Copenhagen | News & Views

Is it a surprise that the Copenhagen Accord may not work?

When representatives of 192 countries converged in Copenhagen at the end of 2009, it was thought to be a seminal step forward in the world’s fight against climate change.

Out of this conference emerged the Copenhagen Accord and the agreement that a two degree limit would be the benchmark by which the international community would measure global warming.

However, no firm agreement was made about how this would be achieved.
Just six months later, researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research have said that the pledges made in Copenhagen may not be enough to keep global warming within the agreed limits.

Published in the journal Nature, the research suggests that current emission levels could see the earth heat up by more than three degrees by 2100. It estimates that there is a 50 percent chance of this happening.

Currently the UK is pledging to cut carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050, although this may change depending on the result of the upcoming election.

The researchers said that even if all nations reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere by half by 2050, there is still a 50 percent chance that global temperatures will rise by two degrees C.

In fact it was found that it’s possible that global carbon emissions could increase by 20 percent by 2020.

According to the Times, the report concluded that the nations which signed up at Copenhagen were simply putting off difficult decisions.

The United Nations has also pointed out recently that it is very unlikely that the targets set out in the Copenhagen Accord will be met.
And is it really a surprise that such vague pledges may not bring about the changes needed?

In brief, those who signed the accord agreed that action must be taken on climate change and agreed to the provision of certain levels of funding, both long term and short term.

Developing countries will be required to report their efforts every two years, although no similar clause was included which applies to developed nations.

Perhaps, most significantly no sanctions were identified for those who fail to meet their targets.

So, in light of this new research, is it time for the world to accept that the Copenhagen Accord was just a vague idea and we’re still waiting for the real action to tackle climate change to begin?

>>> Please read the full article here

Did the Copenhagen Summit Fail?

According to John Vidal, Allegra Stratton and Suzanne Goldenberg – ‘Copenhagen Ends in Failure’ cop15_logo_b_m1

(This article is a summary – read the full article at the guardian.co.uk)

The UN climate summit reached a weak outline of a global agreement in Copenhagen tonight, falling far short of what Britain and many poor countries were seeking and leaving months of tough negotiations to come.

After eight draft texts and all-day talks between 115 world leaders, it was left to Barack Obama and Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, to broker a political agreement. The so-called Copenhagen accord “recognises” the scientific case for keeping temperature rises to no more than 2C but does not contain commitments to emissions reductions to achieve that goal.

American officials spun the deal as a “meaningful agreement”, but even Obama said: “This progress is not enough.”

In a press conference held after the talks broke up, Brown said the agreement was a “vital first step” and accepted there was a lot more work to do to get assurances it would become a legally binding agreement. He declined to call it a “historic” conference:

The deal was brokered between China, South Africa, India, Brazil and the US, but late last night it was unclear whether it would be adopted by all 192 countries in the full plenary session. The deal aims to provide $30bn a year for poor countries to adapt to climate change from next year to 2012, and $100bn a year by 2020.

But it disappointed African and other vulnerable countries which had been holding out for deeper emission cuts to hold the global temperature rise to 1.5C this century. As widely expected, all references to 1.5C in past drafts were removed at the last minute, but more surprisingly, the earlier 2050 goal of reducing global CO2 emissions by 80% was also dropped.

Obama hinted that China was to blame for the lack of a substantial deal. In a press conference he condemned the insistence of some countries to look backwards to previous environmental agreements. He said developing countries should be “getting out of that mindset, and moving towards the position where everybody recognises that we all need to move together”.

Negotiators will now work on individual agreements such as forests, technology, and finance – but, without strong leadership, the chances are that it will take years to complete.

John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK, said: “The city of Copenhagen is a crime scene tonight, with the guilty men and women fleeing to the airport. Ed Miliband [UK climate change secretary] is among the very few that come out of this summit with any credit.” It is now evident that beating global warming will require a radically different model of politics than the one on display here in Copenhagen.”

China has ‘open mind’

China’s lead climate change negotiator has said he was keeping an “open attitude” as to whether global warming cop_logo_1_r was man-made or due to natural cycles.

Xie Zhenhua said climate warming was a “solid fact” and that mainstream scientific opinion held it was due to emissions of gases such as CO2.

Mr Xie’s comments appeared to surprise the other environment ministers and envoys at a news conference at the end of their two-day meeting.
He said: “It is already a solid fact that the climate is warming.
“There is one starkly different view, that the climate change or climate warming issue is caused by the cyclical element of nature itself.
“I think we need to adopt an open attitude to the scientific research.”
He said that it was important to include as many views as possible “to be more scientific and to be more consistent”.

A number of scientists have recently disputed the figure. The vice-chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said last week that it was an error and would be reviewed.
But the IPCC’s vice-chairman Jean-Pascal van Ypersele said it did not change the broader picture of man-made climate change.

At their weekend gathering, the officials said they would announce by the end of the month their plans to cut emissions.

They also agreed to contribute $10bn (£6.2bn) this year to help poor nations combat the effects of climate change.
Brazil’s Environment Minister Carols Minc said this would be “a slap in the face to the rich countries” who pledged at the Copenhagen climate summit in December to contribute $30bn (£18.5bn) in funding for the next three years and $100bn (£61.8bn) by 2020.

See the full article at the bbc.co.uk/news

Comedian Peter Macfadyen for OneClimate at COP15 in Copenhagen

Comedian Peter Macfadyen talks to Daniel Nelson of OneClimate about Banks, Climate, Carbon Trading and many more.

Canada is next eco-battleground after letdown in Copenhagen

COP15 Environmentalists digesting their disappointment with the Copenhagen climate conference are already turning their attention to the next eco-battleground, urging Canada to use next year’s G8 and G20 summits to set the agenda for the next big climate conference in Mexico in 2010.

Hosting next year’s summits will increase expectations on the Canadian government to correct its image as a “laggard” on climate change, Keith Stewart, climate change program director at WWF-Canada, said Sunday.

“Canadians expect their government to do much more to try to be an honest broker, particularly in the coming year when we’re going to be the president of the G8 and co-hosting the G20,” he said.

“We know climate change is going to be a big part of these discussions, so Canada has to move from trying to do as little as possible … toward trying to help broker a deal.”

The Copenhagen conference narrowly avoided utter failure with a limited but politically saleable last-minute pact Saturday.

More than 190 countries agreed they would “take note” of the non-binding Copenhagen Accord, which will see countries list individual emission reduction targets and begin a process to send tens of billions of dollars in financial aid to poor nations to help them adapt to climate change.

The Copenhagen Accord commits the world to keeping the effects of climate change limited to less than two degrees Celsius. It also seeks to raise $100 billion annually by 2020 to help poor countries adapt to predicted global warming that is expected to bring more floods, droughts and rising sea levels.

The summit saw Canada heavily criticized in some quarters for its oilsands and its perceived reluctance to move toward deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

“We didn’t get the kind of deal we were hoping for in Copenhagen so there’s still a lot of work to be done,” said Stewart.

“They’ve agreed on a goal, which is to keep warming below two degrees, but the emissions cuts on the table right now would lead to at least three degrees in warming, so it’s clear that there’s more that has to be done,” he said. “The good thing is almost everyone recognizes more needs to be done…. But the longer we wait, the harder and more expensive it’s going to be to actually solve this problem.

“A lot of the work is going to be done through the G8 and the G20 in the lead up to Mexico next year, that’s where Canada has a role, we’re setting the agendas,” he said.

The next major United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting will be held in Mexico in late November or early December 2010. It will be preceded by a major two-week negotiating session in Bonn, Germany, in May and June.

Some environmentalists however weren’t convinced Canada would seize the opportunity afforded to it by hosting the G8 and G20 summits in Ontario.

“As chair of the 2010 G8 meeting and co-host of the next G20, Canada could be a key player in reaching a strong, binding global climate deal,” wrote Clare Demerse of the Pembina Institute, a Canadian energy and environmental think-tank, on her Copenhagen conference’s blog.

“Right now, Canada is utterly unprepared to step into that role. Avoiding a reprise of the criticism the government faced in Copenhagen will mean ending the delay and putting strong and effective policies in place well before the G8 gets underway next June.”

Ian Bruce, climate change specialist with the David Suzuki Foundation, said he believes the pressure will be on the federal government again in the coming year.

“We’ve seen Canadians come out in full force from all walks of life calling on the prime minister to take strong leadership on climate change and I believe that will continue and will only intensify as the world comes to Canada for the upcoming G8, G20 meetings.”

>>> View other MoreEco News & Views Summit Summary’s

Brazil’s Silva criticizes US stance in Copenhagen

COP15 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is criticizing the United States for failing to commit to concrete carbon-emissions reductions at the U.N. climate conference in Denmark.

Silva says the U.S. stance at one point prompted several European nations and Japan to reconsider the Kyoto Protocol, which he says would have been “very serious.” Under the Kyoto Protocol, 37 industrial nations were already making modest emissions cuts.

The U.S.-brokered Copenhagen Accord reached Saturday calls for, but does not require emissions reductions.

Commenting during his weekly radio program Monday, Silva warned that all nations will need to keep treating climate change as a priority to reach a definite solution to global warming.

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Copenhagen Summit – Day 12 Summary

The last day of the UN climate conference in Copenhagen ended with a group of countries including the US and China agreeing a deal which the EU early Saturday described as “not perfect” but “better than no deal.”

UK PM to push for legally binding treaty – At a midnight press conference Friday evening, the Prime Minister says he will lead an international campaign for legally binding treaty

EU: “The only deal available in Copenhagen” – While the head of China’s climate delegation thought “everyone should be happy,” it was uncertain late Friday night whether the “Copenhagen Accord” agreed by the US, China, Brazil, South Africa and India would win broader support among countries.

US, China, India, Brazil and South Africa reach deal - According to a senior Obama administration official the United States, China, India, Brazil, South Africa and South Africa have reached a “meaningful agreement” on climate change Friday evening.

New draft for Copenhagen deal - In a newly written draft named the “Copenhagen Accord” a 2010-deadline for reaching a legally binding climate treaty has been dropped, Reuters reported Friday afternoon.

Chávez felt excluded - Venezuela’s President, Hugo Chávez, criticized the UN climate conference for “a real lack of transparency.”

EU challenges US and China – The European Union makes clear it is ready to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels – if the US and China “do their part.

Obama: I came here to act - “Our ability to take collective action is in doubt,” US President Barack Obama warned the plenary at COP15.

Brazil ready to provide funding – “As the first developing country Brazil offers to contribute to the finance mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol – if an agreement is reached in Copenhagen Friday, says President Lula.

World leaders in last-minute climate talks - The UN climate talks were in serious disarray Friday, prompting President Barack Obama to upend his schedule and hold close-door talks with 19 other world leaders to work out a last-minute agreement on fighting global warming.

China and India signal progress on transparency – The world’s two largest emerging economies both respond positively to a call from US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. “We are 75 percent underway with a solution,” says Indian minister.

Hillary Clinton brings positive momentum - After statements by the US Secretary of State on financing, a number of key players have agreed on a draft text that will be discussed on the UN conference’s last day.

>>>Full in depth article visit COP15 and Act on Copenhagen

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Important Climate Change Websites

Below we have list the 5 top Government Climate change websites.

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COP15 – Latest Videos – The Cube, Kids from Age of Stupid and The Limos

Age of Stupid: DVD: Copenhagen Kids
Six kids tell the world leaders how it is from the very room where the Climate Change talks will take place in December 2009. Featured on The Age of Stupid DVD Disc 2 www.ageofstupid.net/shop

Drive My Car – Limos at the COP15 Copenhagen
Americans for Prosperity investigates the “carbon-conscious” way many U.N. delegates are getting to the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15).

Copenhagen COP-15 Conference – The Cube
Here in Copenhagen at the COP-15 Climate Change Conference, a giant art installation called “The Cube”, is playing YouTube videos submitted on youtube.com/cop15 all day long. It’s part of our climate change campaign with CNN, in which YouTubers can submit videos for our CNN/YouTube town hall. The cube represents a cubic ton of carbon, and is located on a small pond near the planetarium in Copenhagen. Since it’s dark for much of the day in Copenhagen, the visual display is quite stunning.

>>> View other MoreEco News & Views Copenhagen Summit Summary’s

Copenhagen Summit – Day 11 Summary

After the Danish COP presidency was forced to give up on creating consensus around a draft text for a political climate deal, negotiations broke the deadlock Thursday and continued on a two-track basis.

Sarkozy: Failure in Copenhagen would be a catastrophe - European leaders expressed themselves in no uncertain terms when addressing fellow heads of state and governments attending the penultimate day of the UN climate conference in Copenhagen.

Brown urges Copenhagen to overcome obstacles to a deal - Prime Minister Gordon Brown will deliver an impassioned plea this morning to fellow world leaders to ‘make the desirable possible’ by overcoming their differences.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown addresses climate summit – ‘In these few days in Copenhagen, which will be blessed or blamed for generations to come, we cannot permit the politics of narrow interest to prevent a policy for human survival.’

Kyoto proponents win first round - The Copenhagen negotiations broke the deadlock on Thursday and are now moving forward on a two-track basis that maintains the integrity of the Kyoto protocol.

Uphill struggle for ambitious deal - The Danish Presidency has given up on its ambition to create consensus on a text that would form the basis of a global political deal to combat global warming, reports a Danish daily.

China willing to detail emission effort – According to Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei China is ready for “dialogue and cooperation that is not intrusive, that does not infringe on China’s sovereignty”.

The US insists on transparency – In partnership with other countries, the US will try to mobilize 100 billion dollars a year for climate aid by 2020, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The US insists that funding will only be granted if developing countries allow for full transparency of their emissions.

China signals hope for deal - China was reported to signal an operational accord out of reach. Now China’s climate change ambassador says China has not given up hope for a deal.

COP15 agree on procedure - At Thursday noon, the delegates at the UN climate conference decided to continue the climate talks in two tracks, one on the Kyoto Protocol, another on the Climate Change Convention.

Obama won’t break new ground at summit – US officials stressed Wednesday that when Obama travels to the climate conference in Denmark this week he won’t bring anything to the talks beyond Washington’s already stated goals.

Emissions pledges do not match needs - Emissions cuts offered so far at the Copenhagen summit will lead to global temperatures rising by an average of three degrees, a confidential UN analysis obtained by The Guardian reveals.

>>>Full in depth article visit COP15 and Act on Copenhagen

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