Today Brdo pri Kranju saw the beginning of a two-day informal EU workshop on climate change, which is traditionally organised by each presiding country at the beginning of its Presidency. About 100 participants, especially European experts and heads of delegations participating in the negotiations within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, will discuss the familiar topics today and tomorrow.
Among other things, they will present the work programme in the field of climate change during Slovenia's Presidency and discuss the events of the last six months, focusing on the Bali conference and especially on the four pillars of the Bali Action Plan (mitigation of climate change, adaptation to climate change, development and transfer of technologies, financial sources and investment). There will also be discussions on further plans and objectives of the EU in the field of climate change.
We expect a very intense workshop, for the negotiators face great ambitions and two years of hard work with an increased number of international conventions and meetings intended to bring about a comprehensive global agreement by the end of the next year. The central element of this agreement, which the EU strongly favours, is the integration of all countries, both developed and developing, in a common and coordinated system of combating climate change.
The workshop will feature the presentation of Slovenian climatic and regional characteristics, as well as a lecture by a representative from the U.S. Congress, who will speak about the recent development of U.S. policies in the field of climate change and recent actions of Congress in this field, as well as about the expected influence of the American elections on their national and international climatic policy.
