EPA Hosts Side-Events at the Copenhagen Climate Negotiations
EPA is hosting 13 events at the U.S. Center during this year’s UN Framework Convention on Climate Change conference December 7th – 18th in Copenhagen, Denmark. The U.S. Center will provide a unique and interactive forum to highlight the strong actions the U.S. is taking at home and the leadership role the U.S. is fulfilling internationally to combat global climate change.
More than 70 events will be held during the two-week conference covering topics ranging from energy efficiency investments and global commitments to renewables policy and clean energy jobs. EPA's events are listed below.
EPA's events along with all U.S. Center events will be located in Hall C5 at the Bella Conference Center from 9 am to 7 pm Central European Time (CET). Events in the Meeting Room can also be viewed via live webcast on the State Department COP-15 website.
For full details on the U.S. Center and scheduled events, visit the COP-15 website at http://cop15.state.gov.
Please note: All event times are in Central European Time (CET), which is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.
December 7, 2009
Protecting the Arctic by Mitigating Short-Lived Climate Forcers
Time: 12:45 pm - 2:00 pm CET
A new Arctic Council Task Force has been established to examine mitigation strategies for short-lived climate forcers, and numerous scientific reviews are underway to assess the chief emissions sources and climate impacts of these pollutants.This international panel of experts will discuss the state of the science on short-lived forcers and present the latest information on key contributing sectors such as diesel engines and fires.
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December 8, 2009
How Improving Air Pollution Control Can Help Address Climate Change
Time: 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm CET
Climate and air quality are linked through common atmospheric processes, shared emissions sources, and related health and environmental impacts. This event highlights how well-designed air pollution control strategies can provide climate co-benefits. It also emphasizes how GHG mitigation strategies can reduce emissions of conventional air pollutants—including ozone, methane and black carbon–which also affect climate.
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December 9, 2009
Measurement and Reporting: Benefits Beyond Greenhouse Gas Reductions
Time: 11:30 am - 12:30 am CET
Measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) has a number of benefits that go beyond confirmation of greenhouse gas reductions. Data collected for measurement and reporting of emissions at the facility or national level not only help define emissions reductions, but provide information on the use of natural resources and are useful to economic development assessment and planning. A panel of international experts and practitioners will explore three case studies of programs that require enhanced measurement and reporting to achieve environmental benefits.
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Taking Action at Home
Time: 12:45 pm - 2:00 pm CET
The United States has renewed its commitment to combating climate change, taking the lead in the development of a clean energy economy and reducing dangerous global warming pollution. At this side event, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson will highlight the Administration's domestic efforts, including: a proposed determination that greenhouse-gas pollution poses a threat to public health and welfare; historic vehicle efficiency and emissions standards that will reduce global warming pollution and cut oil use; an EPA rule requiring greenhouse-gas emissions reporting by facilities with the highest annual emissions; an aggressive Executive Order on Federal Sustainability that demonstrates our commitment to leading by example by requiring federal agencies to measure and manage greenhouse gas emissions, as well as to achieve water and waste reduction targets; and the President's focus on working with Congress to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation that would establish legally binding economy-wide targets to lower emissions more than 80 percent below current levels by 2050.
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Cleaner Cook Stoves for Developing Countries: Improving Health, Reducing Climate Change
Time: 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm CET
Learn about the connection between household solid fuel use and health and climate change. A panel of environment and health experts will present research showing how cooking is contributing to global warming through CO2 and black carbon emissions, and how improved cook stoves, with limited assistance from the carbon offset markets, are helping to mitigate emissions. The Partnership for Clean Indoor Air, with 320 partner organizations working in 115 countries, is increasing the use of affordable, clean, efficient, and safe cooking technologies that reduce indoor air pollution, fuel use and carbon emissions.
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December 10, 2009
Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands Toolkit for Formal and Informal Educators
Time: 4:15 pm - 5:45 pm CET
American students ages 10-18 will present what they learned from their recent use of new Web materials, Climate Change Wildlife and Wildlands: A Toolkit for Formal and Informal Educators, and what climate change "solution" projects they took on as a result. The students, representing schools from Virginia and the District of Columbia, have been partnering with several federal agencies that created the Kit under direction of the EPA.
Links:
- Live Feed
- More Information on Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands: A toolkit for Formal and Informal Educators
December 14, 2009
Impacts of Climate Change on U.S. Coastal Communities
Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm CET
The Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Ready Estuaries program is helping National Estuary Programs and other coastal managers develop the technical capacity to assess climate change vulnerabilities, engage and educate local stakeholders, and develop and implement adaptation strategies. The Department of the Interior is working on a related effort to prepare for climate impacts across ecosystems in all 50 states, including restoring degraded coastal wetlands; protecting coastal communities; and assisting American Indians and Alaska Natives. A panel of government experts will discuss these efforts and comment on how lessons learned can inform international efforts.
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U.S. Adaptation Solutions and Services
Time: 4:45 pm - 5:45 pm CET
To be effective stewards of land, water, wildlife, and the environment, we must continue to develop and disseminate knowledge and tools useful for implementing practical adaptive management options in the face of climate change. This panel discussion will provide an overview of efforts underway within the U.S. government to help the U.S. (local, state, regional, tribal and federal governments, non-governmental agencies, public and private land managers, etc.) prepare to cope with the adverse impacts of a changing climate.
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Workshop on Tools for Improved National Emissions Inventories: Applications in Southeast Asia
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm CET
An international panel of experts will provide an overview and highlight tools from the project to support regional capacity building for sustainable and robust National Inventory Management Systems in Southeast Asia. Panelists will describe and demonstrate the software tool that EPA has developed to support national inventory teams in compiling, archiving, updating and managing greenhouse gas inventories in the agriculture and forestry sectors. Panelists will also describe how EPA is working in Central America to develop ground-truthed land cover maps that are essential to provide data input to the software.
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December 15, 2009
EPA Domestic Climate Change Activities
Time: 9:00 am - 10:00 am CET
This event will highlight domestic regulatory, programmatic, and voluntary activities (in-place and planned) that are occurring at the federal level. This presentation will showcase a set of key activities such as the renewable fuel standard, endangerment finding, light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas rule, and mandatory reporting rule. EPA officials will discuss policies or programs, describe emission reductions anticipated from these actions, and present how these efforts and outcomes (greenhouse gas reductions) would be verified.
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Driving Down Emissions, Driving Up Fuel Efficiency: Coordinating a Groundbreaking National Vehicle Policy
Time: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm CET
In September, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation signed a joint rulemaking that proposed the first-ever greenhouse gas emissions standards and increased fuel economy standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles for model years 2012-2016. A panel of U.S. government representatives will discuss this new policy and its implications.
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Sustainable Communities
Time: 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm CET
This session will highlight development strategies that can help create and enhance sustainable communities, including green building, building on already developed sites, reusing existing infrastructure and buildings, developing more compactly, making walking and biking safe and easy, mixing uses so that homes are closer to jobs and amenities, and providing a range of housing types. The presentation will describe a new Partnership for Sustainable Communities between the U.S. EPA, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help coordinate federal funding in support of sustainable communities.
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December 16, 2009
Climate Federalism: U.S. States in Partnership with U.S. EPA
Time: 9:00 am - 10:00 am CET
U.S. states are pursuing a wide range of greenhouse gas reduction policies that work in tandem with current and future federal government action, driving emission reductions and reducing the costs of meeting climate goals. This event will feature state and federal leaders sharing information about effective policies and highlighting the state/federal climate partnership.
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