Benn sets out UK vision for international climate agreement
Environment Minister, Hilary Benn appealed to heads of state and government of developed countries to agree to take on mandatory targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the United Nations climate change summit in New York yesterday.
Mr Benn emphasised that we need to clearly set out a plan for avoiding dangerous climate change. We must get from the international global warming pact in Bali this December to a global and comprehensive agreement, rooted in the UN Framework Convention, by December 2009 in Copenhagen.
He said:
“We will require: commitments to reduce emissions; the strengthening and extension of global carbon markets; the development, deployment and transfer of the necessary technology to reduce emissions; adaptation to deal with the effects of climate change; action on deforestation; something to be done about emissions from international aviation and maritime transportation; and finance to help make all these things happen.
“If we are going to get a global agreement, developed countries must, of course, in the words of the 1992 Framework Convention, ‘take the lead’ by agreeing deeper binding emission reductions.
“We cannot say that often enough. And that means all of us, including the largest economy in the world – the United States – taking on binding reduction targets. It is inconceivable that dangerous climate change can be avoided without this happening.”
Mr Benn stressed that there is still an enormous amount of work to be done but the time for action is now.
“The climate change conference in December this year in Bali has to start negotiations. It has to tell the world that all governments will aim to conclude a global and comprehensive post-2012 agreement by 2009 in Copenhagen.
“It will have to be ambitious. There is no point in negotiating a deal that will not take us towards stabilisation and so avoid dangerous climate change. I strongly believe that we will have to agree in Bali that we will reduce global emissions to at least 50% below 1990 levels by 2050.
“It also has to come up with a roadmap to ensure a successful outcome in Copenhagen. That means agreeing the essential elements of an agreement – which I have tried to set out here today. And it means agreeing a list of all the issues that countries are concerned about or want looked at as part of the negotiations, under both the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol negotiations on deeper emission reduction targets for developed countries. In other words, ensuring that everything is on the table.”
Further information
- Hilary Benn's full speech
- Address from the President of the European Council, José Sócrates, at the United Nations climate change summit in New York
- Letter from the Prime Minister to Stop Climate Chaos
Page published: 25 September 2007