Alliance Promotes Energy Efficiency at Global Climate Talks

The 16th annual international climate talks led by the United Nations kicked off in Cancun Nov. 29. Known as COP16, the 12-day conference marks the next step in ongoing negotiations for international agreements to mitigate climate change. This year’s conference will attempt to do what last year’s Copenhagen Accord couldn’t: secure strong and binding agreements from participant countries on a number of greenhouse gas reduction targets.

Energy efficiency can play a critical role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the Alliance is in Cancun to remind world leaders of the need to use energy efficiency as the quickest, cleanest and cheapest means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, as well as creating a global clean-energy economy.

A team of Alliance experts led by President Kateri Callahan is hosting, co-hosting and speaking at several COP-16 events. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama sent two Cabinet secretaries – including Energy Secretary Steven Chu – and a senior environmental official to the conference, demonstrating the United States’ commitment to saving energy and addressing climate change.

What Can We Expect From The Negotiations?

The impacts of the negotiations are yet to be seen – and a matter of great debate. Whereas some media outlets have reported that COP16 is not likely to achieve a comprehensive, binding, global treaty to reduce climate-altering gas emissions, other reports describe the conference as a major stepping stone for advances in international climate protocol to be made at next year’s conference in South Africa. Moreover, real action is already happening in several countries, as Grist reported.

The UN attests that the leaders coming from around the world to COP16 will “reenergize efforts to reach an international treaty on global warming.” In fact, Denmark’s climate minister Lykke Friis said the conference will provide actual results and prove that “climate change was not put on ice in freezing Copenhagen.”

Alliance Participation at COP16

To bring about the biggest impact for global energy efficiency, the Alliance is participating in several events.  Visit the Alliance website in the coming weeks for detailed reports on these events:

• “Energy Efficient Cities: Local Projects Delivering Global Climate Benefits,” an Alliance and Business Council for Sustainable Energy event on Dec. 1
• “Opportunities for Advancing Energy Efficiency in Global Efforts to Create 21st Century Electric Grids,” an Alliance and European Alliance to Save Energy event on Dec. 3
• “World Climate Summit – The Business Conference During COP16,” an event including a plenary session moderated by Alliance President Kateri Callahan titled, “Energy Efficiency - Driving Competition and Unlocking Barriers to Global Adoption” on Dec. 4
• “Clean Energy Technologies for the Developing World,” a Business Council for Sustainable Energy and U.S. Department of Commerce event on Dec. 7

For more info

Read current coverage of COP16 at Local Projects Share Success Stories at COP16 and Advancing Energy Efficiency in the World’s Electric Grids. To learn more about the international climate talks in general, visit the COP16 website and check out the Alliance’s coverage of COP15 in 2009.