The Chamber is an accredited observer to the UNFCCC and has been a strong and constructive presence in the Business and Industry Non-Governmental Organization observer group. GEI supports continued U.S. participation in the Paris agreement discussions, in addition to sustained global cooperation to tackle climate change.
WASHINGTON, D.C.— In response to President Obama’s announcement of an agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping on greenhouse gas emissions, Karen Harbert, president of the U.S. Chamber's Institute for 21st Century Energy, released the following statement: "After secret negotiations and without
After the progress made at UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) talks in Cancún, Mexico in 2010, many observers had unrealistically high hopes for the recently-concluded talks held in Durban, South Africa. To a great extent, those hopes were dashed.
Many of you are probably a bit confused by the outcome of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting in Copenhagen. Depending on which account you read, it was an unprecedented success or a complete failure, and everything in between. Regardless, it is important to understand exactly what happened in Copenhagen—and what did not. In this paper, we will try to make some sense of it all so you can draw your own conclusions.
As this year’s negotiations wind their way to a conclusion in Copenhagen, Denmark, the prospect of a new international deal is not very bright, and it is not hard to see why. Consider that the starting point for discussion is a 50% reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Endorsed by G8 leaders, this “50-by-50” goal is among the most aggressive of the 177 emissions reduction scenarios examined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
