Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
12/12/2014
Throughout the two-weeklong 20th Conference of the Parties (COP20) wrapping up in Lima, Peru, this week, representatives from the nearly 200 countries in attendance have worked well together, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern said during a press briefing at the conference this week. The COP20 is the last before the COP to be held in Paris next year during which time members are tasked with developing a universal agreement on climate. Having reached this point, it should be no shock that negotiations are trying, Stern said. “This is not going to be easy, it’s never easy at the COPs,” he said. “At this stage in the negotiations things are never easy so this is no surprise, but as I say, I think parties are working well together.” Stern stated that while there are difficult topics to address, overall the negotiations of the last two weeks have been promising. “I think generally, this is a positive atmosphere here. I think that there is a good amount of good will. I think also there are some significant divisions between parties on various issues.”
The United States entered the negotiations in Lima with two primarily goals, according to Stern. “The first is to conclude a decision which is meant fundamentally to give direction to parties regarding the announcement of their intended nationally determined commitments, and to provide guidance with respect to the kind of information – so called ‘upfront information’ – that should be included when they make those announcements. The point of this is simply that the nationally determined contributions be clear and understandable so that everybody knows what others are doing,” Stern said. “The second main objective is to develop a draft for elements for a text that will hopefully set us on a good path for negotiations next year toward the conclusion of the new agreement in Paris.”
U.S. Entering Negotiations in Good Position
Stern took time to note recent advancements the United States has made domestically and internationally in an effort to halt climate change, saying that the United States entered the negotiations this month in a good position. “I think the U.S. comes into this meeting, COP20, in a very strong position having just announced our very ambitious targets in the joint announcement that President Obama made with Chinese President Xi … as well as having announced our commitment of $3 billion to the new green climate fund,” Stern said. Under the U.S.-China agreement, the United States has committed to reducing net greenhouse gas emissions 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 and China has committed to setting targets to peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and to increase non-fossil fuel energy production to 20 percent of their energy mix by 2030.
Work to mitigate climate change domestically has been significant in recent years as well, Stern went on to say. “There has been all during the course of the last year and really the last two years, a steady drum beat of action coming from President Obama and his administration on a whole range of domestic actions, the most noted of which – the largest of which – is the new power plant rule,” he said referencing the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed carbon emissions standards for existing coal-fired power plants which would set state-specific emission reduction goals and requires the states to develop action plans to meet those goals.
