Faltering negotiations to agree an international climate change treaty received an unexpected blow today when the UN's top climate change official, Yvo de Boer, announced he is to step down from the post.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) confirmed de Boer, who led international talks to agree a successor to the Kyoto Protocol for nearly four years, is to resign his post with effect from 1 July.
He said he will take up a post as global adviser on climate and sustainability at consultancy giant KPMG, adding that it was the private sector that will ultimately deliver the deep cuts in carbon emissions that are required.
"I have always maintained that while governments provide the necessary policy
framework, the real solutions must come from business," he said. "Copenhagen did
not provide us with a clear agreement in legal terms, but the political
commitment and sense of direction towards a low-emissions world are
overwhelming. This calls for new partnerships with the business sector and I now
have the chance to help make this happen."
De Boer told the Associated Press he was announcing his departure now to give the UN time to identify a successor ahead of the next crucial international climate change summit in Mexico where it is hoped a binding treaty to curb global greenhouse gas emissions will be agreed.
The Dutch diplomat has been largely well regarded during his time in the post and has been widely credited with raising the profile of the negotiations and delivering a series of breakthroughs towards a deal.
Most notably, he helped broker agreement on the road map towards a new treaty at 2007's Bali summit, where at one point he visibly broke down with frustration at the slow progress of the talks.
He was also instrumental in last year's Copenhagen summit, which was attended by about half the world's leaders and resulted in a non-binding agreement to limit global temperature rises to no more than two degrees.
However, he faced criticism over the organisation of the summit, which was dogged by countless breakdowns in the negotiations over procedural issues and numerous logistical difficulties that left many delegates shut out of proceedings.
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