[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 167 (Monday, August 31, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44824-44825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20904]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Department of Commerce: Industry Outreach in San Francisco, CA, 
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 on September 10, 2009, in San 
Francisco, California, 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: September 10, 2009.

ADDRESSES: To participate in the roundtable, please contact Stephan 
Crawford, Director, U.S. Commercial Service (U.S. Department of 
Commerce)--San Francisco, 250 Montgomery St., 14th Floor, San 
Francisco, CA 94104; 415-705-2301; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Participation

    Any private sector participant may register to attend; space is 
limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Participants 
who are unable to attend the event can call into a conference line to 
participate. Please contact Stephan Crawford, Director, Commercial 
Service (U.S. Department of Commerce)--San Francisco, at 415-705-2301 
or [email protected] to request the conference call-in 
information.
    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

[[Page 44825]]

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 including technology transfer, 
intellectual property, financing, and related commercial opportunities.

Cheryl McQueen,
Acting Director, Office of Energy and Environmental Industries, U.S. 
Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. E9-20904 Filed 8-28-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P