'Very constructive' pre-COP signals the political will to seal the deal

 

Ed Miliband met with Environment Ministers from more than 40 countries on at the pre-COP, the last gathering of Ministers before Copenhagen climate negotiations begin in just under 20 days.

Speaking at the end of the pre-COP, Danish Climate and Energy Minister Connie Hedegaard, Connie Hedegaard, reflected there was a very strong political will and sense of responsibility in the room that 'the Copenhagen agreement must, with credibility, set the world on the path towards limiting global warming to not more than 2 degrees Celsius'.

 

'Ministers realise we're coming very close to the deadline [we] must take care that this process does not continue forever' she said. 'For a long time we have been building up pressure on politicians to deliver. My feeling after these two days is that this pressure has started to result in the political will to get it done.'

 

Yvo de Boer, the UN's most senior climate official echoed her upbeat assessment, saying he was confident that Copenhagen would mark a 'turning point' when talking would stop and actions begin.

 

Mr de Boer described the meeting as ministers' 'last opportunity' to give directions to negotiators and make clear their ambitions for Copenhagen.
'Ministers have signalled a very strong desire to succeed and make Copenhagen a real turning point,' he said.

 

'The Copenhagen conference must record in black and white ambitious industrialised country targets, the scope and extent of developing country engagement, clarity on short and long-term finance to support adaptation and mitigation and an indication of how this money will be managed and employed,' he said.

 

He said that Copenhagen must deliver an agreement that would make the Bali Action Plan 'operational'. He added: 'Copenhagen can and must deliver action beginning on the day that the conference closes.'

 

'That is why Copenhagen will be a turning point when talking about action stops and taking begins. The political leadership that so many leaders promised at the UN climate summit in September is alive and is well and will lead us to success in Copenhagen.'

 

China and US move signals 'fresh hope'

 

Both Ms Hedegaard and Mr de Boer said that Copenhagen would produce a politically binding agreement that would be implemented immediately after the conference closed and turned into a legal treaty over the coming months.

 

They welcomed the statement by US President Obama on 17 November during his meeting with President Hu Jintao of China when he said that Copenhagen would deliver 'an accord that covers all of the issues in the negotiations and one that has immediate operational effect.' Yesterday's move by US and China to agree to work towards targets was widely interpreted to be a sign of 'fresh hope' on the ambition for a comprehensive deal.

 

Mr de Boer urged all industrialised countries must raise their targets and financial commitments further, adding: 'We still need more movement. I look to the United States for a numerical mid-term target and a clear commitment on finance.'

 

Ms Hedegaard said the looming deadline had helped bring new commitments in recent weeks from nations such as the United States, Brazil, South Korea, Indonesia, Mexico and Norway.

 

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, host of the summit, said that Obama's acceptance of a proposed deal on key points in Copenhagen while delaying a full treaty implied US willingness to promise clear 2020 targets for cuts.

 

'The American president endorsed our approach, implying that all developed countries will need to bring strong reduction targets to the negotiating table in Copenhagen,' he told ministers.

 

Related links

Obama and Hu aim to agree greenhouse gas targets, Guardian 17 November 2009

Danish PM: Industrial countries must bring specific pledges to Copenhagen climate conference, The Free Press 17 November 2009

Country targets to date