Closing out the second night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, former President Bill Clinton presented an impassioned speech outlining the achievements of his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, throughout her life in public service, briefly noting her role in international climate change negotiations. “She put climate change at the center of our foreign policy,” he said. “She negotiated the first agreement ever for where China and India officially committed to reduce their emissions.”
Hillary Clinton on Tuesday officially became the Democratic Party nominee for president, running against Republican Donald Trump.
While serving as secretary of state under current President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton played a role in the 15th session of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen, Denmark. The COP15 negotiations are infamous for falling into chaos in their final days, and Clinton often recalls rushing around the convention grounds searching for the Chinese delegation in a last-ditch effort to secure a climate agreement.
COP15 produced the Copenhagen Accord, a non-legally binding document under which nations pledged emissions reduction targets. The U.S. pledged to reduce its emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 while China and India respectively committed to reduce their carbon intensity by 40-45 percent and 20-25 percent below 2005 levels. The accord was not adopted; instead, delegates to COP15 only “took note” of it, meaning there was not sufficient consensus for adoption, but it was essentially acknowledged by the conference.
Bill Clinton also noted Hillary’s commitment to supporting coal states as the nation transitions to a cleaner energy system. “She sent me in this primary to West Virginia, where she knew we were going to lose, to look those coal miners in the eye and say, ‘I’m down here because Hillary sent me to tell you that if you really think you can get the economy back you had 50 years ago, have at it. … But, if she wins, she is coming back for you, to take you along the ride to America’s future,’” he said.