Planet in Peril - Poznan Outcomes & Copenhagen Prospects
European Economic and Social Committee
Room JDE 51, Rue Belliard 99, B-1040 Brussels
15 December 2008
Even before the new US Administration is installed in January 2009, what role will the US delegation have played in the climate change negotiations in Poznan in December 2008? Given the other domestic and global challenges confronting the new President, what priority will he and the US Congress be able to give to climate change? How well prepared will the US be to discuss environmental security issues in the lead up to the negotiations in Copenhagen in December 2009?
How will the European Union follow up the Solana Report on Climate Change and International Security at the EU Summit in December 2008? What new positions on climate and energy issues will China, India and other key players put forward at Poznan and in the lead up to Copenhagen?
Will increased attention to re-afforestation, alternative and renewable energy sources such as Concentrated Solar Power and Biochar, energy conservation and greater fuel efficiency contribute to a significant impact on the global carbon budget? Will we see critical new infrastructure and millions of new green jobs or will it will be 'business as usual' with economic, environment and security goals in conflict with each other?
Borrowing from the title of the popular CNN series "Planet in Peril", US President-elect Barack Obama proclaimed in his election victory speech that "(...) we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century".
The Conference was organised by the Institute for Environmental Security and the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE-EU and GLOBE-Europe) in association with the European Economic and Social Committee and EurActiv. This event is part of the Programme on "Climate Change and International Security" (CCIS).