The First Days of Copenhagen

The UN climate conference in Copenhagen (COP-15) kicked off on Monday and activity at the conference has increasingly picked up as the global community, with the United States in a leading role, works towards securing the strongest possible outcome in Copenhagen.

Tuesday held the first of our series of keynote events at the US Center at COP-15.  US Undersecretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs María Otero and Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy and International Affairs David Sandalow discussed global partnerships (find his remarks here).  In this clip, Assistant Secretary Sandalow shares some of his perspectives from Copenhagen:

Yesterday, EPA Administrator Jackson discussed the comprehensive domestic actions being taken to address climate change and lay the foundation for a sustainable low-carbon economy (find her remarks here).  She also took a moment to share her thoughts with us in the clip:

The US Center has been a huge draw. The side events taking place throughout the day are well-attended and the keynote events have been over capacity.  But you don’t have to be in Copenhagen to stay informed on all the events and the number of initiatives that the Obama Administration is pursuing to address the climate challenge. Most of these events have been webcast and can be viewed at the US COP 15 website. You can also engage in the dialogue at the US COP 15 Facebook page here.

Jake Levine is with the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change.