Press release - September 28, 2009
WHAT: The second to last round of UN climate change negotiations before Copenhagen. (This week is Bangkok, then Barcelona (2-6 November) then Copenhagen (December 7-18)). It will be the first round of negotiations following New Zealand’s announcement of an emissions trading scheme that will allow New Zealand’s greenhouse gas pollution to keep increasing.
WHEN: 28 September - 9 October
WHERE: United Nations Conference Centre of the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP),
Bangkok, Thailand.
WHY DOES IT MATTER: The true countdown to Copenhagen has begun;
there is now only 70 days to go, and talks are on tenterhooks.
Countries are now arguing over what each country will do to tackle
climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
WHO WILL BE THERE: New Zealand's climate change Ambassador and
other New Zealand negotiators, negotiators from most other
countries in the world, Greenpeace New Zealand's political advisor
Geoff Keey and other NGO representatives from around the world.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR: This will be the first major round of
talks that New Zealand fronts up to since tabling an ETS that will
allow New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions to keep rising. It
will also be the first round of negotiations after Japan increased
its target and China announced it was going to take stronger action
on climate change. Poor performing countries such as Canada, New
Zealand and the United States may come under pressure to increase
their willingness to tackle climate change.
"New Zealand may need to explain why we're happy for our
emissions to go up when the rest of the world is figuring out how
to get emissions down," said Geoff Keey.
Other contacts: Geoff Keey in Bangkok – 0215 04486
Kathy Cumming – Media and Communications – 021 495 216