The Center for American Progress hosted a telephone press conference this morning to discuss clean energy and climate change in the context of next week’s opening of the U.N. General Assembly and the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh. The call focused on the need to raise the profile of financing clean-energy initiatives on the G-20 agenda and emphasized the importance of the G-20 as a forum for progress on international climate change.
John Podesta said:
“At this moment, it is clear though that climate change will be back on the table, and we think that it is extremely important that it be there front center in the Pittsburg summit, and that it arise in fact to the top of the agenda.”
Dr. Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile, said:
"We will have something at the end of Copenhagen which will be different from Kyoto. In Kyoto, you [developed countries] only encouraged developing countries to act. In Copenhagen, through nationally appropriate mitigation actions, developing countries are going to present what they are going to do [to solve this problem] in real terms."
Senator Tim Wirth said:
“We have the potential to launch the most dynamic period in world economic history if we take the challenge of moving to a low-carbon economy. High-carbon growth is going to kill itself.”
Dr. Rajendra Pachauri said:
“It’s important for the G-20 to understand that against all action is inexpensive, especially when you compare them to the cost of inaction. We need to remind these people of the impact of climate change, that they are inequitable and fall most heavily on the poorest areas of the world.”
Read full transcript of the call here.
Listen to audio of the call here.
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