It is the start of week 2 at the climate change meetings in Cancun, and the Mexican presidency has stepped-up efforts to overcome unresolved issues ahead of the COP-16 high-level ministerial segment scheduled to begin on Wednesday, December 8. In a new approach, Mexico tapped Brazil and the United Kingdom today to co-facilitate discussions on the extension of the Kyoto Protocol.
According to Brazil's climate envoy, Ambassador Sérgio Serra, the Mexican presidency decided to pair a select number of developing and developed countries to lead informal consultations to try to break the deadlock surrounding some of the main issues that have stymied negotiations so far.
As a result, Brazil's Environment Minister, Izabella Teixeira, and the UK Climate Change Secretary, Chris Huhne, held meetings with representatives from the African countries group and Japan to discuss outstanding issues regarding the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. Additional talks with Russian and Chinese officials are expected to take place possibly on this Tuesday, when co-chairs of the informal groups are to report back on the progress of negotiations.
"It's an earnest effort by the Mexican presidency to bring this conference to a satisfactory result, and we're all doing our utmost to support it", Ambassador Serra said at a press briefing held yesterday (December 6).
"I think the responsibility that was given to Brazil in trying to break perhaps one of the biggest deadlocks we're facing in this conference, which is the discussion on the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, reflects the active role the country has taken in these negotiations", he concluded.
Source: Portal Brazil
Redes Sociais