MEDIA RELEASE
State Public Utility Commissioner Among US Delegation Attending COP23 in Germany
Her attendance reflects Vermont’s commitment to Paris Climate Accord.
BONN (Germany) Nov. 13, 2017 - Vermont Public Utility Commissioner Sarah Hofmann is attending the United Nations Climate Conference (COP23) in Bonn, Germany, this week as part of a US Climate Registry delegation of representatives from more than eight states, as well as governors from California, Oregon, Washington and Virginia.
COP23, the 23rd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, opened last week and ends Friday. Commissioner Hofmann says her presence there reflects Vermont's commitment to the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
"It is a privilege being here with people from across America and the world who care deeply about the fate of our planet," Hofmann said this morning from the conference arena. "Not only are we learning from each other, we also are solidifying our commitment to doing our part as states to live up to the Paris Agreement, even as the federal government vows to pull out."
Virtually all nations have signed the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, which includes binding obligations by country for reducing greenhouse gases. In June, President Trump announced he was pulling the US out of the Agreement, making the United States the only nation not part of the accord.
The UNFCC established a framework for actions to stabilize concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases. UN parties to the climate accord meet annually to assess progress and determine specific actions and targets for reducing greenhouse gases, mitigating the effects of climate change, and financing mitigation and adaptation efforts in developing countries.
Commissioner Hofmann and other US delegates are conveying Americans' support for the Paris Agreement and advocating for progress on its implementation guidelines toward a global transition to a low-carbon future.
Vermont has been a leader in implementing policies and laws to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Vermont has joined, under the leadership of Governor Phil Scott, the UN Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of states committed to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.
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