Commonwealth at Copenhagen climate change summit

A team from the Commonwealth Secretariat is attending the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen, Denmark observing the proceedings of negotiations.

Led by Janet Strachan, the head of the Secretariat’s work on climate change, environment and small states, the team launched a book 'Trade and Climate Change: Key Issues for Small States, Least Developed Countries and Vulnerable Economies' at a special event on Friday 11 December 2009.

The launch took place at the Victor Borge Room at the Bella Centre, where the summit is taking place.

“The book, which is a joint publication of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, explores the trade concerns of small and vulnerable states in respect to climate change,” said Ms Strachan.

“Most research has focused on the concerns of larger economies, but this study shows that smaller and poorer countries have unique concerns that will need to be looked at more closely in future.”

"These countries are amongst the most open and trade-dependent in the World, yet their trade is based in highly climate-vulnerable sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and tourism," she said.

Ms Strachan added that the book examines the opportunities and multiple large scale development challenges that small and vulnerable economies face in adapting key trade sectors to the impact of climate change, addressing climate change measures and furthering their own trade capacity and competitiveness in the global market.

The World Bank Institute and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) also organised a “virtual presence” for members of parliament spread across different parts of the Commonwealth, and those in Copenhagen for the climate change conference, to discuss what is happening at the summit, and the role of legislators in the processes during the conference.

Parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth and those already in Copenhagen were joined by climate negotiators and representatives from AWEPA, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the World Bank Institute in the online discussion. The World Bank's Climate Change expert Dr Habiba Gitay, and Ms Strachan facilitated the meeting.

Key Links:

• Environmentally Sustainable Development