Summary of the Fourth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and of the Activities of the International Nuclear Forum in Buenos Aires

The Fourth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change was concluded on 14 November 1998 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Unlike Kyoto in 1997, this conference was on a smaller scale and was convened as a technical work session, its aim being to produce a plan of action and a timetable for a programme of work for the next two years. This paper summarizes the main outcomes of the conference and looks at the way in which the International Nuclear Forumorganized the nuclear industry's representation. In particular, the paper assesses the impact of the nuclear industry's message regardingthe avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions, and goes on to consider what lessons can be reached for raising the industry's profile at future climate change conferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]