Invitation to the media – workshop on greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation and maritime transport
Historical archive
Published under: Stoltenberg's 2nd Government
Publisher: Ministry of the Environment
Press release | Date: 02/10/2007
100 climate experts and - negotiators are meeting in Oslo 4 and 5 October for an international workshop on greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation and maritime transport. The Norwegian Ministry of the Environment invites journalists to take part during the opening of the workshop Thursday 4 October.
100 climate experts and - negotiators are meeting in Oslo 4 and 5 October for an international workshop on greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation and maritime transport. The Norwegian Ministry of the Environment invites journalists to take part during the opening of the workshop Thursday 4 October. Interviews may be held during the coffee break from 10.45-11.15. The workshop will take place at Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica (http://www.holmenkollenparkhotel.no/default.asp?V_LANG_ID=13).
09.00-09.30: Welcome and opening by State Secretary Henriette Westhrin of the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment and Jeff Huntington of the European Environmental Agency (EEA).
09.30-10.45: Presentations by Stylianos Pesmajoglou from the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Jane Hupe from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Einar S. Vågslid from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
10.45-11.15: Coffee break. Interviews may be held with State Secretary Henriette Westhrin and other participants.
Detailed programme (pdf)
The Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg mentioned the workshop in his speech at the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Event on Climate Change 24 September 2007. He stated Norway’s view that greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation and maritime transport must be included in a new climate regime post 2012, so that these sectors carry the costs of their emissions. No other nations have stated this view as clearly.
The purpose of the workshop in Oslo is to ascertain that there are no technical obstacles preventing the inclusion of emissions from international aviation and maritime transport in a new climate agreement. The presence of technical obstacles has so far been used as an argument against the inclusion of these emissions in a binding climate regime.
Greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation and maritime transport are increasing rapidly. For instance, the annual growth in emissions from aviation is 3-4 %. This is a matter of great concern, especially since these sources are not covered by the quantitative commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. There have been considerable difficulties in reaching agreement as to what countries are accountable for which emissions. In other words, no agreement has been reached as to whether Norway, France or Ireland should be accountable for emissions from a Ryanair flight from Oslo to Paris.
The Norwegian Ministry of the Environment is arranging the workshop in cooperation with the European Environmental Agency (EEA). The participants are mainly experts and negotiators who participate in international meetings under the UNFCCC, IMO and ICAO, as well as climate change experts from the IPCC.
Links:
The Norwegian Prime Minister’s Speech at The Secretary-General’s High Level Event on Climate Change:
http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/smk/Statsministerens-kontor/Statsminister_Jens_Stoltenberg/Taler-og-artikler/2007/Speech-at-The-Secretary-Generals-High-Le.html?id=481637
Press release from the Norwegian Prime Minister, “International aviation must carry climate costs”:
http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/smk/Press-Center/Press-releases/2007/International-aviation-must-carry-climat.html?id=481610
Kyoto Protocol Art. 2(2):
The Parties included in Annex I shall pursue limitation or reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol from aviation and marine bunker fuels, working through the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization, respectively.
ICAO, On climate change:
http://www.icao.int/icao/en/env/ClimateChange.htm
ICAO, Press release on emissions from aviation:
http://www.icao.int/icao/en/nr/2007/pio200710_e.pdf
European Commission press release after the ICAO Assembly Friday 28 September, “Europe stands firm on ambitious action to cut aviation emissions”:
IMOs web-pages on air pollution and climate change:
http://www.imo.org/Environment/mainframe.asp?topic_id=233