Research Fellow Alvaro Umaña is the Head and Political Coordinator of the Costa Rican Negotiating Team at Copenhagen.
Dr. Alvaro Umaña, Research Fellow at EfD Central America, was designated as Head and Political Coordinator of the Costa Rican Negotiating Team for the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15), Denmark, 7-18 December 18, 2009.
In his own words yesterday, December 1st, after the presentation of the Negotiating Team to press, he said:
“As we approach the Climate Change Summit we have encountered many obstacles on the road but we remain optimistic that a global legally binding agreement will be achieved in Copenhagen or shortly thereafter. Although the U.S Senate has not yet approved the climate change law, President Obama will attend the Summit and offer specific reduction targets. Brazil, China, Indonesia, India has also promised voluntary emission reductions. All these are positive signals that give us hope that we will finally have global climate regime that will include forestry and land use (REDD+ agenda, an upgraded version of REDD including the ability of forests to store carbon) where tropical developing countries can deliver large carbon emission reductions at reasonable costs”.
As Costa Rica’s first minister of energy and environment from 1986 to 1990, during President Oscar Arias’ first term of office, Alvaro Umaña is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to conservation.
Alvaro is well recognized as a leader in formulation of policy and in environmental economics. His main activities at the EfD Center in Central America (EfD-CA) are to promote the efforts of EfD-CA, especially for policy makers, and making alliances with international institutions.
To read more about Alvaro Umaña’s work you can click here.