News | Energy Efficiency

http://www.newenergyworldnetwork.com/renewable-energy-news/by-technology/energy-efficiency/global-heavyweights-show-flexibility-in-cancun-says-chief-negotiator.html

The world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters have shown during initial talks in Cancún that they have come to the table willing to negotiate, according to head of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Christiana Figueres said, ‘China, India and the US are showing flexibility at the early stages. Our sense is that the meeting has got off to a smooth start.’
Speaking at a question and answer session in the opening days of Cancún, Figueres said she was hopeful that the conference in Mexico may result in a more tangible outcome than that witnessed at the last major meet in Copenhagen a year ago.
‘We are not aiming for perfection, but trying to save what wasn’t achieved in Copenhagen,’ she said at the event attended by NewNet.
Figueres said there was a new awareness of the risks of not being able to reach a general consensus on how to move forward.
‘Parties arrived in Cancún with a commitment to have an outcome, and seem to be more and more aware of the dire consequences of not reaching an agreement,’ she said.
‘I think we need to be realistic and responsible, and understand that it is too dangerous to incur the risk of not having an agreement, just because there are too many balls in the air. Cancún is only one step in the climate agreement process.’
Despite Cancún lacking the media hype that characterised the Copenhagen talks – as well the absence of high level delegates in some quarters – the European Union has said it is hopeful for a decision on carbon emissions reduction market-based mechanisms and clarifying more detail on the governance of a green fund.
Figueres said there was no instant solution to climate change but the conference could prove to be a vital step if expectations are managed.
‘Climate change didn’t happen over night, and we are not going to solve it over night. If we are too ambitious and our expectations are too high, we will get nothing.
‘I am aiming for a good agreement in Cancún, not perfection. We are looking to establish the foundation from which we can develop a much better agreement.’