Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga to represent Switzerland at the Climate Change Pre-COP in Milan
Bern, 22.09.2021 - A conference will be held in Milan from 30 September to 2 October to prepare for the Glasgow Climate Change Conference (COP26). At this meeting, known as the Pre-COP, a selected group of countries will seek possible solutions to political aspects of the subsequent negotiations. Federal Councillor Sommaruga will advocate for effective rules in favour of climate protection.
The Pre-COP in Milan marks the final spurt in the run-up to COP26, which will take place in Glasgow from 30 October to 12 November and serves to implement the Paris Climate Agreement adopted in 2015.
At the Pre-COP, Federal Councillor Sommaruga will push for effective rules for market mechanisms. Emissions reductions that a country achieves through climate protection projects abroad should not be able to be credited twice ‒ to the donor and the recipient country. Only if emission reductions can be clearly credited to a specific country can climate protection projects abroad bring real added value for the climate.
Furthermore, Ms Sommaruga will advocate for more efficient and fairer financing mechanisms for climate projects in developing countries. All countries should support to the best of their ability those that need help with climate protection. The business community should also participate.
Common timeframe for climate goals
Up until now, each country has been able to decide the timeframe for achieving its climate targets itself. There have been no rules in that regard. Without such rules, however, countries will not be able to communicate their next climate targets in 2025 in a uniform manner. The aim now is to examine how the timeframes for each country’s climate targets can be better coordinated.
The COP26 president, Alok Sharma, has tasked Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga and Rwandan Environment Minister Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya with drawing up possible solutions at ministerial level. In the run-up to the Pre-COP, Ms Sommaruga and her Rwandan counterpart therefore held several consultations with key countries. In Milan, the two ministers will present possible solutions and discuss these further in bilateral meetings.
Address for enquiries
Franz Perrez, Swiss Ambassador for the Environment, Head of International Affairs, Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, Tel. +41 79 251 90 15
Publisher
General Secretariat of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications; General Secretariat DETEC
https://www.uvek.admin.ch/uvek/en/home.html
Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
https://www.bafu.admin.ch/en
