Your Green Tip: Copenhagen Climate Conference & The Story of Stuff by Dee Stofko
Posted By Melissa Bartell on February 1, 2010
During the month of December, every other news story seemed to be about the Copenhagen Climate Conference where heads of 193 industrialized and developing countries were hammering out an agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol due to expire in 2012. Since the Conference has concluded, there has been very little “in the spotlight” about what was accomplished. This article will give you those details “in a nutshell”. However, if you are interested, the entire document can be found by searching Google for Copenhagen Accord.
First of all, the Copenhagen Accord, a 2 ½ -page document is the written result of the Conference. A lot has been said about its non-binding status and the fact that it cannot even be called an agreement as it was opposed by Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Sudan. The Accord calls for countries to “sign-on” by January 31st while submitting their commitments to emission targets by 2020 (from 1990 levels). Brazil has committed to ambitious reductions; Japan has pledged a 25% reduction; the E.U. has promised reduction targets of 20% to 30% depending on other’s commitments. These targets and all others will be listed on Page 4, Appendix I of the Accord. As of today, the U.S. has not submitted its emission reduction targets, but it has pledged to do so by the deadline. South Africa, India and China have announced they will sign on to the agreement and submit their plans by January 31st.
Secondly, the conference has determined that it will monitor and verify all greenhouse gas emissions promised. In the words of the Accord, reductions “by developed countries will be measured, reported and verified” which will help convince signers that other countries are doing what they have promised to do. The accounting of emission targets will be “rigorous, robust and transparent”.
Thirdly, the group has promised resources of $30 billion for 2010-2012 to be available to developing nations to help them upgrade their technology in order to make emission reductions feasible without burdening already struggling economies. An additional $100 billion per year up to 2020 was also promised. This funding will flow through the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund.
Many argue that the Copenhagen Climate Conference was a dismal failure because it produced nothing binding. Others call the Copenhagen Accord hopeful and a first-step toward global action. The parties have agreed to meet next year in Mexico and in South Africa the year after that. UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon announced at the conclusion of the Conference, “It may not be everything we hoped for, but this decision of the Conference of Parties is an essential beginning and we must transform this into a legally binding treaty next year. The importance will only be recognized when it’s codified into international law.”
We know how difficult it is to get family members to agree on where to go out to eat. I think the fact that so many countries have agreed to reducing emissions of their own free will is at least a step in the right direction. Let’s pray that President Obama steps up-to-the-plate and promises solid emission reduction targets that we in the U.S. can all be proud of.
Watch The Story of Stuff to get a concise picture of how we got into this mess in the first place!
About the author
As of January 29th, the Obama administration published its emissions targets per the Copenhagen Accord. It has promised to reduce emissions 17% below 2005 levels by 2020.