[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 122 (Friday, June 26, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 30523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15049]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Department of Commerce: Industry Outreach for Climate Change 
Negotiations Under the UNFCCC

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) will host a half-day 
roundtable for industry participants during which senior U.S. 
government officials will outline the draft negotiation text of a new 
agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate 
Change (UNFCCC), provide updates on recent developments, and solicit 
individual input from participants. The purpose of the industry 
roundtable is to allow private sector stakeholders, particularly 
industry and trade associations, to advise U.S. officials on the impact 
a new UNFCCC agreement could have on their respective operations and on 
associated commercial opportunities. The DOC anticipates additional 
outreach events will be held throughout the United States.

DATES: July 16, 2009.

ADDRESSES: To apply to participate in the roundtable, please contact 
Brian O'Hanlon, Office of Energy and Environmental Industries; Room 
4053; U.S. Department of Commerce; 14th & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.; 
Washington, DC 20230; 202-482-3492; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Selection Criteria

    DOC wishes to ensure a broad coverage of sectors likely to be 
impacted by potential U.S. commitments under the UNFCCC. Because space 
is limited, applicants should provide information regarding the impact 
an agreement under the UNFCCC may have on their industry. Participants 
will be selected according to whether their respective industry sectors 
are likely to be affected by any binding commitments on the United 
States as part of an agreement under the UNFCCC.
    The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change--The 
UNFCCC was signed in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and entered into 
force on March 21, 1994. Currently, 192 states have ratified the 
Convention, including the United States. The treaty requires national 
inventories of greenhouse gas emissions from developed countries, and 
encourages national action to stem greenhouse gas emissions and slow 
climate change. Developed nations also pledge to share technology and 
resources with developing nations.
    Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on 
Climate Change--The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in December 1997, 
entered into force on February 16, 2005, and has been ratified by 184 
countries and the European Community. While the United States signed 
the document, the U.S. Senate has never ratified the treaty. The Kyoto 
Protocol sets binding emissions targets for 37 industrialized 
countries, includes mechanisms for measuring and reporting emissions, 
and provides for financing and technology assistance to developing 
countries. The Protocol will expire at the end of 2012.
    Current UNFCCC Negotiations--Negotiations under the UNFCCC are 
underway to formulate a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol. The 
discussions have the goal of concluding an agreement in Copenhagen this 
December. Potential impacts on U.S. industrial competitiveness will be 
discussed during the upcoming roundtable include technology transfer, 
intellectual property, financing, and related commercial opportunities.

    Dated: June 22, 2009.
Cheryl McQueen,
Acting Director, Office of Energy and Environmental Industries, U.S. 
Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. E9-15049 Filed 6-25-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P