Copenhagen | News & Views

Copenhagen Summit – Day 10 Summary

A compromise proposal to be presented by the Danish presidency Wednesday was held up as the negotiating process, according to UN climate chief Yvo de Boer, was subject to an “unexpected stop”.

De Boer: “Unexpected stop” in negotiations - The negotiating process at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen was subject to an “unexpected stop” on Wednesday, according to Yvo de Boer, the UN’s top climate official.

New compromise proposal said to be on its way - Danish PM takes over the COP15 presidency, he will present a compromise on Wednesday afternoon, a Danish newspaper reports.

Climate talks deadlocked as clashes erupt outside – Danish police fired pepper spray outside the UN climate conference on Wednesday, as disputes inside left major issues unresolved just two days before world leaders hope to sign a historic agreement to fight global warming.

Africa shows a willingness to negotiate - African Union climate negotiator Meles Zenawi has scaled back the demands for climate finance from rich countries, signaling thaw under way in the deadlocked UN negotiations.

Countries pledge billions to protect rainforests - The US, Australia, France, Japan, Norway and Britain will make 3.5 billion US dollars available for developing countries that produce ambitious plans to slow and eventually reverse deforestation.

Japan: 15 billion dollars in climate aid - Japanese pledge outbids the EU’s funding for short-term climate aid in developing countries.

Kerry: US to pass “major” climate legislation - A successful deal in Copenhagen will lead the way for climate legislation in the US Congress, says Senator John Kerry.

India: Kyoto in intensive care if not dead - Whether the expiring Kyoto Protocol, which sets targets for greenhouse gas emissions from rich countries only, should be continued, expanded or replaced with an alternative agreement still splits the parties.

British PM warns of failure but brings hope - According to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the first sign of progress in the negotiations could be seen Wednesday with new proposals for climate change from African Union climate negotiator Meles Zenawi.

Hillary Clinton to attend COP15 - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Copenhagen this week, it emerged yesterday.

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

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Copenhagen Summit – Day 9 Summary

The UN climate conference in Copenhagen entered its decisive phase on Tuesday, as heads of state and government began to arrive for the final three days of negotiations. The leaders will be facing “a defining moment in history”, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Prince of Wales speech at Copenhagen - The Prince of Wales has arrived in Copenhagen to promote forest issues.He delivered a speech today at the UN Summit.

Foreign Secretary ‘determined’ to secure ambitious deal - Britain is determined to make sure that Copenhagen produces an ambitious deal on tackling climate change in which Europe plays a ‘critical role’.

UN conference gearing up for make-or-break finale - World leaders “face a defining moment in history”, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said as the Copenhagen conference formally entered its high-level stage Tuesday.

South Korea to bridge rich and poor nations - As the first emerging economy to take on absolute reduction commitments, South Korea hopes to play a key role in Copenhagen. Read more

China: Poor countries are first in line for funding – So far the majority of internationally funded projects under the Kyoto Protocol have been in China. But other countries need the funds more urgently according to Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei. Read more

Merkel concerned over Copenhagen pace – German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced concern Tuesday about the pace of climate negotiations in Copenhagen and said she is “somewhat nervous” about prospects of success. Read more

Forest negotiations are making headway – There is mounting agreement on rewarding tropical countries which slow deforestation under a new deal. This is the first issue where significant progress has been made in Copenhagen. Read more

Further commitments needed to break negotiation deadlock – A blueprint, released Tuesday in Copenhagen, outlines three options for long-term climate aid from developed to developing countries. Read more

Japan to unveil 10 billion dollars in climate aid – A pledge of funds from rich countries will be a key ingredient for any climate change deal in Copenhagen. Japan is ready to make an offer. Read more

Australian PM warns of failure – Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Monday urged world leaders to be more flexible as a consensus looks difficult to achieve. Read more

Schwarzenegger says states key to climate fight – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says countries cannot solve the problem of climate change without the help of states, cities, regions, activists, scientists and universities. Read more

Developing world threatens battle on drafts -African countries, Brazil, China, South Africa and India say they have produced a default proposal to be used only if rich countries try to shortcut UN-led negotiations in Copenhagen. Read more

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

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Copenhagen Summit – Day 8 Summary

Informal talks between the COP presidency and developing countries ended a daylong boycott of negotiations Monday, which was triggered by controversy over the Kyoto Protocol.

Poor countries agree to resume climate talks – Poor countries ended a temporary boycott of the UN climate talks Monday after getting assurances that rich nations were not conspiring to reduce their commitments to cutting greenhouse gases, European officials said.

UN: Don’t leave tough climate issues to leaders – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is warning that if negotiators at the climate change conference in Copenhagen leave the tough issues to global leaders to resolve the world risks having a weak deal or no deal.

Russian call on big emitters – An agreement between the US, Brazil, India and China can form the basis of a global deal, says Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev.

Malaysia is ready to cut emissions – “Developed countries should do most, but Malaysia is ready to do its share,” says Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Miliband: Get your act together – Environment ministers must ”get their act together” to prepare a deal for world leaders to sign at the end of the week, UK Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said Monday.

New model for climate funding – Norway and Mexico join forces and propose a model for climate funding at the negotiations in Copenhagen. The model establishes a Green Fund for financing of climate actions in developing countries.

Backwards step for forest deal – A proposal aimed at saving the world’s tropical forests suffered a setback Sunday, when negotiators at the UN climate talks ditched plans for faster action on the problem because of concerns that rich countries aren’t willing to finance it.

France promotes plan to fight deforestation – The presidents of France and Indonesia say representatives at the UN climate talks must provide adequate funding for a plan to reduce emissions from deforestation.

Rich countries behind green technology fund – The White House on Monday announced a new program drawing funds from international partners to spend 350 million US dollars over five years to supply developing nations with clean energy technology.

India sets Tuesday night deadline – When the first heads of state arrive at Copenhagen on Wednesday, they must have an agreed text to look at, says India’s Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.

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

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Copenhagen Climate Talks SUSPENDED, In Chaos, As Countries Walk Out

Climate talks in turbulence - Copenhagen climate talks partly suspended on Monday noon after African-led protests.

The main session of the UN climate talks in Copenhagen was suspended Monday just before noon, following protests led by African countries, Reuters reports. The African countries accused developed countries of trying to wreck the existing Kyoto Protocol.

“This is a walk-out over process and form, not a walkout over substance, and that’s regrettable,” Australian Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said about the action to Reuters.

At a press briefing Monday noon, UN’s climate chief Yvo de Boer said the Presidency of the conference would have informal talks with the negotiating parties in the early afternoon and that the talks would focus on the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol.

“The vast majority [of countries] want to see a continuation of the Kyoto Protocol,” Yvo de Boer said. “This is not just an African concern.”

Asked whether he had heard of any countries indicating that they might boycott the conference, Yvo de Boer answered:

“I am not aware of any country threatening to block anything.”

Copenhagen Summit – Day 5 Summary

COP15 After two days of intense negotiations and bargaining, EU leaders gathered in Brussels agreed on funding to help poor countries cope with climate change. Meanwhile, a UN working group at the Copenhagen conference produced the first official draft for a global climate deal.

EU putting more money on the table - EU leaders say they have agreed to commit 2.4 billion euro (3.6 billion US dollars) a year until 2012 to help poorer countries combat global warming. On Friday, EU leaders also agreed to reduce their emissions by 30 percent from 1990 levels. 

Yvo de Boer: EU billions a boost to talks – The European Union’s decision to fund 7.2 billion euro for tackling global warming over the next three years is “hugely encouraging” for the climate conference process, says the UN climate chief. 

First official draft on climate deal – A key working group under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) came up with a six-page text Friday. The draft may form the core of a new global agreement to combat climate change beyond 2012, when the present framework, the Kyoto Protocol, expires. 

Russia sets conditions for climate deal – A new global climate change deal should take Russia’s low greenhouse gas emissions in recent years into account, a Russian presidential adviser insisted Friday.

Chinese official: Stern “irresponsible” – In unusually blunt language, China’s Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said on Friday that he was “shocked” by US climate envoy Todd Stern’s comments earlier this week that China shouldn’t expect any American public climate aid money, and that the US was not in any debt to the world for its historically high carbon emissions. 

G-77 chief negotiator walked out in anger – Chief negotiator for 130 developing countries believes that the UN climate change conference “will probably be wrecked by the bad intentions of some people”.

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

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COP15 – Photo Gallery

Copenhagen Summit – Day 4 Summary

COP15 It’s day five of the negotiations and UK Ministers are starting to arrive, gearing up for the Ministerial segment of these crucial negotiations. Ed Miliband has joined the UK negotiating team and will today go into a series of bilateral meetings with key counterparts including the United States, China, South Africa and Denmark.

Yesterday the overarching plenary was suspended, but the negotiations have continued in other sessions on issues such as technology, finance, and adaptation.

As always the team at MoreEco have summarised the events of Day 4 for your.

Capping temperatures is ‘achievable’ says AVOID scientist - Carbon emissions must start to fall within the next 10 years to keep the rise in global temperatures below the 2 degree C level that would trigger environmental devastation, one of the UK Government’s leading climate scientists says.

US is determined to achieve strong agreement – Stern – The chief negotiator for the United States says that Washington is determined to get the ’strongest possible agreement’ in Copenhagen. Todd Stern said he was under no illusion that success would be easy but said that there was a strong political commitment to an agreement from the US Government.

A message from Global Agenda Council Members to World Leaders - More than 200 senior figures across business, finance and academia have called on world leaders to agree a ‘bold new deal’ to curb global warming and generate low carbon growth. The signatories, who are members of the Global Agenda Council on climate change of the World Economic Forum, an independent body, warned that climate change threatened to put ‘our very society at risk’.

Sweden pledges 800 million euro for climate change fund – Sweden says it will give 800 million euro (1.2 billion US dollars) to help developing nations fight climate change.

G-77: Personal call on President Obama - The Group of 77, representing the majority of the world’s developing countries, urges the US to join the Kyoto Protocol and commit to emission reductions comparable to those of other industrialized nations.

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

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Andy Cato of Groove Armada, blogs for Act on Copenhagen

Andy Cato of Groove Armada join’s the call for urgent action on climate change. To coincide with the vital talks in Copenhagen, Andy is a guest blogger for us throughout Copenhagen. Hear more of his thoughts as the talks progress.

Andy has written a booklet on climate change entitled Dad, what did you do when the ice was melting?’ In the booklet Andy shares his thoughts, fears and findings on climate change in a bid to raise public awareness on this complex issue and is a welcome addition to the debate. A copy of the booklet can be found here (PDF 92.74KB).

Copenhagen Summit – Day 3 Summary

COP15 The third day of the UN climate conference in Copenhagen saw another political argument between the two biggest players – and polluters – China and the United States.

China: the US and EU must present deeper cuts – The United States and the European Union (EU) are expected by the Chinese delegation to bring more notable emission reductions targets to the Copenhagen climate talks. At a press conference Tuesday, the Deputy Head of the Chinese delegation, Su Wei (photo above), said neither the US, the EU, nor Japan had offered sufficient cuts in their greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

US fires back at China – Statements by Su Wei, Deputy Head of the Chinese COP15 delegation, on lack of ambitions from the US were opposed by Todd Stern, President Barack Obama’s climate change envoy, as he arrived Wednesday at the conference in Copenhagen.

Developing countries split on demands – Small island states and poor African nations on Wednesday wanted the climate conference to aim at a legally binding deal tougher than the Kyoto Protocol. Richer developing countries opposed the proposal.

EPA chief: US will regulate CO2 with common sense – The United States for the first time outlined a dual path toward cutting greenhouse gases that would involve both President Barack Obama’s administration and the US Congress to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Denmark ready to pay its share – Denmark – the host country of the ongoing UN climate change conference – has put money on the table for adaptation to climate change in developing countries.

COP15 Video Highlights – Watch highlights from day 3 of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 (COP15) – recorded on December 9, 2009.

DECC Delegate Update -DECC delegate gives an update from day three of the Copenhagen negotiations

>>> Source & full articles visit COP15 website

Copenhagen Summit – Day 2 Summary

COP15 Day 2 of the United Nations climate talks in Copehagen is underway. The UK continues to push for a global agreement that’s ambitious, effective and fair. Thanks for backing the bid and helping us secure the 2 degree deal.

US announcement - The US Government has declared carbon dioxide a ‘toxic’ gas that endangers public health in a judgement that gives the Obama administration a legal basis for capping harmful emissions.

The ruling will allow the agency to regulate planet-warming gases even without legislation in Congress. Under existing laws the agency could begin to make rules as soon as next year to regulate emissions from vehicle exhausts, power utilities and heavy industry.

Ed’s Copenhagen send-off - Ed Miliband is taking part in a public meeting today in Manchester, jointly organised with Manchester Friends of the Earth. This will be Ed’s last public event before he travels to Copenhagen.

Coinciding with the launch of Manchester’s climate change action plan, the event will include speakers such as The Guardian’s John Harris and Friends of the Earth’s Campaigns director Mike Childs.

EU committed to move to 30% - The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have made a public push for the European Union to commit to deeper cuts in carbon emissions in a bid to strike an ambitious deal on climate change in Copenhagen.

Gordon Brown urged EU leaders to raise its offer on cuts in carbon emissions to 30% by 2020 compared with 1990, compared with its current pledge of a 20% reduction.

DoThe GreenThings Video - As the Copenhagen Summit is our climate’s last chance saloon, it would help if we all understood what’s got to happen there. To make that simple, Green Thing has produced a Quick Recipe for a Successful Copenhagen with diplomacy illustrated through the medium of cookery. Watch it. Share it. Don’t try to cook it. And remember, as Chef says: “It does not have to be pretty, it just has to work.”

Last decade warmest on record, says Met Office – The last 10 years have been ‘by far’ the warmest decade the world has experienced since modern records began, the UK’s Met Office announced in Copenhagen on 8 December. It said the figures showed that the world continues to see global temperature rise most of which is due to increasing emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It added that the data clearly show that the argument that global warming has stopped is flawed.

Melting ice bear sculpture sends ‘powerful climate message’ – It is the powerful metaphor for man-made climate change. Artist Mark Coreth is sculpting a Polar bear out of ice which will slowly melt as negotiators work towards a global climate change deal in Copenhagen.

“Danish text” raises furore – According to The Guardian, developing countries “react furiously” after a draft text allegedly written by the UN conference’s host country was leaked Tuesday.

Top UN scientist: What Climategate? In harsh wording Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the IPCC, defends British colleagues whose hacked emails have ignited debate over the credibility of mainstream climate science.