Speech by Minister of the Environment Børge Brende at the "World Climate Change Conference", Moscow, 29 - 30 September 2003

An effective regime to mitigate climate change

Mr. Chairman,

• Finding effective response measures to the problem of climate change should have the highest priority. The world needs an effective regime to mitigate climate change. Norway sees the Kyoto Protocol as such a crucial instrument. It is also a first step towards achieving the ultimate objective of the Climate Convention.

• Until the Kyoto Protocol enters into force, the UN Convention on Climate Change is of course the core framework for international cooperation on climate change. But it is not enough. We need to implement more binding commitments inside this framework. In the future we also need to work more on adaptation to climate change.

• Norway is fully committed to the continued implementation and strengthening of these agreements. The Kyoto Protocol is a cooperative effort in its nature. It involves transfer of resources, transfer of knowledge, reporting and control procedures that are designed to bring trust among countries.

• As part of this effort, Norway sees the need for countries to share knowledge and assist each other in implementing the Protocol. We have to work together on systems for monitoring and reporting of emission data, developing systems for emissions trading and making use of Joint Implementation and the Clean Development Mechanism. Being part of the cooperative effort brings with it rights and advantages that in my view clearly outweigh duties and perceived disadvantages.

• Norway is among the 117 countries that by now have ratified the Kyoto Protocol. We attach great importance to having the Protocol enter into force as soon as possible. Today, only 5 of the 34 industrialised countries that signed on to the Protocol in Kyoto have yet to ratify. Russia is an obvious part of the global effort to combat climate change. With its vast territory and significant population it faces -like the rest of us- major challenges from this change. We all realise that Russia now holds the key to entry into force of the Protocol, and I am looking forward to Russia's ratification in the near future. It would be a strong signal to the rest of the world if Russia could bring a positive message to the upcoming Conference of the Parties in Milan on its ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. It would be a strong and clear signal about the importance of taking international action on the serious environmental and economic threat of global climate change.

• The Protocol is an important first step to achieve the necessary turn-around in industrialised countries’ emissions. However, further action is required after 2012 to ensure the achievement of the ultimate objective of the Convention. We need a more ambitious global response to climate change, covering more of the global emissions. In order for this to happen, the Protocol will need to enter into force, and we need the broadest possible participation from industrialised countries.

• In my view, starting discussions on what further action is required should now be on the top of the international agenda on climate change. This is required both in light of the ultimate objective of the Convention and the latest available scientific information from IPCC. At COP 8 in New Delhi last year, we have to realise than we did not succeed in giving a clear political response to the IPCC Third Assessment Report.

• It is time to move from words to action. IPCC tells us that we may experience a temperature increase between 1,4 and 5,8 degrees during this century. What does this actually mean? Let us remember that since the last major glacial period, more than ten thousand years ago, the global mean temperature has not increased more than 6 to 8 degrees. We may thus be witnessing a giant human induced experiment with our climate.

• Climate change is expected to be stronger at high latitudes. As my distinguished colleague Minister Anderson so rightly underlined, this issue is of great importance for Arctic countries. We know that in areas with permafrost a temperature increase may lead to dramatic consequences for the societies as well as increased emissions of methane, strengthening further the man made climate change.

• However, this is not only a threat to the Arctic. These challenges are of a genuine global nature. As Chairman of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, I would like to emphasise the situation of the small island development states, where climate change has devastating consequences due to the rise in sea levels.

• The global nature of climate change calls for the widest possible cooperation by all countries, and their participation in an effective and appropriate international response to scientific findings. We realise that discussions on a future regime could be difficult until the Kyoto Protocol has entered into force. This is one of the reasons why entry into force should be a priority matter for all of us. That is why I am glad that President Putin today reconfirmed Russia's commitment to the climate work.

• As I said, Russia holds the key to the entry into force of the Protocol. I came here today to learn more about the prospects of Russian ratification; I had a hope today that we would hear an announcement of decisive steps in that direction. I respect that every country must take its time to decide in complex issues like these.

• So please forgive me for sounding a little impatient. However, the negative impacts of climate change, and the Protocol, justify impatience. Hopefully good news is around the corner.

Mr Chairman,

• The "World Climate Change Conference" is an important effort to gather the present scientific knowledge on climate change and it comes at the right time. It includes a broad presentation of voices from the strong academic society in Russia. A fellow Arctic country sees this as most welcome. The climate challenges are present – both at a global scale and in the Arctic.