New climate report presented in Stockholm

Photo: Stefan Lundgren/Johnér Today the United Nations scientific climate panel - the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - is presenting a new report in Stockholm. The Swedish Government welcomes the report, which confirms the seriousness of the climate situation and human responsibility for climate change. The report also points out the importance of acting to reduce emissions globally This week, Sweden has hosted a meeting that has brought together 250 delegates from 111 countries and that concludes today with the IPCC's presentation of a report on climate change. The report provides important data for the international climate change negotiations and the work on achieving a new climate agreement, to be completed in 2015. The IPCC states that it is now even clearer that human activity is behind climate change than was said in its previous report in 2007, and that time is running out for the world's countries to act, as emissions are continuing to increase In connection with the IPCC meeting in Stockholm, Minister for the Environment Lena Ek has invited her Nordic colleagues to a climate dialogue with business representatives under the heading 'What does the UN climate report mean for politics and business?' International climate change negotiations Sweden's aim in the negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is to achieve a legally binding agreement that will keep the Earth below a two degree increase in global temperature. The Government sees a broad international agreement on reduced emissions as absolutely crucial to success in global climate efforts. The new agreement is due to be adopted in 2015 at the latest and to enter into force in 2020. The Government considers that Sweden should continue to cooperate with the countries that have the highest ambitions in the climate field and that want to lead the way. To reduce the risk of dangerous climate changes, more countries must commit themselves to reducing their emissions and those that have already undertaken to reduce their emissions must reduce them more than they have pledged to do so far. Negotiations on the form of the new agreement are continuously ongoing and in November the countries of the world will meet for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP19) in Warsaw, Poland New global initiative on the economy and climate To support the international climate change negotiations, supplementary measures are needed in other forums. While the IPCC was meeting in Stockholm this week, Sweden and five other countries launched a new global initiative on the economy and climate in connection with the opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 24 September Sweden is also one of the countries taking the initiative for an international commission, the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. In a short space of time, the Commission has gathered progressive countries and central actors such as the IMF and the World Bank. Led by former President Felipe Calderón of Mexico, the Commission brings together leaders in politics, finance and business from 14 countries. The central question is whether and how measures to reduce climate impact are compatible with countries' ambitions concerning economic growth and/or poverty reduction The Government is also participating in a number of other cooperative efforts on the climate. Sweden has taken an initiative together with five other countries to establish a global partnership to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, such as black carbon, methane and ground-level ozone. The partnership has taken the name Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and has quickly attracted a large number of countries and other actors, including the World Bank and the European Commission. New initiatives are being taken to further broaden the cooperation, for example, so as to reduce emissions from the oil and gas industry, from heavy vehicles and from the open  burning of agricultural residues