The Brazilian minister of the Environment, Carlos Minc, is in Ilulissat, Greenland, this week, to take part in the last Greenland Dialogue. Fifth of a series of informal discussions between key ministers in the international negotiations on climate change and the new post-2012 agreement which will substitute the Kyoto Protocol, the meeting began on Tuesday (30) and will end on July 3. Environment ministers and secretaries from 34 countries are present.
The deadline for this new global climate agreement is the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP-15) to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December.
Brazil has a key role in this discussion, offering a bridge between developed and developing countries. According to Brazilian Ministry of the Environment's Climate Change secretary, Suzana Kahn, the meeting is valuable in that it places ministers - guided by scientific research - at the centre of the discussion, instead of mere international negotiators. Kahn said this is the opportunity countries have to present proposals and advance on the existing document n on which the new agreement will be based.
Secretary Kahn, who is also attending the Greenland Dialogue, hopes it will help guarantee a strong agreement at Copenhagen, including definite commitments for all countries, both developed and developing. "Just as Brazil is doing its part, it's time for other developing countries to do theirs, as well," she said, whilst mentioning the Brazilian National Plan on Climate Change - according to which Brazil is to reduce deforestation in the Amazon in 70% by 2017.
History - Initiated in 2005 in Greenland by the Danish Minister for Climate and Energy, former Minister for Environment, Connie Hedegaard, Greenland Dialogue meetings have also been held in South Africa (2006), Sweden (2007) and Argentina (2008).
All dialogues have followed the same concept: unique climate relevant environments, limited amount of participants and informal discussions on strong and obligatory emission reductions; on the establishment of means for supporting the implementation of mitigation and adaptation actions; mitigation in developing countries; and adaptation to climate change.
The idea has been to create an informal and inspiring environment for key environment and climate ministers to engage in substantive and open discussions on future actions on climate change. These discussions have greatly contributed to advances in the international negotiations.
In addition to the discussions, there will be excursions to view the beautiful nature of Greenland and experience first-hand the consequences of climate change in the Arctic region.
The formal outcome of the meeting will be a short "chairman's conclusion" that reflect the 3-day discussions.
Redes Sociais