President to Attend Copenhagen Climate Talks

Administration Announces U.S. Emission Target for Copenhagen

The White House announced today that President Obama will travel to Copenhagen on Dec. 9 to participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference, where he is eager to work with the international community to drive progress toward a comprehensive and operational Copenhagen accord.   The President has worked steadily on behalf of a positive outcome in Copenhagen throughout the year.  Based on the President’s work on climate change over the past 10 months – in the Major Economies Forum, the G20, bilateral discussions and multilateral consultations – and based on progress made in recent, constructive discussions with China and India’s Leaders, the President believes it is possible to reach a meaningful agreement in Copenhagen.  The President’s decision to go is a sign of his continuing commitment and leadership to find a global solution to the global threat of climate change, and to lay the foundation for a new, sustainable and prosperous clean energy future.   

The White House also announced that, in the context of an overall deal in Copenhagen that includes robust mitigation contributions from China and the other emerging economies, the President is prepared to put on the table a U.S. emissions reduction target in the range of 17% below 2005 levels in 2020 and ultimately in line with final U.S. energy and climate legislation.  In light of the President’s goal to reduce emissions 83% by 2050, the expected pathway set forth in this pending legislation would entail a 30% reduction below 2005 levels in 2025 and a 42% reduction below 2005 in 2030.  This provisional target is in line with current legislation in both chambers of Congress and demonstrates a significant contribution to a problem that the U.S. has neglected for too long.  With less than two weeks to go until the beginning of the Copenhagen conference, it is essential that the countries of the world, led by the major economies, do what it takes to produce a strong, operational agreement that will both launch us on a concerted effort to combat climate change and serve as a stepping stone to a legally binding treaty.  The President is working closely with Congress to pass energy and climate legislation as soon as possible.

Underscoring President Obama’s commitment to American leadership on clean energy and combating climate change, the White House also announced today that a host of Cabinet secretaries and other top officials from across the Administration will travel to Copenhagen for the conference.  Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson are all scheduled to attend, along with Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, Office of Science and Technology Policy Director John Holdren, and Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner.

For the first time, the U.S. delegation will have a U.S. Center at the conference, providing a unique and interactive forum to share our story with the world.  In addition to working with other countries to advance American interests, U.S. delegates will keynote a series of events highlighting actions by the Obama Administration to provide domestic and global leadership in the transition to a clean energy economy.  Topics will range from energy efficiency investments and global commitments to renewables policy and clean energy jobs.  The following keynote events and speakers are currently scheduled:

• Wednesday, December 9th: Taking Action at Home, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson
• Thursday, December 10th: New Energy Future: the role of public lands in clean energy production and carbon capture, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar
• Friday, December 11th: Clean Energy Jobs in a Global Marketplace, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke
• Monday, December 14th: Leading in Energy Efficiency and Renewables, Energy Secretary Steven Chu
• Tuesday, December 15th: Clean Energy Investments: creating opportunities for rural economies, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
• Thursday, December 17th: Backing Up International Agreement with Domestic Action, CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley and Assistant to the President Carol Browner

These events will underline the historic progress the Obama Administration has made to address climate change and create a new energy future.  In addition to passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act in the House of Representatives this summer, Administration officials will highlight an impressive resume of American action and accomplishments over the last 10 months, including:

DOMESTIC LEADERSHIP

• Recovery Act: The U.S. is investing more than $80 billion in clean energy through its Recovery Act – including the largest-ever investment in renewable energy, which will double our generation of clean renewable energy like wind and solar in three years.
• Efficiency Standard for Automobiles:  President Obama announced the first ever joint fuel economy/greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks in May.  The new standards are projected to save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the life of the program with a fuel economy gain averaging more than 5 percent per year and a reduction of approximately 900 million metric tons in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Advancing Comprehensive Energy Legislation: Passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation is a top priority for the Administration and significant progress has been made.  In June, The U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act that will promote clean energy investments and lower U.S. greenhouse gas emissions more than 80 percent by 2050.  The Senate continues to advance their efforts to pass comprehensive legislation and move the U.S.  closer to a system of clean energy incentives that create new energy jobs, reduce our dependence on oil, and cut pollution.
• Appliance Efficiency Standards: The Obama Administration has forged more stringent energy efficiency standards for commercial and residential appliances, including microwaves, kitchen ranges, dishwashers, lightbulbs and other common appliances.  This common sense approach makes improved efficiency a manufacturing requirement for the everyday appliances used in practically every home and business, resulting in a significant reduction in energy use.  Altogether, about two dozen new energy efficiency standards will be completed in the next few years.
• Offshore Energy Development:  Within the Administration’s first 100 days, a new regulatory framework was established to facilitate the development of alternative energy projects in an economic and environmentally sound manner that allows us to tap into the vast energy potential of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).  The National Renewable Energy Lab estimates that development of wind energy alone on the OCS may provide an additional 1,900 gigawatts of clean energy to the U.S.
• Emissions Inventory Rule: For the first time, the U.S. will catalogue greenhouse gas emissions from large emission sources – an important initial step toward measurable and transparent reductions.

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP

• The Major Economies Forum (MEF): President Obama launched the MEF in March 2009, creating a new dialogue among developed and emerging economies to combat climate change and promote clean energy. At the July L’Aquila summit, MEF Leaders announced important new agreements to support the UN climate talks and launched a new Global Partnership to promote clean energy technologies.
• Eliminating Fossil Fuel Subsidies: The President spearheaded an agreement at the Pittsburgh G20 summit for all G20 nations to phase out their fossil fuel subsidies over the medium term and to work with other countries to do the same.  Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation nations followed the G20 lead at their summit in Singapore, expanding the number of countries committing to these subsidies.  According to the International Energy Agency, this measure alone could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent or more by 2050.
• Bilateral Energy and Climate Partnerships: The U.S. is accelerating its collaboration with China, India, Mexico, Canada and other key international partners to combat climate change, coordinate clean energy research and development, and support the international climate talks.
• Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas: President Obama proposed a partnership with our neighbors in the western hemisphere to advance energy security and combat climate change.  An early product of this cooperation is Chile’s Renewable Energy Center, which receives technical support from the U.S. Department of Energy.
• Phasing Down HFCs (Hydrofluorocarbons): The U.S. joined Canada and Mexico in proposing to phase-down HFC emissions, a very potent greenhouse gas, in developed and developing countries under the Montreal Protocol.  This represents a down payment of about 10% of the emission reductions necessary to cut global greenhouse gas emissions to half their current levels by 2050.

U.S.-Japan Joint Message on Climate Change Negotiations

Prime Minister Hatoyama and President Obama strongly affirmed their commitment to continuing to work together to usher in a new era in the global fight against climate change, and they recognized each other's achievements toward this shared goal.

The two leaders also reaffirmed that shifting to low-carbon growth is indispensable to the health of our planet and will play a central role in reviving the global economy.  To this end, our countries aspire to reduce our own emissions by 80% by 2050 and endorse a global goal of reducing emissions by 50% by that year.

Meeting the climate change challenge requires all major economies to take ambitious concrete actions: emission reduction targets by developed countries and actions by major developing countries that will significantly reduce their emissions compared to business as usual.  These actions must also be subject to a robust regime of reporting and international review.  A solution also requires that critical support be provided for climate mitigation and adaptation efforts among the poor and most vulnerable.  The United States and Japan will continue to cooperate closely with each other on international negotiations to this end.

It is vital that we achieve a successful outcome at COP 15.  The United States and Japan are determined to engage themselves at all levels to secure this goal.

###

Remarks by the First Lady at Department of Energy Event

2:15 P.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, hi everybody. 

AUDIENCE:  Hi!

MRS. OBAMA:  You all please sit down.  Thank you so much.  I am thrilled to be here.  It's a pleasure to be here with all of you at the Department of Energy.  Now, I have to say -- I told the Secretary this -- the overflow crowd is always a lot more pumped up than the regular crowd.  (Laughter.)  I think it's because you're in this formal setting and you think you have to behave yourselves.  But we can get loud in here.  We can be fired up.  (Cheers and applause.)  There we go!

Let me begin by thanking Secretary Chu for that warm introduction.  As you know, Secretary Chu isn't just a brilliant scientist, he's also an inspired leader, and he's bringing new ideas and perspectives to Washington, challenging all of you, all of us, to look at your own work, at our own work, in a whole new way.  And we are so incredibly grateful for his leadership.  My husband loves his Cabinet.  He was extremely excited that he had a real nerd on his team.  (Laughter.)  He talked about it for weeks on end.  So we are delighted to have you on the team, and we're grateful for the work that you do.

I also want to take a moment to thank all of you and to honor all of you.  This is one of the reasons why I do these visits.  I've had the privilege since coming to Washington to visit many of the agencies.  My goal is to get to all of them.  As you heard, I was supposed to be here earlier, but this other guy in my life bumped me out of the scene.  (Laughter.)  It's okay.  I try not to take it personally. 

But these visits are helpful to me, they're helpful to the administration, because I've said this before:  The President and I, we're the new kids on the block here in Washington, D.C.  And many of you have been doing this work for longer than I've been alive. 

And several of our long-term employees here at the Department of Energy are right in the front row, and I want us to take some time to give them a round of applause for their decades of service.  (Applause.)  And I have to say I'm always amazed when I see folks and I hear how long they've been working, because they look too good to be -- have been here -- (laughter) -- some people for 30, 40, 50 years.  They must have started when they were 10.  (Laughter.) 

But we are grateful to you, and you deserve this recognition as well as everyone who's working hard in all of the federal agencies.  You don't often get the thanks that you deserve.  Sometimes you get a lot of the blame and none of the credit for the progress that has gone on in this country for years, and, you know, this is our small way of making sure that you know that this administration appreciates the work that you do.

But whether it's doing groundbreaking scientific research; or ensuring our nuclear security; making our homes, our offices, our cars, appliances more efficient; or fighting to turn the tide on climate change, what you're doing here couldn't be more urgent.  Your work is critical for our economy and our national security and preserving our environment for our kids and our grandkids.  That's the work that you do.

And it's not easy.  Everyone knows it's not easy.  And I know that most of what you're working on right now, as hard as you're working, probably won't even be finished this year, or maybe not even this administration, or even during the course of your careers here at the Department.  You may not see the final outcome of the work that you're doing.

So in the coming decades, you all will be passing the torch to the next generation.  Truly, you're going to be handing over what you've begun to a lot of young people who are right now just beginning to develop -- those future scientists and public servants.  And it truly will be up to that next generation, it's going to be up to them, our children, our grandchildren, the young people that we mentor, it's going to be up to them to carry all of this wonderful work forward. 

And it's up to us to ensure that they're prepared to do that.  That's our job.  We have to get them ready and developed and mature and focused, making sure that they have the knowledge and the skills they need to finish what all of you have started.

We all know that we can't transform our energy future unless we transform our education system -- that, we know -- unless we ensure that every child in America gets a good education, particularly when it comes to math and science.  Particularly in the areas of math and science. 

That's why we're challenging states to raise their standards, to modernize science labs, to upgrade their curricular -- their curricula, and to recruit and train qualified teachers who will make these subjects more alive, more interesting, more engaging for our students.

That's why we're committed to expanding advanced courses and creating additional opportunities more importantly for underrepresented groups –- and that also means women and girls.  We want them to study and succeed in science, math, engineering and technology like never before.  We want those numbers up.

So that's why we're so pleased by what folks here at the Department of Energy are doing to get young people excited about science.  That's one of the other reasons why I'm here.  We've been talking in my staff about this visit for a while because it's unique in what we're doing and what you all are doing.   The National Science Bowl you host every year -- and I think there are a lot of people out here who don't know that the Department of Energy has really been supporting this type of initiative for so long -- the National Science Bowl that you host, it draws 20,000 students from 1,800 schools.  That is amazing.  (Applause.)   That's truly amazing. 

And the young people who participate in this competition, they put in late nights and long hours, they're pushing themselves and challenging each other to get ready and to get focused on the topic.   And they don't just learn biology, chemistry, physics and math in the process.  You all know that what they're also learning is discipline and teamwork and problem-solving and communication skills.

The middle school students even design, build and race their own hydrogen-powered cars.  It's science at its best, truly.  It's hands-on and it's very collaborative in a way that really makes young people excited.  I know my kids -- there's nothing like a little competition to get them going.  (Laughter.)  It fuels kids' imaginations and encourages the innovative thinking that we'll need to meet our nation's challenges in the years to come.

And none of this would be possible without the hard work of folks like all of you who devote so many volunteer hours to making this event happen.  All of you all have served as coaches, as timekeepers, as judges, and scorekeepers. 

It's my understanding that more than a hundred employees here at the Department of Energy help run the national competition in Washington, and more than 6,000 volunteers contribute their time to run regional competitions across America.

And this includes one individual in particular that I want to just acknowledge who has run the entire operation every year for the past 19 years, and who's waited to retire, I understand -- she put off retiring until she can make it an even 20 years.  She's grown this program from just a handful of schools to an institution that's inspired more than 150,000 students since it began in 1991.

So I want us to take a moment to recognize Sue Ellen Walbridge for her terrific work.  Sue Ellen.  (Applause.)  Where is she?  There she is, way in the back.  (Applause.)  See, that's what happens to people who run stuff.  They're way in the back.  (Laughter.)  You can't even seem them.  I see her.  She's making her way up.  All right, she's just waving from the back.  (Laughter.)  Thanks, Sue Ellen.  Today we're going to witness for ourselves -- here she comes.  Here comes -- there you -- come on, Sue Ellen.  (Applause.)  There she is. (Applause.)

Look, I think we all know this is something pretty special -- to start from something so small and grow it into something so big and so meaningful.  We are grateful to you for your dedication, for your hard work, for your passion.  You are touching the lives of thousands and thousands of young people, and that should give you some level of peace and satisfaction and pride.  We are all so very proud of you.  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)

So today we're going to witness for ourselves the excellent work Sue Ellen and many of you are doing to run this competition.  Isn't it exciting?  (Laughter.)  We're joined today by students from Kenmoor Middle School in Landover, Maryland and Longfellow* Middle School -- yes, yes! -- (applause) -- and Longfellow* Middle School in Falls Church, Virginia -- (applause) -- all right, there we go.  They're going to give us a little preview of the big day next spring.  That's when the competition actually happens, in the spring.  So we're the dress rehearsal.

We're going to hold a mini Science Bowl right here.  We're all set up.  I'm like Alex Trebek -- (laughter) -- and Secretary Chu is like my Vanna White.  (Laughter and applause.)  Now, this competition won't -- (laughter) -- this competition won't count because it's sort of just like a practice round.  But I'll be reporting the results back to the President of the United States, so no pressure, young people.  (Laughter.)  None at all.

So what are we going to do now?  I think Secretary Chu is going to come back up, and then we're going to get this competition started.  (Applause).

END
2:27 P.M. EST

*Takoma