Second from the left - Erik Solheim, Minister of the Environment and International Development, Norway, seems to have developed a severe headache during the debate at the summit on climate change
It's just like a game of Mikado, where you throw the sticks and have to carefully pull out your sticks one at a time without moving any of the other sticks. Every game player starts out by removing the sticks the easiest to get to. Then everybody waits for somebody else to make the first risky move and remove the more difficult sticks.
With this metaphor Connie Hedegaard, Minister of Climate and Energy in Denmark, opened the interactive debate on climate change between political leaders. She called for initiative and an ambitious financing plan to overcome the negative effects of climate change.
And they were all waiting for somebody else to make the move. To mention the views of some of the political leaders in the panel: Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment in Canada, was waiting for the USA - not only to sign the deal on climate change, thus living up to the Kyoto protocol standards - but also to ratify the deal.
Xie Zhenhua, Vice Chairman, National Development and Reform Commission in China, mentioned that China is doing what it can to meet the standards. With a percentage of 7,5 renewable energy in 2005 to a projected 15 percent in 2020 - i.e. solar power, water, and wind energy (The EU goal is an overall 20 percent on renewable energy of the total energy mix, with variations from 15 upto 49 percent - to make a comparison). He saw the main challenges as being setting standards and mechanisms, ensuring innovation and transfer of energy, and creating financial instruments to back the initiatives.
Erik Solheim, Minister of the Environment and International Development in Norway, called for governments to instigate and initiate efforts to combat climate change. And encouraged governments and private companies to co-operate in partnerships. He revealed that his concern and main headache had to do with too little confidence between the developed and the under-developed world on the issue of climate change. He saw this as the main obstacle to resolve the climate problems.
Meanwhile populations and Mother Earth are waiting for somebody to remove the first difficult stick.
With this metaphor Connie Hedegaard, Minister of Climate and Energy in Denmark, opened the interactive debate on climate change between political leaders. She called for initiative and an ambitious financing plan to overcome the negative effects of climate change.
And they were all waiting for somebody else to make the move. To mention the views of some of the political leaders in the panel: Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment in Canada, was waiting for the USA - not only to sign the deal on climate change, thus living up to the Kyoto protocol standards - but also to ratify the deal.
Xie Zhenhua, Vice Chairman, National Development and Reform Commission in China, mentioned that China is doing what it can to meet the standards. With a percentage of 7,5 renewable energy in 2005 to a projected 15 percent in 2020 - i.e. solar power, water, and wind energy (The EU goal is an overall 20 percent on renewable energy of the total energy mix, with variations from 15 upto 49 percent - to make a comparison). He saw the main challenges as being setting standards and mechanisms, ensuring innovation and transfer of energy, and creating financial instruments to back the initiatives.
Erik Solheim, Minister of the Environment and International Development in Norway, called for governments to instigate and initiate efforts to combat climate change. And encouraged governments and private companies to co-operate in partnerships. He revealed that his concern and main headache had to do with too little confidence between the developed and the under-developed world on the issue of climate change. He saw this as the main obstacle to resolve the climate problems.
Meanwhile populations and Mother Earth are waiting for somebody to remove the first difficult stick.