The Nature Conservancy Urges Real Proposals and Tangible Ideas for Climate Talks

BONN, GERMANY — April 8, 2009 — As climate change negotiations concluded today in Bonn, Germany, The Nature Conservancy issued the following statement by Duncan Marsh, Director of International Climate Policy, who attended the meetings:

“While the challenge of reaching a new global climate agreement remains significant, we are encouraged by the positive tone of the talks that have taken place in Bonn.

This tone was set on day one, when U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern acknowledged the United States’ unique responsibility and announced that the U.S. was back and wants to make up for lost time.

Despite this shift compared to past negotiations, the talks themselves made little headway on the key issues. It is increasingly clear that progress will only come when the larger countries put their chips on the table with real proposals on emissions reductions and financing packages. Until those proposals come, the hard negotiations are likely to stall.

Many are looking to the United States to play a critical leadership role, as the world’s largest historical emitter. Now, having heard the views of other countries at its first international climate meeting, the Obama administration needs to produce tangible ideas for an agreement that addresses the needs and interests of all countries.

Most importantly the U.S. and other developed countries must commit to aggressive emissions reductions that put us on a pathway to keeping global temperature increases below 2°C.

But lowering domestic emissions is not enough. Developed countries must also provide the resources to help vulnerable countries, communities and ecosystems adapt to and overcome the impacts of climate change. During these talks, many countries voiced their support for adaptation efforts that build the resiliency of ecosystems and human communities. Ecosystem-based adaptation will allow natural systems to continue delivering the food, shelter and economic resources that the world’s most vulnerable communities rely on.

At the same time, developed countries must create incentives and transfer technologies that will help developing countries reduce their emissions. The incentives to combat tropical deforestation contained in the recent Waxman-Markey bill in the U.S. Congress offer potential to deliver some of this financial and technical support. While only a small focus of this meeting, many countries sent clear signals that the Copenhagen agreement must include incentives to protect tropical forests and reduce deforestation in developing countries.

To achieve a new global climate agreement in Copenhagen, the next round of UN climate meetings in June must make the step from broad discussions to real proposals and agreements. The U.S. has an opportunity to take this step in two weeks, when it hosts the world’s largest countries for the first meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change.

The science is clear, and the stakes are high. The longer we wait to act, the higher the economic, social and political costs will be to win the battle against climate change.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.