In her interview with the Tageszeitung TAZ, Dr. Camilla Bausch, head of climate and energy policy, emphasized the particular role of the UN for the international climate negotiations. Dr. Bausch also pointed out, that successful negotiation, no matter what the forum in which the negotiations take place, depends in particular on the will of countries to act together and co-operate while facing the challenge of climate change.

For the first time, internationally binding national commitments to reduce green house gas emissions for the period 2008-2012 were set down in the Kyoto Protocol. Now it is important to determine a new framework for the period after 2012. After the UN climate conference in Copenhagen, many discussed whether new agreements could be more successfully achieved on another level, for example, as part of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate or in the G20 Group. The main message of the interview is that only the United Nations has the legitimacy of all states; other forums are therefore no replacement. Nevertheless, each forum should and could make important contributions to solving the problems at hand.

The interview with Dr. Bausch is available on the TAZ website.