Welcome to Historical General Assembly: United Nations Climate Change Conference of 2009
Dear Delegates,
As your chair for the 2009 Copenhagen Commission on Climate Change, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to ILMUNC XXVIII. My name is David Aron, and I am absolutely thrilled to be chairing this extraordinary committee. I could not be more excited to guide you in solving one of the most pressing issues facing the international community: climate change.
To introduce myself, I am a junior pursuing a dual degree between the Wharton School and the College of Arts and Sciences, concentrating in Finance and Chinese respectively. I am originally from Chicago where I was able to pursue my interests in international relations and business through the school’s Model UN club. Last year, I served as a DDI on the Intercol Board, assisting in leading trips to Berkeley and Chicago. In my spare time, you can find me pursuing my passion of international travel or catching up on the newest episodes of True Blood.
Please do not hesitate to contact our USG – Stephen Rutman – if you have any questions about the background guide, the conference, or myself. As we get closer to conference, please be sure to read the background guide and, hopefully, dig even deeper into the topics. The quality of this committee really does depend on you and I am confident that your innovation and creativity will produce some fruitful solutions to one of the biggest problems that our generation has to deal with. I'm very much looking forward to meeting all of you in January and can't wait for what will certainly be the best ILMUNC yet!
Best wishes,
David Aron
Chair, HGA - 2009 U.N. Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
Ivy League Model United Nations Conference XXVIII
Dear Delegates,
Welcome to the 2009 Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen! My name is Scott, and it is my pleasure to be your moderator for ILMUNC 2012. This year looks to be another incredible conference, and I look forward to getting to know you all as we make our way toward January.
What else is there to know about me? I’m a senior in Penn’s Wharton School of Business, studying Real Estate and Social Impact & Responsibility. Originally from Purchase, New York, my love for all things Model U.N. began back as a freshman in high school. Since then, I have spent the majority of my time working on Penn’s high school conference, ILMUNC, serving as an Assistant Secretary-General, Under-Secretary-General of Specialized Agencies, and most recently, Business Director. This will be my 7th consecutive year attending ILMUNC. Outside of Model UN, I tend to spend my time quoting Woody Allen and miserably following the New York Mets.
I’m extremely excited to be moderating the HGA this year. This will be my first experience moderating, but please don’t have any doubts in my ability to control the room and flow of debate; I certainly don’t. This year, we’ve put together what should be some incredibly engaging debate topics, and I hope for it to be a truly unique historical GA experience for all of you.
While the background guide should serve as a starting point for your research, the more you delve into what went right and what went wrong in the 2009 CCCC, the stronger debate will be. If you have any questions about the topics, the conference, or anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out to our USG – Stephen Rutman.
I look forward to meeting you in January!
Cheers,
Scott Weinreb
Moderator, HGA - 2009 U.N. Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
Ivy League Model United Nations Conference XXVIII
Topic Summaries
Topic A: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
In 2009, the United Nations Climate Change Conference—the Copenhagen Summit or “COP15”—was held to devise solutions to the world’s most pressing climate change issues. One of the issues discussed in the most detail at the conference was that of the safest and most efficient uses of global energy, as well as the prospect of replacing hazardous sources of energy with renewable energy sources. As this matter has gained international attention, the United Nations has discovered the many impediments preventing the world from becoming more energy efficient. Although significant progress was made at the Conference, delegates to the Historical General Assembly Committee will be responsible for reviewing the decisions of the original Conference and reassessing these choices with the perspective of three years of international events.
Topic B: Impact of Climate Change on Trade and Development
Over the course of the last decade, climate change has rapidly begun to affect citizens worldwide. Trade and development are the most notable areas in which climate change has had a significant effect on the international community. With increasing globalization has come the ability to move goods around the world with ease. However, countries and corporations frequently disregard the environmental impact of this escalating transportation, which uses massive amounts of fossil fuels and releases pollution into the atmosphere. Thus, the United Nations Climate Change Conference of 2009 sought methods to alleviate these new challenges. While some of the techniques they considered have proven effective, considerable work remains. Delegates must determine how to balance economic development with the international interest of preserving the environment for generations to come.