Climate protection - EU and partner states establish initiative to fight global warming
A coalition of EU countries, U.S. states, Canadian provinces, New Zealand and Norway on 29 October 2007 announced the formation of the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) to fight global warming. ICAP is an open forum comprised of public authorities and governments that have established or are actively pursuing carbon markets through mandatory cap and trade systems. Membership is open to all public authorities and governments that have established or are actively pursuing carbon markets through mandatory cap and trade systems as one approach for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The partnership provides a forum to share experiences and knowledge. Germany will be represented by Environmental Minister Sigmar Gabriel. California's Governor Schwarzenegger has sent a video message.
At his meeting with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Sacramento on 30 August 2007, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for a close California-European coordination in climate protection. Steinmeier and Schwarzenegger called for the formation of a "coalition of the willing" for global climate protection. This iniative has led to the launch of a high-level political process. ICAP is the first result of this new Transatlantic cooperation in climate protection.
ICAP will provide an international forum in which governments and public authorities adopting mandatory greenhouse gas emissions cap and trade systems will share experiences and best practices on the design of emissions trading schemes. This cooperation will ensure that the programs are more compatible and are able to work together as the foundation of a global carbon market. Such a market will boost demand for low-carbon products and services, promote innovation, and allow cost effective reductions so as to allow swift and ambitious global reductions in global warming emissions.
The ground-breaking international and interregional agreement was signed on 29 October 2007 by U.S. and Canadian members of the Western Climate Initiative, northeastern U.S. members of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, as well as European Union members including Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, and the European Commission. New Zealand and Norway joined on behalf of their emissions trading programs.
The new partnership supports the current ongoing efforts undertaken under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which all ICAP members agree has a central role in fighting global warming.
Last updated 29.10.2007