Swiss seek climate deal progress in Durban
Switzerland will join the push for major polluting nations to agree on emission cuts during the next United Nations climate summit in South Africa.
Outlining its stance for the summit, which starts in Durban on November 28, the environment ministry said it was seeking a comprehensive climate agreement to come into effect from 2020.
The international community will be making a “renewed effort” to agree on measures to cap a two degree Celsius rise in temperatures and “how to create a regime in which all major polluters make a legally binding commitment to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions”, the ministry said on Wednesday.
Looking beyond the Kyoto Protocol, which ends in 2012, Switzerland says any new accords need to include commitments by emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil, and the United States which is pursuing its own climate protection agenda.
Switzerland has been closely involved in the development of the Green Climate Fund created last year and intends to make a bid for it to be based in Geneva during the Durban summit.
It will also lobby for voluntary emission commitments to be finalised and an effective way of monitoring them to be introduced.
Environment Minister Doris Leuthard will attend the ministerial meeting from December 8-10. The Swiss delegation will include business, science, development and environmental representatives.
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