COPA-COGECA WELCOMES DECISIONS FROM CANCUN THOUGH URGES MORE PROGRESS TO BE MADE IN 2011

Copa-Cogeca welcomed today results from the UN Climate Change Conference in Cancun which came up with a balanced set of decisions, but more progress could have been made.
Copa-Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen stressed  “Copa-Cogeca welcomes the fact that negotiators in Cancun restored faith in the multilateral process and came up with a balanced package of decisions, in order to make progress towards a new climate treaty. But there is still much work to be done before the next Conference,  the COP 17, in South Africa”.
However, Copa-Cogeca regrets that the text agreed in Cancun does not note the important role of food production systems in mitigating and adapting to climate change. We believe that greenhouse gas emissions can be cut at the same time as raising productivity in the EU agriculture and forestry sectors. This is crucial given that FAO predicts that world food production needs to be more than doubled by 2050 to meet growing demand.
He continued: “We consequently wait with anticipation for work to continue in 2011. In particular, this should focus on enhancing the relationship between agriculture and food security and the link between adaptation and mitigation.  There also needs to be a clear mandate for the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) to establish a work programme on agriculture. Furthermore, definitions, modalities, rules and guidelines relating to LULUCF (Land use, Land use change and Forestry) for application in the second commitment period need to be worked on”.
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Antonia Andugar                                                                           Amanda Cheesley
Senior Policy Advisor                                                                    Press Officer
Copa¬-Cogeca                                                                                   Copa-Cogeca
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