WRITTEN STATEMENT BY THE

WELSH ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT

Title: Cancun climate change summit

Date: 23 December 2010

By: Jane Davidson, minister for environment, sustainability and

housing

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Sixteenth

Conference of Parties (COP16) took place in Cancun, Mexico from 29
November to 11 December 2010. This statement highlights the positive
outcomes from the summit and provides a summary of the Assembly
Government’s contribution to the talks.

The Copenhagen Accord that emerged from the COP15 summit in 2009
established limited pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but the
Copenhagen conference failed to produce the legally-binding deal many
hoped for. Consequently, expectations for this year’s Cancun summit were
low.

I believe that, in the absence of a binding global deal on climate change, the
need for continued leadership in this area is as pressing as ever. I was
pleased, therefore, to be invited by Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy
and Climate Change, to join the UK delegation in Cancun to represent Wales’
interests.

Tackling climate change is an essential component of the Assembly

Government’s statutory commitment to sustainable development. The
Climate Change Strategy for Wales, which was published in October, confirms
our commitment to achieve a 3% year on year reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions, together with overall emissions cuts of 40% by 2020 against a
1990 baseline.
The Cancun summit provided an opportunity to put negotiations back on track
and move closer to a legally-binding treaty by making progress on a range of
issues to cut greenhouse gas emissions, to help embed low-carbon growth
and to manage climate change impacts.

During my attendance in the final week of the talks I sought to:

 promote the role that sub-national governments can play in tackling the
causes and consequences of climate change
 promote Wales’ Climate Change Strategy, share good practice with
other regional governments and learn from others, and
 enhance the Assembly Government’s links with key networks, regional
governments and UN agencies.

My contribution to the talks was informed not only by our Climate Change
Strategy and the firm commitment we have made to cut emissions, but also by
the Climate Change Commission for Wales’ statement of intent for Cancun,
which called on negotiating parties to strive for progress in those areas where
agreement could be reached in order to help rebuild confidence in the UN
negotiating process. In conveying this message, I was keen to highlight the
new economic opportunities brought about by the threat of climate change
through the transition to a low-carbon economy and the generation of green
jobs.

Sub-national governments, like our own, were well-represented at the summit,

demonstrating that the need for concerted action on climate change is already
widely recognised. Indeed, the UN estimates that between 50 and 80% of
actions needed to tackle climate change will be delivered below member state
level.

The Assembly Government’s commitments, our strategic approach and

delivery plans were seen as exemplar at the events I attended, and we were
able to promote a new summary version of our Climate Change Strategy
produced for international partners.

During the talks, I chaired and participated in a range of meetings and events
and held a series of bilaterals with key contacts from around the world and
with UK partners. I also attended the opening plenary and later sessions of
the Ministerial negotiations with Chris Huhne and Jim Mather, the Scottish
Government’s Minister for Energy, Enterprise & Tourism.

In my speech at the Climate Leaders Summit - an event organised by The

Climate Group for Governors and Premiers of states and regions - I was able
to outline Wales’ strategic approach and highlight some of the key
programmes that are underpinning delivery of our climate change
commitments. Arbed, for example, the Assembly Government’s Strategic
Energy Performance Investment Programme, is tackling pressing economic
and social challenges as well as reducing emissions by retrofitting homes in
some of the most deprived communities in Wales with energy efficiency and
micro-generation technology.
The Climate Leaders Summit demonstrated to me how cities, states, regions
and businesses are already acting to make a global low-carbon revolution a
reality and I am proud that Wales is part of this progressive alliance.

I spoke at a key event - organised by the Network of Regional Governments

for Sustainable Development (nrg4SD) - highlighting low-carbon development
strategies at the sub-national level. I drew delegates’ attention to Wales’ new
Ynni’r Fro initiative, which we have designed to expand community-based
renewable energy projects. Wales is a founding member of nrg4SD and this
network provides subnational administrations with a platform to exchange
information and good practice, which I believe is critical in delivering a joined-
up response to this global challenge.

I was particularly pleased to introduce a Met Office event where the Met Office
presented some of its latest research that provides more evidence on climate
change, showing that signals of global warming are as strong as they have
ever been. This new research demonstrates that the scientific evidence on
climate change continues to accumulate, strengthening the link between
human activity and the changing climate.

I attended a joint ANAAE and CONAGO event (sustainable development

networks in Central and South America) to exchange best practice on climate
change action. At this session, I was keen to highlight our Territorial
Approach to Climate Change project in partnership with the Mbale region of
Uganda. This initiative, which we are taking forward with the UN
Development Programme (UNDP) and the UK Department for International
Development (DfID) is helping communities in Mbale assess climate change
vulnerabilities, monitor changes in weather patterns and plan how best to
adapt to changing environmental conditions. At the same time, the project will
provide new opportunities for businesses in Wales.

I was invited to chair a meeting of the nrg4SD Steering Committee and also
co-hosted a press conference on behalf of regional governments at the talks
jointly held with ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability).

Wales and Quebec have already established a strong relationship and I took
the opportunity to meet the new Minister for Environment, Pierre Arcand. The
Minister invited me to address a post-Cancun conference in London in the
New Year and we agreed to explore economic opportunities of mutual interest
between Wales and Quebec in 2011.

I held bilaterals with the regional President of Brittany, Jean-Yves Le Drian,

and with Mike Rann, Premier of South Australia, to discuss our approach to
tackling climate change and to further the links between our regions. I have
been keen to help expand the membership of collaborative networks and as a
result of our meetings Mike Rann agreed to South Australia joining nrg4SD.
South Australia is a region nearly one-quarter the size of Europe.

I had the opportunity to meet Monyane Moleki, Minister of Natural Resources

in Lesotho. I was particularly interested to hear about Lesotho’s efforts to
provide solar energy to power lighting and IT in schools. Wales already has
strong links with Lesotho and the Minister and I agreed to enhance our
relationship by exploring opportunities for technical co-operation on climate
change, renewable energy and energy efficiency through our Wales for Africa
programme.

I also met with Linda McAvan, MEP for Yorkshire and Humber, who sits on
the European Parliament’s Environment and Development Committees. We
agreed to share more information on Wales’ position on environmental and
climate change issues so that these can be better reflected in European
Parliament discussions.

The UK Ambassador to Mexico, Judith MacGregor, invited me to open an

event organised to enhance British business opportunities in Mexico,
highlighting some of the strong links between Wales and Mexico such as
CEMEX, a leading building materials supplier with facilities in Wales, the Hay
Festival event which took place earlier this year in Mexico, and the strong
academic links between our two nations.

Towards the end of the summit, I discussed the prospects of a successful

outcome from the talks with Mohamed Aslam, the Minister of Environment
from the Maldives. The Maldives islands are already facing the stark
consequences of a changing climate, and the Minister welcomed Wales’
backing for a strong deal that we were able to bring to the negotiations via our
presence on the UK delegation.

A successful outcome at Cancun was never guaranteed but following

extensive and often fraught negotiations – proficiently steered by the Mexican
Government – a successful deal on a substantial package of measures was
delivered. This agreement is not a binding treaty, but it is a major step
forward.

Set within the framework of limiting global warming to less than 2°C, the
Cancun Agreement calls on developed nations to reduce their greenhouse
gas emissions as pledged in the Copenhagen Accord and for developing
countries to plan reductions in their emissions. The Agreement includes a
proposed £64bn per year Green Climate Fund to assist poorer countries
finance emission reduction and adaptation efforts as well as providing a
framework for paying countries to protect forests.

I am particularly pleased that our efforts during the Cancun talks helped to
secure recognition for the role of sub-national and regional governments in the
Cancun Agreement. We will now look to build on this recognition in the run-up
to the next summit in South Africa in 2011 and we will continue to work with
the UK Government and our regional partners in moving towards a binding
international agreement.

The latest science indicates that higher political emissions targets are needed
to avoid warming of 2°C or more and the Cancun Agreement recognises that
current emission pledges need to rise. The Agreement does not explain the
mechanisms for deeper emission cuts or the legal status of a future global
agreement but I believe that it provides a firm foundation for further
negotiations and offers real potential for a binding agreement in the future.

Wales is a small nation but we have a clear role to play in tackling climate
change and we have the opportunity to lead by example through delivering
our own commitments. We are seen internationally as a global leader
amongst regional and sub-national governments in the fields of climate
change and sustainable development. We will continue to share the exciting
work that we are taking forward here in Wales and to learn from other
approaches that are being taken across the globe.

I will be making an oral statement to Assembly Members on the outcomes of

the summit and the recent Climate Change Commission at the first
opportunity in the new session.