Dusík: Obama Administration will get actively involved in the climate discussion
President Barack Obama’s team are clearly aware of the importance of the UN climate change summit to take place in Copenhagen in December this year.
“I have witnessed a distinct change in the U.S. attitude towards the negotiations on the new climate treaty. President Barack Obama’s team are clearly aware of the importance of the UN climate change summit to take place in Copenhagen in December this year,” noted Jan Dusík, First Deputy Minister of the Environment of the Czech Republic and Czech Presidency Special Envoy for Climate yesterday after his meeting with Carol Browner, Energy and Climate Assistant to U.S. President, in the White House.
“Carol Browner appreciates urgency of the discussion and importance of the U.S. position. Her team are committed to actively sharing in preparations for the Copenhagen summit,” adds Jan Dusík. “Obviously, that has certain domestic consequences within U.S.A. Obama’s Adminsitration have however already taken their first steps.” noted Dusík, pointing out specifically that Carol Browner has been appointed Energy and Climate Assistant to US President and White House Coordinator of Energy and Climate Policy. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also named Todd Stern to U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change, while President Obama has taken initial steps to enable strict federal legislation on regulating car emissions.
“The U.S. Government are absolutely right in their efforts to link environmental protection activities with their measures against economic recession,” says Jan Dusík. According to Carol Browner, President Barack Obama has been also considering a trip to Europe with the view of the climate discussion. Preparations are underway for yet another talks between EU and USA, at the ‘Trio’ level, in which EU will be represented by the Czech Republic, upcoming Swedish Presidency and European Commission.
Dusík invited Carol Browner as a special guest to an informal session of the EU Environment Council that will take place in mid-April in Prague.
Jan Dusík met also other senior officials of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday. "The willingness to cooperate is very strong here," noted Jan Dusík after the meeting. “EPA is going to put active efforts in linking the carbon market domestic and international levels. That is essential for future funding of the climate protection measures and for protecting people against the climate change consequences,” noted Dusík.
Deputy Minister Dusík also briefly met yesterday with Republican presidential candidate and influential Senator John McCain. “John McCain is a highly important politician, who has a long track record of his concrete environmental work with Congress,” said Jan Dusík in appreciation of Senator’s work.
Dusík’s visit to U.S.A. is continued today, and will in particular include a meeting with Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. The Press Briefing at the Department of Energy (1000 Independence Avenue, Washington, D.C.) is scheduled for 15:00 pm local time (21:00 CET).
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Contact
Jakub Kašpar
Spokesman of the Ministry of the Environment
Tel.: +420 267 122 040
GSM: +420 724 175 927
E-mail: jakub.kaspar@mzp.cz
Last update: 16.8.2011 15:47
