Valerie Davis and Kevin Tuerff attended COP 15 as delegates.
U.N. deadline passes with mixed results; Mexico prepares to try again for global climate treaty
Fifty-five of the 193 countries that participated in the U.N. climate summit in Copenhagen have submitted their emission-reduction plans by the January 31 deadline. Without India and China submitting plans, the Copenhagen Accord is on “life support” as a tool for reducing global greenhouse gases. However, the United States and most of the biggest polluting nations submitted their commitments to the United Nations.
“It’s a soft deadline,” explained Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change. “If countries follow up the outcomes of Copenhagen calmly, with eyes firmly on the advantage of collective action, they have every chance of completing the job,” he said.
President Barack Obama worked with other world leaders to negotiate the outcome of COP 15 in Copenhagen last month. We participated in the event as business delegates, and blogged at http://www.GreenDetectives.net.
Feb 4 UPDATE: Todd Stern, the US Special Envoy for Climate Change, issued a statement about the results: “We are pleased to be among 55 countries – including all of the world’s major economies — that have submitted pledges to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions under the Copenhagen Accord. These countries represent nearly 80% of global emissions. In supporting the Accord, we are taking an important step in the global effort to combat climate change.”
“In addition to the countries that have submitted targets or actions, a number of others have conveyed their support for the Accord. We urge all countries to join this broad coalition by promptly conveying their support for the Accord to the UNFCCC Secretariat.”
MARCH 9 UPDATE: China and India asked the UN to officially be listed as part of the accord.
“The Copenhagen Accord includes important advances on funding, technology, forestry, adaptation and transparency. The United States is committed to working with our partners around the world to make the Accord operational and to continue the effort to build a strong, science-based, global regime to combat the profound threat of climate change.” (From US State Department)
This could be interpreted to mean: sign up for the accord, or no financial aid from the U.S.
Behind the U.N. and U.S. spin of the final outcome for the accord is a valley of discontent between developed and developing countries. Some believe the differences are so great that the largest countries should try to fix the climate problem on their own. Others want to give UNFCCC negotiations a chance, with up to five more negotiating sessions this year, concluding in late November at COP 16 in Cancún, Mexico.
Copenhagen Accord Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals by 2020
According to news reports, these large countries reported these emission-reduction commitments from 2005 levels. Check here or come back to GreenDetectives.net for updates.
Country % Reduction % of Global Pollution
Australia 5 1.3
Brazil 20 6.6
Canada 17 2
European Union 20** 15
Indonesia 26 4.7
Japan 25** 4
United States 17 18
** by 1990 levels
China, the world’s largest emitter (generating 22 percent of global emissions), said publicly it would reduce its carbon intensity by at least 40 percent (a different measure) while allowing overall emissions to increase. India (6 percent) pledged a 20-25 percent reduction of 2005 emissions.
U.S. negotiators in Copenhagen were trying to encourage countries to sign the accord, dangling a $10 billion carrot of financial aid from the United States and others. The money would be used for climate adaptation and mitigation.
“The proof of their commitment, their credentials will be demonstrated if the $10 billion flows as promised,” said, Jairam Ramesh, India’s Environment Minister. “If it doesn’t, we would believe that developed countries aren’t serious about climate change.”
Mexico willing to lead
COP 16 moved to Cancún
Mexican president Felipe Calderón sees a problem with the dispute between poor countries and rich countries. Calling it a false dilemma, he says, “It’s as if we were in an airplane that has serious problems, and there is a terrible dispute between the passengers of first class and tourist class.”
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last week, Calderón said, “My perception is lack of consensus is related to economic problems in each nation. There are huge economic costs associated with the tasks to cope with climate change.”
Noting the climate financing proposals from developed countries are probably not enough, he urges good-faith negotiations to move forward. He appears ready to try to be the bridge builder between rich and poor. For Calderón, COP 16 is both a logistical and political challenge. However, a successful outcome could bring dramatic changes to improve Mexico’s global image.
It’s interesting to note the Mexican government has moved the climate conference from the polluted Mexico City, to the beautiful resort area of Cancún. The beaches and crashing waves should provide a better backdrop for the conference than Denmark’s frigid temperatures and snow. Face it: global warming conferences should only be held in regions where it’s warm in December. And the Yucatan has faced more than its share of disasters due in part to rising ocean temperatures, including hurricanes and dying coral reefs offshore.
Perhaps Americans will pay more attention because of their proximity to and familiarity with Cancún, but I doubt it. No worries, the Green Detectives will be there. And we’ll continue following the climate issue here throughout 2010. –Kevin Tuerff
