CANCUN – 15th December – At the 16th Conference of Parties (COP-16) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Cancun, Mexico, Tim Groser, the New Zealand Minister Responsible for International Climate Change Negotiations, convened an informal meeting of Ministers of small and medium-sized countries which support the reform of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.

According to the official website of the New Zealand government, the group, whose existence was first announced in June at the launch of the Global Subsidies Initiative’s series on fossil-fuel subsidies Untold Billions, intends to reinforce “early signs of a political commitment in this direction”, as set out in the G20 and APEC Leaders' communiqués over the past year. The group, whose members were not announced, is likely to be known as the 'Friends of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform'.

"Reform of huge subsidies for fossil fuels deserves to be far higher up both the climate change and general economic reform agendas”, Mr Groser said, citing research projections that it could reduce global GHG emissions up to 10% by 2050.

For more information about the group, see the announcement on the official website of the New Zealand government: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-zealand-coordinates-action-fossil-fuel-subsidy-reform