Martin Bursík: Washington MEF Meeting was a good start
Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment Martin Bursik emerged into the sunshine of Washington DC after intensive talks on climate change between the Major Economies of the world with a message of cautious optimism. In Washington he represented European Union as the EU Environment Council President.
Bursik described this first of three preparatory meetings ahead of the Leaders’ Summit in July as “a good start. An open and frank exchange of views which will help us to move forward with the UN Negotiations towards Copenhagen.”
The Major Economies Forum, originally established as the MEM (Major Economies Meeting) by former President George Bush, has been restarted and restyled by the new US administration. Representatives of the 17 largest economies of the world, representing almost 80% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, have spent two days in Washington to discuss the climate crisis. Emissions reductions and technology dominated the discussions here, but finance will be added to the mix at the next meeting of leaders’ representatives to be held in France on 26-27 May.
“We are not here to replace or duplicate the UN process. Reaching an agreement in Copenhagen under the Climate Change Convention is the final goal, but time is short and we need to find ways to accelerate the process”, said Bursik, alluding to the agreement made in Bali in December 2007 that a new climate deal would be struck at the Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.
Summing up the mood of the meeting, Bursik remarked “The atmosphere was constructive and committed. These are not formal negotiations, and I think the more informal nature of the meeting helped us to get into a real dialogue about what we can achieve both domestically and internationally”. Reflecting the willingness of countries to act, “we all agreed on the need for strong action by developed countries and that all major economies must play their part in the drive towards sustainable development.” Reflecting on what the International Energy Agency has referred to as the need for an energy revolution, Bursik acknowledged the need for international cooperation. “Domestic action is crucial in creating the framework for green investment and economic recovery, but we need to develop new and innovative technologies to replace the polluting practices of the past; and we can only achieve that quickly if we work together.”
The Leaders’ Representatives spoke with President Obama and were joined for the start of the meeting by Secretary Clinton. Looking forward to the next meeting Bursik sounded an encouraging note, “The United States is back in the game and is determined to make up for lost time. The momentum that this imparts to the negotiations is enormous. There’s no doubt that we have a lot to do in a very short time, and that there are some tough negotiations ahead of us, but this meeting has demonstrated the willingness to cooperate and to act.”
Contact:
- Jakub Kašpar, Spokesperson, Ministry of the Environment, Czech Republic
- tel.: +420 267 122 040, GSM: +420 724 175 927; e-mail: jakub.kaspar@mzp.cz
Last update: 16.8.2011 15:38
