Climate protection: Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard calls for all countries to take responsibility
Bern, 23.09.2014 - At the UN Climate Summit in New York, Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard today called for the conclusion of a globally binding climate protection agreement. Every country has a duty to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. This can be achieved by making greater use of renewable energies and energy efficiency without forfeiting prosperity and quality of life, explained the head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC).
Climate change knows no borders and can thus only be addressed with global solutions, said Federal Councillor Leuthard. It is therefore vital that a globally binding agreement be adopted at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in December 2015. Each country should make a fair contribution. "We must all act - major emitters in particular must do their bit." The instruments needed to reduce consumption of fossil fuels are available: greenhouse gas emissions from industry, transport, agriculture and buildings can be reduced significantly by promoting renewable energies, carbon neutral transport systems and energy efficiency measures, without forfeiting prosperity and quality of life, stressed Federal Councillor Leuthard.
The Federal Council is ready to act. It intends to reduce emissions by 20 percent during the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol up to 2020. Preparatory work on climate policy commitments in the post-2020 period are under way. Switzerland will continue to support climate protection measures through financial contributions and technological know-how, stated the environment minister. Switzerland is considering committing at least 100 million US dollars to the Green Climate Fund, which is used to finance climate protection projects in developing countries.
The aim of the Climate Summit, hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, is to prepare the ground for a globally binding climate protection agreement due to be concluded in December 2015. The agreement will be drafted at the 20th Climate Change Conference in Lima (Peru) in December 2014.
Federal Councillor Leuthard also held a number of bilateral talks on climate and environment policy on the fringes of the event in New York, for example with the environment ministers of Canada, Singapore and India.
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General Secretariat of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications; General Secretariat DETEC
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Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
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