Minister to visit Warsaw for Climate Change Negotiations

Minister for Climate Change Tim Groser departs for Warsaw tomorrow to participate in the annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Mr Groser will co-chair the ministerial dialogue on the Durban Platform, working on the shape of the international agreement post-2020.

“Negotiations at this year’s Conference are focused on pushing towards a climate change agreement that is legally binding on all countries to be agreed by 2020. My hope is that this meeting will signal a collective gear-shift to commence designing the details of new international climate change agreement.

“New Zealand is strongly committed to negotiating an effective multilateral regime. This will provide countries with the confidence to take the necessary steps to reduce global emissions. Such a regime will require participation from not only all developed countries, but all major emitters,” Mr Groser says.

Mr Groser will also attend a meeting of Ministers associated with the Friends of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform. Spearheaded by New Zealand, the Friends is a group of non-G20 countries that support the reform of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.

“Dealing with inefficient fossil fuel subsidies offers the world a significant opportunity to bring down emissions. The conference provides a useful opportunity to reinforce the positive role that subsidy reform can play in addressing climate change,” Mr Groser says.