International News: Initial Talks for the Next UNFCCC Meetings

The international consortium of biotechnology lobby groups that includes BIO Deutschland, and led by BIO in the USA, regularly participates in the negotiations by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) discussed the current state of play and preparations for the UNFCCC meetings from 4 – 9 October in Tianjin (China) and from 29 November – 10 December in Cancun (Mexico) in a telephone conference held on 26 August.

International experts had already met in Bonn at the beginning of August in order to prepare for these two conferences. During meetings held at the same time, the delegates of the international consortium sent by BIO discussed the topic of trademark rights, which is repeatedly dealt with in connection with the climate conventions. Specifically, this concerns the subject of transferring sustainable technologies to developing countries. In this context, the experts had the chance to speak directly with the new Head of the UN Climate Secretariat, Christiana Figueres, a diplomat from Costa Rica.

To date, BIO Deutschland has lobbied at these regular discussions by the consortium for the substantial role of biotechnology in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to be accentuated.

 Further information on this topic is available at http://unfccc.int.