Business Hails Progress at UN Climate Talks

Nick Campbell, chair of ICC’s climate change task force, co-chairing a briefing in Cancun alongside Patricia Espinosa, the COP16 president and Mexican minister of foreign affairs.
Nick Campbell, chair of ICC’s climate change task force, co-chairing a briefing in Cancun alongside Patricia Espinosa, the COP16 president and Mexican minister of foreign affairs.

New York, N.Y. and Cancun, Mexico, December 13, 2010 – The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has welcomed the agreement reached in Cancun during the United Nations climate change conference as a solid step forward towards the development of a robust post-2012 framework agreement, according to its American affiliate, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB).

“We are pleased with the outcome, and happy to have had the opportunity to work closely with so many of our partners in the business community in the U.S. and around the world,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson, who attended the Cancun conference.  “This provides an excellent platform for business to contribute to climate solutions going forward.”

USCIB collaborated with ICC members from around the world to present coordinated business views to UN delegates and others participating in Cancun.  In addition, working with a variety of groups in the Business Major Economies Forum (BizMEF), USCIB helped coordinate talks among major industry groups from the G20 and other leading nations and presented views on the trade impacts of possible global action on climate change.

“The Cancun agreement provides a strong signal that governments have heard the private sector’s call for clarity and a framework to tackle climate change,” said ICC Secretary General Jean-Guy Carrier. “I congratulate the Mexican government for its actions throughout the year, particularly Minister of Foreign Affairs Patricia Espinosa for her tireless efforts to foster global cooperation on climate change. The extended standing ovation she received on the last night of negotiations was richly deserved.”

The agreement contains many elements where closer cooperation with the private sector will be needed, including the elaboration of the technology mechanism, financing arrangements such as the “Green Fund” and the development of guidelines for measuring, reporting and verification. ICC also welcomes the decision to strengthen market-based approaches that are so critical to broad cost-effective action for mitigation and adaptation.

As the business and industry focal point for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process, ICC played a leading role throughout the two week conference in Cancun, demonstrating the vital role of business as a source for technological innovation and dissemination, as well as for investments that will enable cleaner energy and development choices in the context of a return to sustained economic growth.  This culminated in the Cancun Global Business Day, where the need for more effective engagement and involvement of business was the key theme.

Looking ahead to an intense year of further climate policy deliberations in 2011, USCIB will continue to work with other business groups in BizMEF, and focus on defining synergies between trade and climate policy at the multilateral level.  In preparation for the next UN climate conference in Durban, ICC will urge governments throughout 2011 to develop recognized, flexible channels to bring business expertise and engagement to the deliberations.

About ICC
The International Chamber of Commerce is the largest, most representative business organization in the world. Its thousands of member companies in over 120 countries have interests spanning every sector of private enterprise.  A world network of national committees keeps the ICC International Secretariat in Paris informed about national and regional business priorities. More than 2000 experts drawn from ICC’s member companies feed their knowledge and experience into crafting the ICC stance on specific business issues.  The United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G20 and many other intergovernmental bodies, both international and regional, are kept in touch with the views of international business through ICC.  For more information please visit www.iccwbo.org.

About USCIB
USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation.  Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world.  With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including ICC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.

Contacts:

Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

Alba Rooney, ICC
Tel: +33 1 49.53.28.22 or alba.rooney@iccwbo.org

ICC website

Staff Contact:   Kira Yevtukhova

Deputy Director, Marketing and Communications
Tel: 202.617.3160

Kira Yevtukhova manages USCIB’s print and online publications, including the website, e-newsletter and quarterly magazine, and serves as the organization’s digital media strategist. Prior to this role, Kira worked for over five years within USCIB’s Policy Department, focusing on climate change, environment, nutrition, health, and chemicals related policy issues. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and has an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
Read More

Related Content