Taoiseach Attends Summit On Climate Change

Last week Taoiseach Brian Cowen T.D. came to New York to participate in a special meeting of Heads of Government and State convened by UN Secretary General Ban at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The meeting was intended to provide impetus to the political vision and support necessary to reach an ambitious international agreement on climate change next December in Copenhagen.

"Climate change is the most important and pressing issue on the world's agenda," said the Taoiseach before leaving Ireland for New York. "Reaching a legally-binding international agreement later this year is vital not only for our future prosperity but for the well-being and future of our planet."

The European Union is playing a lead role in tackling climate change, having unilaterally agreed to reduce green house gas emissions by 20% by 2020 and to step-up this target to 30% in the event of an international agreement being reached.

It is an absolute priority of the EU that a meaningful and effective global agreement on climate change is reached in Copenhagen.

"Ireland fully supports the EU's global role and aims on climate change. Indeed, Ireland played a full part in ensuring that combating climate change was included as a specific competence of the EU in the Lisbon Treaty."

While in New York the Taoiseach also met with other Heads of Government and State.

As a follow up to the Global Economic Forum event, which took place in Farmleigh House, the Taoiseach met with corporate leaders who were unable to travel that weekend.

On Wednesday morning the Taoiseach attended the United Nations General Assembly, which was addressed by President Obama, following which the Taoiseach returned to Dublin.

A Special Session Of The Clinton Global Initiative Addressed The North

On Wednesday evening, a special session of the Clinton Global Initiative focused on the North.

The session was moderated by President Clinton himself, and included key figures who exercised political leadership to secure peace in the North, including Peter Robinson, Northern First Minister; Martin McGuinness, the deputy First Minister.

Also on the panel were Declan Kelly, the economic envoy to the North from the US Department of State; Shaun Woodward, British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; and Michéal Martin, Ireland's Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Panelists discussed factors that can make the North more appealing for foreign investors, how local businesses can reach their markets in the US, and how talents of young people in the region can be utilized through entrepreneurship.