17/04/09

Speaking ahead of the launch of the International Commission on Climate and Energy Security, GLOBE's President, said ‘GLOBE will be convening some of the most senior legislators in the world in Washington DC at the end of March. The Commission has been charged to report ahead of the crucial Copenhagen UNFCCC COP. It is intended that the Commission will provide the context for an informal engagement between national legislators that can be closely relayed to the leaders of the major economies. Fundamentally, the Commission needs to help to create the political conditions for success at COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009.”

The International Commission on Climate & Energy Security was launched in the US Congress in Washington DC on Monday 30^th March 2009.  This Commission comprises of senior legislators from each of the major economies, selected due to their closeness to their Prime Minister or President.  The Commission met for two days under the Chairmanship of US Congressman Ed Markey and Lord Michael Jay of the UK House of Lords.  The Commission was launched with the support of the Danish Prime Minister, the UK Prime Minister, the Brazilian President and the Italian G8 Presidency.  The aim of the Commission is to produce a major report to the GLOBE Copenhagen Forum in October, presenting its conclusions to the Danish Prime Minister and the major economies at a critical time, just ahead of the formal UNFCCC COP.  In Washington the Commission met in private to identify the specific policy areas that the legislators wanted to focus on.  These include a very specific body of work being developed by the legislators in the following areas:

·        Financing – how we create a politically acceptable financing mechanism that meets the requirements of the LDCs to adapt to the effects of climate change and to transition their economies to low carbon paths whilst balancing the political realities of opposition to transferring funds overseas within key developed country legislatures. 

·        Commitments – are there politically acceptable mechanisms that can recognise national actions in place of international commitments and what are the respective commitments required from both developed and major emerging economies that will be enough to satisfy the politics in each others legislatures.

·        CCS – what can be placed on the table ahead of Copenhagen that could practically expedite the application of CCS technology at scale across the major economies?   Is there a politically acceptable way that this can be achieved balancing private and public resources.

·        Other technologies – to examine utilisation of smart grids and financing of renewables.

·        Energy Security – what steps needs to be taken to deliver ‘security’ of supply of energy and are there policies that deliver both energy and climate security?

In support of the Commission’s work GLOBE was very pleased to announce in Washington that Mr Chris Mottershead, formerly Distinguished Advisor to the Board of BP and now Vice Principal of King College London, has kindly agreed to become the Senior International Advisor to the Board of GLOBE with particular responsibility for the engagement of corporate Members within the Commission’s themed work. 

To read the Commission briefing, the launch speech by GLOBE President and the Statement click on the links to the right.