Interview: Yvo De Boer

Q&A Interview: Yvo de Boer

Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, discusses what world leaders can expect from next month’s UN climate conference in Poznan, Poland. The summit marks an important stepping stone to talks at the end of 2009 in Copenhagen, where countries have agreed to strike a new climate accord to follow on the heels of the Kyoto Protocol. Interview by Amanda Leigh Mascarelli.

How do you expect the climate talks in It has been suggested that the most Poznan to further progress toward reaching plausible outcome for Copenhagen may be a post-Kyoto climate deal in Copenhagen? an intermediary agreement outlining the Poznan is going to be a very important key elements of a post- 2012 framework. transition moment. In 2008, we had four Do you agree that is a reasonable meetings during which governments and expectation for Copenhagen, given that the international organizations came with a United States will probably not enact its own large number of proposals on what they feel comprehensive domestic climate package should be elements of an agreed outcome until 2010 and is likely to insist on doing so in Copenhagen. Then at our last meeting before signing on to international mandates? in Accra, Ghana, in August, the chair of I don’t think that there was a single that process was asked to pool those ideas country that signed up to a target in into a single compilation document. That’s Kyoto that already had its domestic policy going to be on the table in Poznan. And package in place. So I think it’s possible to that basically constitutes the first version of do a political deal in Copenhagen without a negotiating document. having all of the domestic measures in This is probably going to be a huge place. And since countries committed, disappointment to many people, but the and the US committed, actually, under conference in Poznan is not going to be President Bush at last year’s climate spectacular. It’s a halfway mark between summit in Bali to a negotiating process last year’s climate summit in Bali and the that is supposed to be concluded in next one in Copenhagen, and it’s not the Copenhagen in 2009, I really think that UNFCCC moment when things will be finalized. it’s important that countries stick to But what we can expect from Poznan is a that international commitment. Having clear sense of direction, strong political said that, of course, it’s not going to be get into a situation whereby this financial guidance from ministers, and a much possible, feasible or necessary to agree crisis causes us to ignore other major better sense of how the work needs to every last detail in Copenhagen. But global issues like climate change, poverty be managed in 2009 in order to meet I do believe that you need to have an and hunger.’ that incredibly tight deadline and deliver agreement in Copenhagen that has legs so the political essentials that Copenhagen that you can subsequently work out the What bearing does the election of Barack must deliver. details. Otherwise the process will just Obama have on the likelihood of a post- begin to slip. Kyoto deal being reached by the end of 2009? Poznan is going to be a very It has a huge bearing. In Bali, developing Is the current global financial crisis likely to countries and, in fact, everyone in the important transition moment. threaten a new global agreement on climate room was calling on the United States It’s not going to be possible, change? And what will be the likely impact to show leadership on this issue, and the feasible or necessary to of the recent G20 meeting in Washington United States joined the consensus in Bali. DC in setting it back on the right track? It makes no sense whatsoever to develop agree every last detail in I don’t think it’s going to threaten a global an international climate change regime Copenhagen. But I do believe agreement on climate change, but it will that does not involve the United States. So certainly have an impact on it. We have an I think that everyone is looking forward that you need to have an economic crisis, and that’s led to scarcity to President-elect Obama’s engagement agreement in Copenhagen of capital on international markets. It’s led in all of this. He’s committed to showing to a drop in oil prices, which is bad for leadership, and that’s what the world needs. that has legs so that you can renewable sources of energy and bad for subsequently work out the investments in energy efficiency. China recently proposed that the UNFCCC details. Otherwise the process At the same time, what I found very should set up an intergovernment agency encouraging from the G20 summit is that to help developing countries tackle climate will just begin to slip. leaders were saying, ‘look, we should not change. What do you think about that

suggestion, and is it likely to be on the table for and the more measured goal that the US to look at them in terms of comparability at Poznan? is aiming for? of effort: what are countries proposing, What China has proposed … is, first of I think that the language agreed to at what are their national circumstances, and all, a new facility that would be focused last year’s conference in Bali calls for how easy or tough is it for them to move on technology transfer. And secondly, a comparability of efforts amongst forward? Plus, most importantly, how can China supports a broader proposal from industrialized countries. President-elect international cooperation — and how the group of developing countries to create Obama has formulated a long-term can a Copenhagen agreement — make it a new financial mechanism under the goal and has said that he’s committed to possible for them to be more ambitious Convention, since verifiable support for returning emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. collectively than they could be on developing countries is at the heart of what Europe has its goal of reducing emissions their own? was agreed in Bali. And certainly those to 20–30 per cent below 1990 levels by proposals will be on the table in Poznan. 2020. Australia is working on a mid-term Published online: 27 November 2008 and long-term goal. Canada has some doi:10.1038/climate.2008.128 What is the best scenario for finding proposals on the table. I think it would common ground between the stringent be really constructive if we could just put Amanda Leigh Mascarelli is a freelance emissions reductions that Europe is calling all of those proposals together and begin science writer in Denver, Colorado.

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