STARTING THE GLOBAL CONVERSATION. Ezra and I are blogging live from the U.N. this morning, where there will be high-level meetings today to start the global conversation on a post-Kyoto plan. This comes on the eve of the official kick-off to the 62nd General Assembly, and at the head of a week one could rightfully dub Global Climate Showdown '07. Delegates from 160 nations are in attendance, and representatives from 80 of those countries will be addressing the General Assembly about their respective concerns and positions with regard to climate change. Thematic sessions include conversations on mitigating the effects of climate change, adapting to those effects, and financing the changes that will need to occur in order to do that.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and Al Gore will all be addressing the Assembly at today's event, which is intended to build political momentum for the major climate talks in Bali, Indonesia in December. The gist is, now that all the important parties have come to agreement that climate change needs to be a global priority – even Bush has come around to at least a rhetoric that suggests it's a pressing concern – this event should help establish a common language on the subject so that December's meeting ends with some significant next steps place. Bush himself will be here this evening to attend a dinner with other heads of state, and later this week will conduct his own climate round table with the "Major Economies" – also known as the world's 16 biggest emitters. We'll be checking in throughout the day with updates on what the rest of the world is saying about climate change, and the prospects for a post-Kyoto world.
--Kate Sheppard
