Written answers

Tuesday, 19 October 2010

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

International Agreements

9:00 am

Photo of Michael D HigginsMichael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 417: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will report on the UN Climate Change Conference hosted in October in Tianjin, China; Ireland's position in those talks and prospects for progress towards the Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Cancun in November 2010. [36096/10]

Photo of John GormleyJohn Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The most recent round of negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took place in Tianjin, China from 4 to 9 October 2010. According to the secretariat to the UNFCCC, the meeting was attended by some two and half thousand participants from more than 176 countries, including Government delegates, representatives from business and industry, environmental organisations and research institutions.

Views on the outcome of the Tianjin round of negotiations are mixed. The UNFCCC Executive Secretary considered that progress was made in defining what could be achieved, in terms of agreement on a structured set of decisions, at the upcoming 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) in Cancún, Mexico. In a statement following the Tianjin round, European Commissioner Connie Hedegaard considered progress to be patchy and much too slow.

At a scheduled Council meeting in Luxemburg on 14 October, EU Environment Ministers adopted conclusions in which the Council, inter alia, "notes the limited progress made at the Bonn and Tianjin sessions towards identifying elements of a balanced package in Cancún; emphasises that a very significant increase in the pace of the negotiations will be needed in order to reach a successful and balanced outcome in Cancún; in this context, expresses its support for the incoming Presidency of COP 16/CMP6 to take all the necessary initiatives in the run-up to and at the Cancún conference.".

Although progress overall in Tianjin was not encouraging, there will be at least eight days of further negotiations in advance of the high-level segment at COP 16. Ireland, through its membership of the European Union, will contribute to and proactively support efforts to reach a successful and ambitious outcome at the Cancún conference. On the outcome, I fully agree with the view expressed in the conclusions adopted on 14 October, that "there is a need for decisions that can be implemented immediately or in the near-term and for a work programme for the next steps, with a view to avoiding a gap after the first commitment period and agreeing on a global and comprehensive legally binding framework.".

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