Number in parenthesis for advanced pushrod indicates 45 percent of pushrod engines replaced by OHC engines. N/M: Not meaningful. Drag reduction for large/luxury cars from Co= 0.42 baseline. Annex INITIAL LIST OF ITEMS ON WHICH THE IPCC COULD PROVIDE INPUT TO THE SBSTA All available research results in the open literature relevant to all SBSTA items have been addressed in either the Second Assessment page 23 FCCC/SB/1996/L.1 Initiation of all Special Reports is subject to approval by the IPCC at its XIIth session. Special Reports will follow the full IPCC review and approval procedures and require approximately 18 months for preparation and approval. Technical papers will require approximately 6-9 months for preparation, review, and release by the Bureau of the IPCC. Already included in the IPCC programme of work for 1996-1997 DRAFT 2/20 STATEMENT OF THE U.S. ON TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANELS Thank you Mr Chairman. We very much appreciate the efforts that have gone into your report on the proposed establishment of the Technical Advisory Panels as described in document SBSTA/1996/2. Before commenting specifically on this very useful proposal, I would like to first address what we believe is the underlying rationale that should guide the creation and work of the these technical advisory panels. I am certain that all of you share with me a clear recognition of the complexity of the issues that we face in developing an effective response to the threat of global warming. While these complexities cannot be used as an excuse for inaction, there existence underscores the need to obtain the very best scientific and technical information to support our efforts. The excellent work of the IPCC assessments have, in part, fulfilled that need. Dec. 6 of the First Conference of Parties called on us to go beyond the recently completed work of the IPCC to establish technical advisory panels that would "identify innovative, efficient, and state-of-the-art technologies and know-how and advice on the ways and means of promoting development and /or transferring such technologies." To successfully fulfill this mandate, we believe that these technical advisory panels (1) must draw extensively from the expertise of the private and public sector, including academia and other NGO organizations, (2) that members of the panel must serve as independent experts, not representatives of any government or region, industry, or private organization, (3) that the work of these experts must undergo independent peer review and be presented as objective information to the SBSTA and AGBM, as appropriate, for use by these bodies in their deliberations, and (4) that participants in these panels should reflect geographic balance to insure that technical concerns and perspectives of all are reflected in their work. Mr. Chairman, with these principles in mind, I would like to offer the following comments on the draft proposal you have prepared for our deliberations: We very much agree with your suggestion that the functions of the two panels be combined into a single panel. If the need for a second panel arises over the course of time, it can always be created at a later date. We think that there is no real need to designate the panel as provisional. In fact, because it is unlikely that much of the panel's work can be completed prior to COP 3, its mandate should necessarily extend well beyond |