Mr. Thomas Haahr, First Secretary, Climate Change, Royal Danish Embassy outlined deep cuts in emissions of industrialised countries, financial support for developing countries, enhanced mitigation action by developing countries and adapting to the impact of climate change as the key challenges that would have to be addressed in Copenhagen
The Observer Research Foundation organised a presentation and discussion on International Negotiations on Climate Change: Road to Copenhagen by Mr. Thomas Haahr, First Secretary, Climate Change, Royal Danish Embassy on June 25, 2009 at its New Delhi campus. Mr Haar’s posting is in the context of the preparations for UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen in December 2009. His mandate is to increase common understanding and dialogue with the Indian Government and civil society including the business community and NGOs.
n his presentation, Mr Haahr outlined deep cuts in emissions of industrialised countries, financial support for developing countries, enhanced mitigation action by developing countries and adapting to the impact of climate change as the key challenges that would have to be addressed in Copenhagen.
The eloquent and passionate responses to his presentation included comments on India’s low per capita energy consumption status, its consistent move towards a low carbon path while also sustaining growth, the environmental debt owed by the industrialized to the industrializing world, the four constituents of the nationally appropriated mitigation action plan agreed in Bali, the marginalization of adaptation as an instrument for dealing with the impact of climate change. Some ‘inconvenient questions’ as to why emissions are counted at the point of production rather than the point of consumption and why the debate on climate change is limited to the marginal livelihood energy consumption of the developing world as opposed to the high lifestyle consumption of the industrialized world’ were also raised.
A more comprehensive document on the proceedings will be available shortly.
Presentation by Mr Thomas Haahr
Presentation by Mr Mukul Sanwal
Paper on Climate Change by Mr Mukul Sanwal
The views expressed above belong to the author(s). ORF research and analyses now available on Telegram! Click here to access our curated content — blogs, longforms and interviews.
PREV
