EU and U.S. Advance Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development Dialogue

The two sides explored ways to further strengthen energy and climate cooperation, and enhance engagement with all international partners, including major economies, in pursuit of shared goals.

Areas of discussion included:

•  Recent developments in domestic climate and energy policy legislation
•  Review of progress on clean energy cooperation
•  Strengthened international cooperation on climate negotiations
•  Measures to stem the loss of biodiversity and illegal logging and associated trade.

The U.S. and EU delegations affirmed their commitment to developing a post-2012 agreement on climate change by 2009 under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In order to contribute to the UN negotiations on climate change, the two sides will continue their work together and with other partners under the G8 and under the Major Economies Process, including at its Third Meeting, which will be hosted by the Government of France April 17-18 in Paris.

Next steps in U.S.-EU cooperation will include holding the Climate and Clean Energy Policy and Measures Forum in Washington and the EU-U.S. Summit in Ljubljana.

The U.S. delegation was led by Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, Jim Connaughton, Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Dan Price, Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs.

The EU delegation was led by Janez Podobnik, Slovenian Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning (for the EU Presidency) and Stavros Dimas, European Commissioner for the Environment and Pierre Vimont, French Ambassador to the U.S.

Senior officials of the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of State, the European Commission, the Government of Slovenia, and the Government of France also participated in the meeting.

The first meeting of the HLD was held in October 2006 in Helsinki. EU and U.S. Leaders established the High-Level Dialogue in 2006 to advance transatlantic initiatives for tackling climate change, promoting clean energy and achieving sustainable development globally.