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Copenhagen Accord

Obama Copenhagen Accord Opens Door for World Agreement on Climate

The vast majority of the countries here at the Copenhagen climate talks today recognized an accord forged by President Barack Obama, opening the door for continued reengagement on climate change. While only a handful of obstinate countries prevented full adoption of the accord by the entire conference, the broad recognition of the document - crafted less than 24 hours ago by 5 countries, including the United States - signifies a breakthrough in the world's climate talks.

"President Obama took a climate deal that many considered dead in the water and created a watershed moment in the global effort to combat climate change," said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the House-passed Waxman-Markey climate bill and chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. "Nearly every single country in the world, representing more than 6 billion people, including all nations critical to a final binding agreement, now agree that we should complete that goal by the end of 2010."

The accord, which was forged yesterday during intense negotiations between the United States, China, India, Brazil and South Africa, was recognized by the full climate conference here in Copenhagen. A handful of dissenting countries like Sudan and Venezuela prevented the entire conference from adopting the agreement.

The deal also signifies a new era in United States leadership on climate change. Along with President Obamaís 11th hour negotiating tour de force, the U.S. House of Representatives sent 21 members to the talks, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Reps. Markey and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the co-authors of the House-passed climate bill. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) also were vital voices in the talks.

"There is now a new paradigm of U.S. leadership on climate change, where activity has replaced passivity," said Rep. Markey. "Today's recognition by 98 percent of the world of an American-led accord shows that the United States has retaken the mantle as a multilateral negotiating force."

 

 

Situation Room

Chairman Markey on the Situation Room

Chairman Markey appears on the Situation Room from Copenhagen

National Journal Online

Bringing The Change To Copenhagen

Today in Copenhagen, President Obama courageously asserted his leadership on the international stage. This is a multi-dimensional, multi-national chess game, and the message U.S. leaders are sending is that we want to avoid a stalemate in the negotiations and launch the global clean energy era.

Obama and US leaders laid out a plan that would begin to stabilize and reduce carbon pollution, provide full transparency and international review of emissions reductions, and mobilize and deploy financial capital and clean technology. If other countries are willing to heed the President's call to step forward and embrace this accord, Copenhagen can succeed.

The House delegation, led by Speaker Pelosi, received global praise in Copenhagen for passing the Waxman-Markey clean energy legislation. Waxman-Markey provided the framework for how the United States can implement pollution reduction targets, provide deforestation and adaptation aid while helping spread clean technology solutions.

Read the full story at the National Journal Online.

U.S. House Delegation

U.S. House of Representatives Delegation press conference

The full press conference from the House of Representatives delegation to the Copenhagen climate conference

The table at the Copenhagen conference

 

CNBC Coverage from Copenhagen

Coverage from Copenhagen: Chairman Markey on CNBC

Chairman Markey speaks with CNBC reporters live from Copenhagen

 

MSNBC Coverage FROM Copenhagen

Coverage from Copenhagen: Chairman Markey on MSNBC

 

 

CNN Coverage FROM Copenhagen

Coverage from Copenhagen: Chairman Markey on CNN

 

 

Congressional Delegation

Waxman-Markey funding can aid U.S. commitment for developing countries

Funding from the House-passed Waxman-Markey climate bill can help the United States provide its fair share of the financing commitment to developing countries made today by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Sec. Clinton today announced that the United States is prepared to jointly mobilize $100 billion in financing from the developed world to the developing world by 2020, including programs to avoid deforestation and to help poor countries adapt to the increasing effects of climate change.

The Waxman-Markey bill, which passed in June, includes several funding streams for the very mechanisms Sec. Clinton mentioned in her announcement. The funds would be raised by the operation of Waxman-Markey's pollution program.

Read the full story on the Select Committee's website

The Situation Room

The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer

Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming Ed Markey appears on the Situation Room along with Representative Marsha Blackburn.

National Journal Online

How should wealthier nations help poorer ones combat climate change?

As a follow up to my initial question on keeping the United States competitive with China in the race for clean energy jobs, I'd like to share this video, illustrating how the Chinese are in moving aggressively into the renewable market.

Saudi Arabia, desperate to keep the world buying foreign oil, kicked off the week in Copenhagen trying to derail the climate conference using the stolen emails. This ploy by the Saudis only serves as a stark reminder to the American people. We must stop spending a billion dollars a day on foreign oil and start investing that money into clean energy technology and businesses here at home -businesses that will then be well positioned to turn around and sell clean energy technology to the rest of the world.

The issue of clean energy competitiveness plays into an emerging issue in Copenhagen this week - the amount and administration of global aid to combat accelerating climate change.

Read the full story at the National Journal Online

National Journal Online

What's necessary to compete for clean energy jobs

The winds of change blow into Copenhagen this week, as the United States and 200 other nations will meet for the UN Climate Conference. Copenhagen will indicate which nations are serious about energy security, ending oil addiction, cutting carbon pollution and creating clean energy jobs.

This week, I am pleased to host this discussion on the NationalJournal.com Copenhagen Insider blog, as I believe Copenhagen will reset both the international and domestic debate for the next year. To get started, here are two key areas to watch:

Read the full story at the National Journal Online

Agreement

Markey statement on US-China climate and clean energy agreement

Follows Similar Agreement Forged Between Markey and Chairman Wang of Chinese Congress

WASHINGTON (November 17, 2009) - In response to today's agreement between U.S. President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao to cooperate on clean energy and climate initiatives, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of twin climate and energy panels in the House and co-author of the Waxman-Markey clean energy and climate bill, issued the following statement:

“This agreement shows that economic competition and cooperation are not mutually exclusive, especially when solving the grave threat of climate change is at stake.

“This significant agreement offers a blueprint for international clean energy cooperation between the U.S. and China, and for the rest of the world. With crucial international climate negotiations in Copenhagen just weeks away, the U.S. and China have proven today that the international community can find common ground on key energy issues.

“Just a few weeks ago, along with 100 other legislators from around the world, Chairman Wang Guangtao of the National People's Congress and I reached a similar accord to cooperate on clean energy and set a clear path forward on combating climate change.

“In just a month, the conventional wisdom on U.S.-Chinese climate politics has been turned on its head, and not a moment too soon. With just days to go before nearly 200 countries meet in Copenhagen to forge a new way forward on climate and clean energy, this agreement shows that the last remaining roadblocks are being pushed aside."

Bloomberg

U.S., Chinese, U.K. Lawmakers Agree on Steps to Cut Emissions

Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Lawmakers from the U.S., U.K., China and 13 other nations agreed on guidelines to reduce carbon emissions through domestic legislation, even if United Nations- sponsored climate talks don't result in a binding treaty.

More than 100 legislators from 16 countries committed today in Copenhagen to promote renewable energy, reduce deforestation and increase the energy efficiency of buildings, appliances and motor vehicles. The agreement was led by Ed Markey, co-author of the climate bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in June, and Wang Guangtao, head of the environment committee of China's National People's Congress.

Article continues at Bloomberg.com

GLOBE Copenhagen Legislators Forum

Chairman Markey attends the GLOBE Copenhagen Legislators Forum

The GLOBE Copenhagen Legislators Forum in Copenhagen, Denmark was a staging point before the formal UNFCCC negotiations. It provided an oppportunity for national leaders to define the political boundaries for an agreement during formal negotiations this December. The Forum will present an opportunity to identify the core principles for legislation to tackle the problem of climate change.

Chairman Markey at the negotiations

Chairman Markey meets with delegates. From left: Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen,Prime Minister of Denmark & Host of UNFCCC COP15; Lord Michael Jay, Chairman of the GLOBE Copenhagen Legislator's Forum, Vice-Chair, International Commision on Climate and Energy Security, House of Lords United Kingdom; Congressman Edward J. Markey, United States; Speaker Max Sisulu MP, Speaker of the National Assembly, South Africa; Congressman Wang Guntao, Chairman of Environment Protection and Resources Conservation Committee of NPC, China; Senator Serys Marly Slhessarenko, Brazil

Meeting with Tetsuro Fukuyama

Chairman Markey meets with Japanese State Secretary for Foreign Affairs

Chairman Ed Markey met with Tetsuro Fukuyama, Japanese State Secretary for Foreign Affairs on Friday, October 23.

The Guardian

The Guardian: Google Earth launches climate simulator

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words should we afford Google Earth? Hours can be lost skydiving your way towards your favourite locations. Seeing somewhere you know so well from above provides valuable extra servings of knowledge and perspective.

Read the rest of the story at the Guardian

View the Google Earth climate simulator

View Google and CNN's COP15 channel

BBC News

BBC News: The Copenhagen Climate Summit Q&A

In December, delegations from 192 countries will hold two weeks of talks in Copenhagen aimed at establishing a new global treaty on climate change. Here, BBC environment correspondent Richard Black looks at what the talks are about and what they are supposed to achieve.

Read the rest of the article at the BBC

Chicago Tribune

Chicago Tribune: 9 hurdles to climate treaty

After months of almost single-minded focus on health care, President Barack Obama is about to shift the spotlight to global warming this week, first with a speech to the United Nations in New York on Tuesday, then later in the week at the G-20 economic conference in Pittsburgh.

The renewed emphasis on climate change and reducing carbon dioxide emissions comes at a crucial time: Negotiators are entering the home stretch in the drive to unveil a comprehensive new international agreement to curb rising temperatures at a December conference in Copenhagen.

Read the rest of the article at the Chicago Tribune

the guardian

The Guardian: Copenhagen climate conference glossary

Negotiations at the UN's climate summit in Copenhagen in December will use a language that is full of technical jargon and confusing acronyms. Here's environmentguardian.co.uk's guide to help you translate the terms that will be debated as world leaders aim to to strike a deal that will attempt to prevent devastating climate change

Read the rest of the article at the Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian: Climate change needs US leadership

As world leaders gather to discuss climate change, they are meeting in two metaphorically apt locations. On Tuesday, it was on the island of Manhattan, at a major climate summit at the United Nations. Later this week it's in Pittsburgh, a city famously known for its three rivers, for the G20 summit on the economy.

If nothing else focuses the minds of these leaders on the urgent challenge of climate change, these locations should. An island and a city in the midst of rivers should remind them that we are all in this together when it comes to the rising waters, literally and otherwise, brought about by global warming.

These venues should especially remind us what faces the world's poorest people, who are least to blame for the climate crisis but are being hit first and hardest by rising sea levels, intensifying storms and declining fresh water supplies.

Read the rest of the article at the Guardian

Reuters

Reuters: Obama willing to attend Copenhagen climate talks

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Oct 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama would consider attending climate talks in Copenhagen in December if heads of state were invited, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters on Friday.

Read the rest of the story at Reuters