Climate negotiations

Peter Zapfel, Ph.D., European Commission, holds academic degrees from the University of Business and Economics in Vienna and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He has been with the European Commission since 1998, first for two years in the DG for Economic and Financial Affairs, and since 2000 with DG Environment. He has represented the Commission as a delegation member in UN climate negotiation sessions. He is responsible for the economic assessment of climate policy. This comprises the development and quantitative assessment of cost-effective strategies and instruments to implement the EU climate policy objectives. He has been involved in the Commission s work on emissions allowance trading since 1998 and the work on national allocation plans in the implementation of the Emission Allowance Trading Directive. Since May 2005 he has coordinated the DG Environment s EU ETS team. 

Out of the many important aspects of the ozone history, I would like to highlight five factors that appear most relevant to the climate negotiations 1) the role of science and scientists (2) the necessity for strong and consistent leadership (3) the flexible design of the Montreal Protocol (4) the technological revolution that emerged from public-private sector partnerships and (5) the involvement of developing countries in the solution. 

Looking back at the relevant lessons from the ozone history discussed earlier, how do the climate negotiations compare ... 

The further development of climate negotiations and potential national or international objectives and tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will set a... 

The publication of the IPCC s First Assessment Report and the UN General Assembly Decision to launch negotiations on tackling climate change. 

These investors and others sponsored and supported a number of proxy resolutions on disclosure of climate change risk, some of which resulted in direct votes of shareholders while others led to negotiated agreements to meet the general terms of the resolution. 

Suggested Approach For Negotiations. In the current financial climate (marked by reduced federal funding for university research) university administrators and researchers are actively seeking alternative sources of funds for research. The fact that a corporate sponsor is willing to fund a research project does not always... 

Off-the-shelf. Most sundry items, such as laboratory equipment, stationary supplies, etc. are available off-the-shelf. Some raw materials, too, are available off-the-shelf those that are available in abundance and for which there is room to negotiate terms of supply are lavender, citrus oils and peppermint. Climatic or political changes can alter raw materials from readily available to difficult to find, a fact that will increase price dramatically. 

By the time the T2 allegations surfaced even Richard Nixon, the man who seemed to have halted the chemical arms race in 1969, believed that his efforts had been in vain and that the Russians had rearmed while the United States stood still.50 In the past governments have justified continuing gas and germ research by pointing to the weapons they believe the enemy to possess. Plans for chemical rearmament in the West are already well advanced. Unless disarmament negotiations suddenly bear fruit, the present climate of suspicion may provide the perfect culture in which to breed a new generation of weapons. 

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