White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy
Encyclopedia
The White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy is a new government entity in the United States created by President
Barack Obama
. Its first director is Carol Browner, who was Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
for the eight years of the Bill Clinton
administration. The office was created in order to coordinate administration policy on energy and climate change
.
, to facilitate candid dialogue among key developed and developing countries regarding efforts to advance clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For the new forum, President Obama invited the leaders of 16 major economies and the Secretary General of the United Nations
to designate representatives to participate in a preparatory session at the U.S. Department of State that occurred on April 27-28 in Washington, D.C.
This and other preparatory sessions culminated in a Major Economies Forum Leaders' meeting, which Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
agreed to host in La Maddalena
, Italy
, in July 2009. The 17-nation MEF meeting was subsequently moved to earthquake
-wrecked L'Aquila
, Italy, and occurred July 9, 2009.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Its first director is Carol Browner, who was Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is the head of the United States federal government's Environmental Protection Agency, and is thus responsible for enforcing the nation's Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, as well as numerous other environmental statutes. The Administrator is...
for the eight years of the Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
administration. The office was created in order to coordinate administration policy on energy and climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
.
Energy and climate change policy of the Barack Obama administration
President Obama launched the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate ChangeMajor Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change
The Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate was launched on March 28, 2009. The MEF is intended to facilitate a candid dialogue among major developed and developing economies, help generate the political leadership necessary to achieve a successful outcome at the December UN climate change...
, to facilitate candid dialogue among key developed and developing countries regarding efforts to advance clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For the new forum, President Obama invited the leaders of 16 major economies and the Secretary General of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
to designate representatives to participate in a preparatory session at the U.S. Department of State that occurred on April 27-28 in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
This and other preparatory sessions culminated in a Major Economies Forum Leaders' meeting, which Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
agreed to host in La Maddalena
La Maddalena
La Maddalena is a town and comune located on the island with the same name, in northern Sardinia, part of the province of Olbia-Tempio, Italy.-The town:...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, in July 2009. The 17-nation MEF meeting was subsequently moved to earthquake
2009 L'Aquila earthquake
The 2009 L'Aquila earthquake occurred in the region of Abruzzo, in central Italy. The main shock occurred at 3:32 local time on 6 April 2009, and was rated 5.8 on the Richter scale and 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale; its epicentre was near L'Aquila, the capital of Abruzzo, which together...
-wrecked L'Aquila
L'Aquila
L'Aquila is a city and comune in central Italy, both the capital city of the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 73,150 inhabitants, but has a daily presence in the territory of 100,000 people for study, tertiary activities, jobs and tourism...
, Italy, and occurred July 9, 2009.
Elimination of Office
In April 2011 it was reported that Congress would no longer fund the office in the 2011 budget.See also
- Politics of global warming (United States)Politics of global warming (United States)The politics of global warming is played out at a state and federal level in the United States.-Federal policy:-International law:The United States, although a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, has neither ratified nor withdrawn from the protocol...
- Americas Energy and Climate SymposiumAmericas Energy and Climate SymposiumAmericas Energy and Climate Symposium is the first major energy event after the Summit of the Americas in April 2009, where U.S. President Barack Obama announced the formation of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas . ECPA is a voluntary and flexible framework for advancing energy...
- EERE
- Foreign policy of the Barack Obama administrationForeign policy of the Barack Obama administrationThe Foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration is the foreign policy of the United States from January 20, 2009 onward under the administration of President Barack Obama. Some of Obama's major foreign policy advisors include Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, National Security...
- IRENAIrena-Other languages:*Irene in English*Irène in French*Eirini or Irini in Greek-People:*Irena Degutienė, Prime Minister in Lithuania*Irena Fleissnerová , Czech breaststroke swimmer...
- Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate ChangeMajor Economies Forum on Energy and Climate ChangeThe Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate was launched on March 28, 2009. The MEF is intended to facilitate a candid dialogue among major developed and developing economies, help generate the political leadership necessary to achieve a successful outcome at the December UN climate change...
- Nationally Appropriate Mitigation ActionNationally Appropriate Mitigation ActionNationally Appropriate Mitigation Action refers to a set of policies and actions that countries undertake as part of a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The term recognizes that different countries may take different nationally appropriate action on the basis of equity and in...
External links
- White House Executive Office of the President list of offices