UK Climate Change Programme 2006 - JNCC - Defra

International framework for action
19
REEEP is a public-private partnership that was
launched by the United Kingdom along with
other partners at the Johannesburg World
Summit on Sustainable Development in August
2002. It has been developed via an intensive
consultation process in 2003 covering a wide
range of stakeholders at the national and
regional levels.
In June 2004, REEEP was formally established as
a legal entity in Austria with the status of an
International NGO. The partnership actively
structures policy initiatives for clean energy
markets and facilitates financing mechanisms
for sustainable energy projects.
16. In 2005 the UK and India announced the
intention for a structured dialogue on climate
change. A number of activities have since been
taken forward. In November 2005, the UK and
India announced the launch of a joint study on
how to reinforce co-operation on energy
technology between developed and developing
countries. The study will look to address concerns
over barriers to technology transfer and in
particular the issue of Intellectual Property Rights
(IPR). Defra also funded a collaborative project
with the Indian Ministry of Environment and
Forests involving eight Indian research institutions
that looked into the effects of climate change in
India. The results were reported in September
2005, and a second phase of the project is under
development. India hosts the South Asia Regional
Secretariat for REEEP, and through REEEP the UK
is funding initiatives to promote the acceleration
of renewable energy and improvement of energy
efficiency in India.
17. March 2006 saw the launch of the UK-Brazil
working group on climate change, which focuses
on the promotion of low-carbon technology
globally, improved scientific collaboration on
assessing the impacts of climate change and the
further development of Brazil’s leading role in the
emerging Latin American carbon market. The
working group will also examine the links
between climate change, poverty eradication
and social development.
18. At the G8 Environment and Development
Ministers’ meeting in March 2005, the UK
announced funding of £100k towards regional
predictions of climate change for Africa and
£400k over the next three years towards a new
multi-country initiative on advancing knowledge,
capacity and networks in support of climate
change in Africa.
European Union
19. Both the European Community and the individual
Member States are Parties to the UN Convention
and the Kyoto Protocol. The European Union has
always taken a strong lead in pushing for global
action to tackle climate change: the EU
negotiates as a bloc, which gives it a powerful
voice in the UN discussions, and the Commission
and Member States work together to promote
effective international action. In recent years the
EU, as a major signatory of the Kyoto Protocol,
has played a key role in keeping the UN climate
change process on track through its
determination to put in place measures to meet
Kyoto targets, and in particular its pioneering
activity on emissions trading. This commitment
underpins the EU’s influential position in formal
and informal international discussions – including
at the recent Montreal Conference, where the
European Union, under the UK Presidency, played
a leading role in securing agreement from all
parties to discuss further international action.
European Climate Change Programme
20. Member States have agreed that European-level
policies and measures are essential to help them
deliver their Kyoto targets. Some measures can be
delivered most effectively at Community level. In
some sectors, for example, there is a strong, single
market case for European action. Other measures
could have little impact if taken at a national level
or could harm the competitiveness of the industry
in the Member State concerned. European-level
co-ordination also gives Member States a valuable
opportunity to share experience and expertise on
action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.