initiated on March 21, 1994 when the Convention on Climate Change (later known as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – UNFCC) was entered into force, enjoying near universal membership with 192 countries having ratified the Convention. Under the Convention, governments agree to gather and share information on greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), national policies and best practices; launch national strategies for addressing GHGS and adapting to expected impacts, including the provision of financial and technological support to developing countries; and cooperate in preparing for adaptation to the impacts of climate change.
While the Convention goal was to encourage G8 nations to stabilize GHGs, in 1997 the Kyoto Protocol was designed to commit the parties to specific targets through national measures. 37 industrial nations and the European community agreed to meet biding GHG targets of an average reduction of 5% against 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012. Even though Canada was one of the first countries to sign the Kyoto protocol, it took four more years to formally ratify it. Under the Liberal leadership Canada had pledged in 2002 to cut its emissions by 6% below 1990 levels by 2012. The Climate Change Plan committed the country to cut GHG emissions by 240 million tonnes a year though a three stage strategy. Between 2002 and 2006 Canada’s emission actually grew by an alarming 24%, prompting the Conservative government to come up with its own “Made in Canada” $2 billion climate change plan. The move prompted scanting criticism from environmental organizations, opposition parties and citizens alike arguing the Conservative Clean Air Act target approach based on emissions intensity will do little to reach the targets set under the Kyoto protocol. More alarming for the retractors was the plan of scrapping Kyoto altogether and endorsing the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, an alternative to Kyoto that would have made emission reduction targets voluntary. As a consequence Rona Ambrose, the Environmental Minister in 2006, ultimately lost her post in a cabinet shuffle in 2007 to John Baird.
Such controversies are supposed to be settled during the UN Climate Change Conference in Poznan Poland and hopefully formally enacted in Copenhagen in 2009. At the conference the parties are expected to draft a first version of a negotiating text for the new international climate change deal which will primarily identify the proposal put forward by the parties during negotiations. The conference is expected to draw 11000 participants, including government delegates from the 187 Parties to the UNFCCC and representatives from business and industry. Mr. Michael Martin, Canada’s Ambassador for Climate Change and Chief Negotiator is leading the Canadian delegation at the Conference and is providing daily briefings on Canada’s progress in negotiations. For media not attending the conference they can reach Mr. Martin by telephone after registering with Environment Canada media relations by calling 819-934-8008. For more information:
Fréderic Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
(819) 997-1441
Environment Canada
Media Relations
(819) 934-8008
1-888-908-8008
In Poland
Elizabeth Allen
Environment Canada
48 512 55 42 56
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