70 senior legislators from across the Americas will gather in Mexico City November 21-23 to examine how to overcome the twin challenges of the global financial and climate crises. The meeting is intended to help facilitate dialogue among lawmakers ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, in early December.
Hosted by the Mexican Congress, this first meeting of the GLOBE Americas Legislators’ Forum will bring together senior legislators from North, Central, South American and Caribbean countries. It marks the first time legislators from all the Americas have assembled specifically to discuss and agree on measures to address climate change.
"In the context of the current economic slowdown, we will be examining how the low carbon agenda can act as an engine for economic recovery while at the same time increasing energy and climate security," said Elliot Morley MP, President of GLOBE International. "A statement of intent from this Forum would be a significant advance ahead of the UNFCCC talks in Poland in December, and demonstrate that it is possible for politicians from the developed and developing world to break the current deadlock and agree on a way ahead," added Morley.
The Americas is an extremely diverse region containing both highly developed and developing economies. This Forum represents an opportunity for politicians from across the development divide to demonstrate real leadership in addressing the connections between climate change, the economy, energy, and food security.
"Latin American and Caribbean countries are part of the solution when it comes to fighting climate change while fostering economic growth," said Pamela Cox, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean. "A level playing field in the international climate change debate is needed in order to ensure that there is synergy, not antagonism, between the twin goals of economic growth and environmental responsibility. When presented in this context, Latin American countries are keen to do their part by engaging and leading," added Cox.
Members of GLOBE International anticipate that the Forum will generate a regional consensus statement building on the GLOBE Post-2012 Framework Paper agreed to by 100 legislators from the G8+5 (industrialized countries plus China, India, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico) countries in Tokyo in July, to present to heads of government and to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poland in December.
"Mexico, as member of the so-called ‘+5’ group of emerging economies and of the OECD, is uniquely placed as a bridge between the developed and developing world. Climate Change will be one of the key challenges for all politicians in the coming years and this Forum provides a real opportunity to discuss the kind of regulatory, fiscal and legislative measures that we will need to take to both mitigate and adapt to climate change." said Mexican Congressman Mariano González Zarur.
GLOBE’s 2012 Framework Paper includes a consensus agreement for a 50% cut in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050 while differentiating developing country commitments according to capabilities. It is thought that the Latin American countries in particular will want deforestation to be included as a priority for any agreement, especially when the associated cost benefits for local communities and biodiversity are considered.
GLOBE is the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment. It consists of senior cross-party members of parliament from all G8 countries and the +5 countries of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa. GLOBE shadows the formal G8 negotiations (formally participating in the G8 Environment Ministerial and Gleneagles Dialogue) and facilitates high level dialogues and negotiations between legislators on effective environmental and climate change regulation and legislation.
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