"De Boer call for UN shift from climate to energy"; Pachauri agrees

New Role Proposed for U.N. in Combating Global Warming - NYTimes.com

LISBON — Rather than focus on reaching a legally binding climate agreement, the United Nations should take a stronger role in making sure that countries promote the development and use of cleaner energy sources, Yvo de Boer, the U.N.’s former climate chief, said on Friday.
...
At a time when the U.N.’s long-held ambition of reaching a new treaty to curb emissions blamed for global warming seems out of reach, Mr. de Boer said many countries, as well as companies, wanted “to be held accountable” for their efforts at promoting greener policies and industries.
....
Canada was not expecting to achieve its targets under Kyoto yet had not actually withdrawn. “I don’t see a lot of talk about consequences,” Mr. de Boer said, referring to Canada. “Even something internationally legally binding is relative,” he said.
...
Rajendra Pachauri, the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which has tracked research on human-caused global warming since it was created under U.N. auspices in 1988, said on Friday at the conference that he supported Mr. de Boer’s recommendations.

Twitter / Andy Revkin

De Boer call for UN shift from climate to energy