4 December 2008: In a news conference held at UN Headquarters in New York US, Robert Orr, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Strategic Planning in the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General, stated that 2009 will be a critical year for action on climate change. Also addressing the press conference, Janos Pasztor, Director of the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Change Support Team, stressed that the Poznan meeting should lay out a “shared vision” that addresses what countries are willing to undertake in terms of long-term cooperation on climate change.

Orr said that between the Poznan and Copenhagen climate conferences, the attention of government, the private sector and civil society will be focused on climate change and highlighted the linkage between this phenomenon and economic recovery. He added that, between development and climate change, “the arrows go both directions” since the Bali climate conference in December 2007.
Pasztor expressed his hope for “clear political signals” from countries “about what they’re prepared to do, or which direction they’re prepared to go.” He said the new climate agreement to be reached in Copenhagen in December 2009 must contain: ambitious emissions reductions by developed countries; mitigation measures by developing nations; financial support by developed States; and enhanced multilateralism. In order to achieve these goals, Pasztor underscored the need for “nothing less than a revolution to pave the way for the low-carbon emissions economy of the future,” including increased investment in renewable energy, a global green ‘New Deal,’ and innovative financing. [UN Press Release]