The World Coal Association (WCA) supports the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference that is taking place in Warsaw, Poland from 11 to 22 November 2013.  The WCA is looking for progress towards an international agreement that treats climate and development objectives as integrated priorities. Milton Catelin, Chief Executive, commented: “The WCA recognises that climate change is a global challenge, requiring a global solution. We acknowledge that there is an international consensus on the need to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, in line with the objectives of the UNFCCC, and that we need to work with all stakeholders – even those opposed to coal – to achieve a solution to the challenges posed by climate change.

“The negotiations taking place this year will facilitate progress towards a climate agreement to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions being achieved in 2015. We all have a role to play in this and the global coal industry understands that it needs to be part of the solution by committing to reducing CO2 emissions from coal.”

WCA together with the Polish Ministry of Economy will host the International Coal & Climate Summit (ICCS) on 18-19 November. The ICCS is focused on an inclusive, multi-stakeholder dialogue on how coal can continue to contribute to global development while meeting climate targets. It will be opened by Janusz Piechociński, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, and will include a keynote speech by Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC. The Summit is a continuation of efforts by the WCA to engage with the international environmental community, and to support the UNFCCC process.

Catelin stated: “The Polish government should be commended for seeing the value in involving the coal industry in discussions on environment and development issues, rather than excluding coal from the debate. Leaving coal out of the climate dialogue would mean more missed opportunities to reduce emissions from coal. And the opportunities are substantial – especially when you put technology at the heart of the climate debate. Technology will be critical to ensuring that emissions from coal can be cut. An important part of the dialogue at the ICCS is how to widen and speed up the deployment of best available technology, so we can make further cuts to emissions from coal today.

“The Warsaw Communiqué, launched by WCA in cooperation with the Polish government, is a clear sign of the efforts taken by the coal sector to face the challenges of climate change head-on. Focusing on technological advancements and efficiency improvements, the Communiqué demonstrates the sector’s practical approach to meeting climate change targets. It calls for all coal-fired power stations to be brought up to modern efficiency standards of 45%. This would have a huge impact on global CO2 emissions, cutting them by 2.4 Gigatonnes annually. This is more than the total annual CO2 emissions of India – the third largest CO2 emitter in the world. Given the role of coal globally and the ongoing challenge we face in meeting energy demand while reducing emissions, it is a long-term call to action and one that we will take forward into 2014.”