Sharing the costs of climate change

MEDIA ADVISORY
15 July 2008

Sharing the costs of climate change

How the costs of mitigating and adapting to climate change should be shared internationally will be the focus of a public forum on 29 July at the National Library in Wellington.

The ‘Post2012 Burden Sharing Symposium’ will bring together diplomats, policy experts and researchers worldwide for a New Zealandfirst forum on countries perspectives on burden sharing — looking ahead to the expiry of the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol.

Director of Victoria’s Institute of Policy Studies, Professor Jonathan Boston, says representatives from both developed and developing countries will discuss the principles that should guide the global community in reaching a new international agreement.

“One of the key topics for discussion will be the respective responsibilities of developed and developing countries, the nature of the commitments that developed countries will be expected to take on, the nature of the actions that emerging economies will be expected to take, and the implications for New Zealand,” Professor Boston says.

Speakers and topics include:

· Mr Bruno Julien, the Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Australia and New Zealand, will present an EU perspective on International Burden Sharing Post2012.

· Dr Malte Meinshusen, Postdam Institute for Climate Change Issues, will discuss the principles, models and options for burden sharing.

· Dr Lavanya Rajamani, Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi, will present an Indian perspective on burden sharing.

· Mr Ned Helme, President of the Centre for Clean Air Policy, will present a United States perspective on burden sharing via a video recording.

A full conference programme can be accessed from www.ips.ac.nz.

The forum is jointly hosted by the Institute of Policy Studies and the Climate Change Research Institute at Victoria University and the New Zealand European Centres Network.

ENDS

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