Closing Press Briefing, Bonn Climate Change Talks - June 2009

At a press conference on the last day of the two-week June meeting, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer spoke of a significant session that has advanced our work in an important way.

The big achievement of the meeting, he said, is that "it has made clear what governments want to see in a Copenhagen agreement, which shows their commitment to reaching an agreement." With regard to mid-term emission cuts by industrialized countries, he emphasized the need for these countries to show greater ambition.

Important progress has been made on technology transfer. Parties welcomed three reports by the Expert Group on Technology Transfer that provide interesting ideas on what can be written into a Copenhagen deal on technology cooperation. Major advances on methodologies have also made it possible to measure and monitor emissions from deforestation, thus laying the groundwork for the inclusion of REDD into a Copenhagen agreed outcome.

Mr. de Boer also referred to encouraging new signals coming from governments and from the high-level processes that are committed to supporting a successful outcome in Copenhagen.