The head of the U.S. delegation here, Jonathan Pershing, gave a press briefing on the opening day of the Cancun negotiations, outlining the U.S. stance here at the talks. We were happy to hear that from the U.S. perspective, “a balanced package is within our reach.” The United States is sticking by its previous statements to the effect that an outcome in Cancun should cement the set of decisions made last year under the Copenhagen Accord, that were not officially agreed upon by the Conference of the Parties. Another notable moment was Pershing’s conciliatory statement about the U.S.-China relationship. Whereas in Tianjin tense statements from both sides highlighted the contentious relationship on climate change, it seems that the two delegations have been communicating well and getting along famously between the the Tianjin intersessional in October and now. Pershing noted that “we spent a lot of energy in the past month working on those issues where we disagree and trying to resolve them. My sense is we have made progress.” Hopefully the improved relationship will lead to a better outcome here in Cancun!
Check out a transcript of the briefing on the State Department’s website.
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About the author
Alex Stark joins the project from Washington DC, where she's focused on legislation addressing drivers of violent conflict around the world, including the effects of climate change. Tracking the US negotiators and getting the word out about action inside the UNFCCC combine her passions for activism, sustainable development, conflict prevention and US foreign policy.
