Climate Change Conference: Progress Report on the First Week of Negotiations
Bern, 11.12.2009 - The Swiss delegation is cautiously optimistic after the first week of negotiations at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen: a lot remains to be done until an agreement is reached , however the participants’ determination to reach a comprehensive agreement is evident .
The first week of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen was marked by various political announcements, on the one hand, and by intensive negotiations about the negotiation texts, on the other. The Swiss delegation is supporting the adoption of a binding agreement in Copenhagen as specified in its mandate, which was passed by the Federal Council on 27 November 2009.
The discussions within the different negotiation strands are progressing at varying speeds. The line of conflict between the developing and industrialised countries has emerged once again. At the same time, the determination to pass an agreement in Copenhagen on 18 December 2009 is clearly evident.
Final top level discussions
From the perspective of the Swiss delegation, the further developments to be expected over the weekend and in the coming week can be outlined as follows:
- The Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Groups on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA) and on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) presented the negotiation documents they have developed in recent years to the Danish Presidency at the end of the first week of the conference. Based on these documents, the latter will put forward a proposal for a final document at the beginning of the second week.
- The final document will be fine-tuned in the course of the week by the ministers present and is due to be passed by the international community of states on Friday, 18 December 2009. It is also possible that no agreement will be reached on Friday and that the conference will be extended until Saturday.
- The ministers and heads of state will have to clarify a number of points relating to the key negotiation issues that remain open, in particular long-term finance, the involvement of the newly industrialised states and the ambitious emission reduction targets of the industrialised countries.
It is becoming apparent that many details will not be discussed until after Copenhagen. These include the financing of climate change mitigation. Therefore, it is possible that the Swiss proposal for a global CO2 levy will not be discussed in Copenhagen.
During the second week of the conference, Bruno Oberle, the Director of the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, will participate in the negotiations with a group of ministers from the most important countries until the arrival in Copenhagen of Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger. Mr Oberle has been granted the title of State Secretary for the duration of the Climate Change Conference.
Federal Councillor Leuenberger to address the COP Plenary
Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger will arrive in Copenhagen with the special SBB train on 17 December 2009 and will address the plenary session of the Climate Change Conference on the same day. On Friday, 18 December 2009, as part of the conference side events, Switzerland will present an information session on alternative energy and innovative technologies under the patronage of Moritz Leuenberger and featuring Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg. The latter will present their Solar Impulse project at this information event.
Address for enquiries
Adrian Aeschlimann, Media Relations Officer for the Swiss Negotiation Delegation, Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, tel. +41 79 277 51 83
Publisher
Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
https://www.bafu.admin.ch/en
