The Swedish Prime Minister reacted positively to U.S. leadership at the Major Economies Forum held in L‘Aquila, Italy on July 9. As a result of the conference, convened by President Obama, the world‘s 17 largest emitters agreed that global warming should not exceed 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures, and developed nations committed to reducing their CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050. Prime Minister Reinfeldt was quoted in the Swedish media, saying, "Obama is the biggest star in world politics today. He is largely delivering on expectations." Nevertheless he is eagerly waiting to see Obama‘s positive attitude on climate change translate into ambitious action in America. He added, "The U.S. is far behind Europe [on climate change] and it is now imperative for the US to demonstrate how it is going to become a low-emissions country."
Danish officials and media have also expressed praise for President Obama‘s leadership on climate change at the MEF. Prime Minister Rasmussen claimed that the American commitment to science and assumption of leadership will provide crucial momentum for further agreements on the road to Copenhagen. He declared, "I'm witnessing an American President who has taken it upon himself to assume the international leadership and pragmatic approach which I think will be needed for this to succeed… We‘re now beyond the lengthy speeches and airy declarations. Everyone knows that once you‘re committed to a two degree target, demands for immediate action follow." Climate Minister Connie Hedegaard voiced more cautious optimism, commenting, "It‘s positive that the G-8 leaders have agreed on 80 percent reductions in 2050, but they also need to deliver cuts in the short term. Actually, the rich countries should already now state that their emissions have peaked."
Danish Climate Minister Connie Hedegaard hosted the final session of the Greenland Dialogue in Ilulissat from June 29th to July 3rd. Launched by Denmark in August 2005, the Dialogue provides an in-formal setting for Ministers to debate openly the most pressing issues in the negotiations in the run up to COP15 in Copenhagen. The conference included ministers and heads of delegation from 29 countries, who emphasized their commitment to success in Copenhagen in December and agreed that global warming must stay below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. There was consensus that developing countries must take stronger action against climate change, but that the developed countries must provide strong leader-ship, and that all will fall through if clear and credible financing instruments are not developed. Financing must be provided through a mixture of traditional and innovative sources, and go beyond Official Development Assistance. The ministers agreed that climate change adaptation has been neglected for too long, and must be recognized as a problem distinct from mitigation. They also recognized that investing in energy efficiency and energy independence can be a tool for strengthening the economy in a time of global financial crisis, concluding that climate change presents an opportunity to make sustainable investments that will enhance energy security.
After the Dialogue, Hedegaard said: "The Dialogue meeting was held in an unusually open atmosphere where even the most controversial issues were discussed in a constructive manner". She noted, "On emission reductions, participants agreed that developed countries should explore how they can strengthen the ambition of their contributions and that developing countries‘ actions must be strengthened – all in order to meet the demands of science." The group has agreed to continue consultations in late September. In the meantime, Hedegaard called on Heads of State and Government to provide clear guidance at the Major Economies Forum in Italy and the UN Secretary General‘s High Level Event on Climate Change in September, saying, "The world will be watching: Strong leaders‘ guidance to the negotiations is urgently needed. Leaders bear an immense responsibility to provide this guidance now." She praised the increased trust among parties that resulted from the dialogue, noting that it "may well be the most important outcome."
From www.kemin.dk.
