Brussels, 08/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - European Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard has suggested that the Mexico City ministerial climate conference (pre-COP, on 3-5 November) to prepare for the COP 16 in Cancun from 29 November to 10 December had been promising, but that there was still everything to play for. All the parties seem to want Cancun to result in an agreement based on a package of decisions that will bring progress on the key issues such as mitigation, transparency, adaptation, deforestation and funding, the commissioner said in Mexico City on Friday evening 5 November, delighted that the outlines of this agreement were beginning to be drawn. The meat now has to be put on the bones to the satisfaction of all the parties, she added.
Hedegaard, having known the disappointment of Copenhagen (COP 15), warned that the challenges that have to be faced must not be under-estimated. The same level of willingness and desire to find a way forward was there before the Copenhagen summit last year, she said. She called on parties to turn the constructive spirit that reigned among environment a ministers in Mexico City into a clear commitment to be prepared to compromise at the negotiating table so that there can be a Cancun agreement. Mexico, which will chair the COP 16 can count on the full backing of the EU, the commissioner stated. (A.N./transl.rt)