Politics

Copenhagen

By Karina

This morning, the White House announced that President Obama will participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen next month. Speaker Pelosi on the announcement:

President Obama?s announcements today underscore the urgency with which this Administration is tackling the global warming crisis.

An emission reduction target by 2020 in the range of 17 percent shows a serious commitment to aggressive U.S. action. This target is based on the Waxman-Markey legislation passed by the House in June, and is both politically achievable and economically viable.

The President?s attendance at the climate negotiations in Copenhagen is a sign to the world that we are ready to be constructive partners in the discussions on how to solve global warming.

Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA):

This is a tremendously important step that changes the dynamic internationally and domestically. The President?s leadership means there is now a path for reaching a successful agreement on core principles in Copenhagen. And a successful international meeting at Copenhagen will provide the momentum and direction needed for congressional action early next year.

The President is providing the right leadership at just the right time. U.S. leadership has been the missing piece in international efforts to stop global warming. Now the rest of the pieces will start falling into place internationally and in Congress.

Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA):

By putting a serious number for U.S. emission reductions on the table, the President just called the world’s bet and then raised it for our negotiating partners. The President’s attendance in Copenhagen demonstrates his personal commitment to getting a deal that is good for the U.S. and good for our clean energy future. It’s a powerful statement that the U.S. is back, ready to lead the world.

In the effort to protect the planet from climate change, these are the most significant travel reservations ever made. With one trip to Copenhagen, President Obama will put U.S. leadership back on the map in the fight against carbon pollution.

You can follow the events happening in Copenhagen from December 7th-18th on a new website the State Department launched, cop15.state.gov.

Full post as published by The Gavel on November 25, 2009 (boomark / email).