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Written Statement by The Welsh Assembly Government
Written Statement by The Welsh Assembly Government
Written Statement by The Welsh Assembly Government
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.