Representatives of nearly 200 countries met in Poznan, Poland on 1-12 December 2008, for the latest United Nations Climate Change Conference. They mapped out what needs to be done over the next twelve months to achieve a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, the legally binding regime for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions that expires at the end of 2012. In December 2009, a conference will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, where negotiations are expected to conclude with a new pact that would enter into force in 2013.rn"The world is watching us. The next generation is counting on us. We must not fail," United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told delegates at the High-Level Segment of the conference. He went on to underline that the world is facing two crises: climate change and the global economy. "But these crises present us with a great opportunity - an opportunityrnto address both challenges simultaneously. Managing the global financial crisis requires massive global stimulus. A big part of that spending should be an investment - an investment in a green future. An investment that fights climate change, creates millions of green jobs and spurs green growth. We need a Green New Deal," Mr Ban said - a deal that works for all nations, rich as well as poor.
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