18th Climate Change Conference in Doha: Switzerland seeks continuation of Kyoto
Bern, 22.11.2012 - The 18th global climate change conference takes place from 26 November to 7 December 2012 in Doha, Qatar. In accordance with the mandate handed down to the Swiss delegation by the Federal Council on 21 November 2012, Switzerland will vote in favour of a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol if this measure has the support of other states. Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard will represent the Federal Council at the ministerial segment of the conference from 5 to 7 December.
The 18th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) takes place in Doha, Qatar this year. During the two-week global climate change conference from 26 November to 7 December 2012, the delegates from over 190 countries discussed the long-term future of the global climate regime from 2020. At last year's conference in Durban it was decided that all states should commit to emission reduction targets, and that responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions should no longer be borne exclusively by the industrialised states as was previously the case. This decision constituted a paradigm change and an important development in international climate policy as climate change can only be halted through the involvement of all major emitters of greenhouse gases. The design of the climate regime from 2020 is discussed in the context of the ADP (Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action). Based on the mandate adopted by the Federal Council on 21 November 2012, Switzerland supports the assumption of reduction commitments by all states based on their share of climate gas emissions and their economic power.
The continuation of the Kyoto Protocol will also be discussed in Doha. Under the Protocol, all industrialised countries apart from the USA committed to reducing their emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases (mainly CO2) between 2008 and 2012 by an average of 5.2 percent as compared with 1990 levels. This first commitment period runs out at the end of 2012. A group of industrialised countries (Switzerland, EU, Norway, Australia) is expected to commit to a second commitment period up to 2020 in Doha. Switzerland's agreement to the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol is subject to certain conditions, however: the other states - both industrialised and developing - must strengthen their commitment to the climate regime from 2020 and make serious efforts to promote the measures decided on in 2011 in Durban. In accordance with the Federal Council mandate, Switzerland is prepared to reduce its CO2 emissions by 20 percent as compared with 1990. If the other industrialised countries agree to comparable reduction targets and developing countries also undertake to implement substantial reduction measures, Switzerland would be prepared to reduce its emissions by up to 30 percent. This possibility will be enshrined in the CO2 Act from 2013.
Switzerland will be represented at the ministerial summit from 5 to 7 December 2012 by Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard and by Bruno Oberle, Director of the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN. The negotiating delegation will be led by Ambassador Franz Perrez, Head of the International Affairs Division at the FOEN. The Swiss delegation includes representatives of the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC), the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the Federal Department for Home Affairs (FDHA) and the Federal Department of Economic Affairs (FDEA). The 23-member delegation also includes representatives of business, science, and development and environmental organisations.
Address for enquiries
25 November to 8 December 2012: Ambassador Franz Perrez, leader of the negotiating delegation, BAFU, +41 79 251 90 15
During the ministerial segment (5 to 7 December 2012): Bruno Oberle, Director of the FOEN, Tel.+41 79 277 51 83 (in Doha from 3 to 8 December 2012)
Adrian Aeschlimann, Head of Media Section FOEN, Tel.+41 79 277 51 83 (in Doha from 3 to 8 December 2012)
Publisher
The Federal Council
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html
Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications
https://www.uvek.admin.ch/uvek/en/home.html
