UN Climate Conference

Copenhagen 2009

03.11.2009

by Mareike Röwekamp

Dossier index

Copenhagen 2009

Copenhagen – Over the past few months the Danish capital has become a symbol of the tremendous effort being made to come up with a common climate change policy, and the fierce debates this is provoking. It is in Copenhagen, on 7-18 December, that the 15th UN Climate Conference will take place – and world’s attention is already focused on this event.

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On 3 November climate change began to take centre stage, when in a speech hailed by some as “historic” German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the importance of Copenhagen. The German leader told US Congress that there was “no time to lose” in fighting climate change – and that the US should join Europe taking real action. "No doubt about it, in December, the world will look to us, to the Europeans and to the Americans,” she stated. “I am convinced that once we in Europe and America show that we are ready to make binding agreements, we will also be able to persuade China and India to join in.” She received a standing ovation – although some US conservatives remained seated.

The long road from Kyoto to Copenhagen

This show of enthusiasm for climate change issues was particularly remarkable because the United States was one of the states that refused to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Under this agreement, 37 industrialised countries, plus the EU as a whole, committed themselves to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by an average of five percent from 1990 levels by 2012. According to the Center for Global Development, a US-based think-tank, in 1997 the US was the world's biggest emitter of CO2, but it has now been overtaken by China.

In 2012 the Kyoto Protocol expires – and the Copenhagen summit is supposed to find a way to continue the process that it started. It seems the political will is there.

At the 22 September UN climate change summit, US-president Barack Obama said, “no nation, however large or small, wealthy or poor, can escape the impact of climate change.” “Our generation's response to this challenge will be judged by history, for if we fail to meet it – boldly, swiftly, and together – we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe,” he declared.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso vowed that the EU would work with the US to make Copenhagen a success.
Still there are many thorny issues left to be resolved.

A question of responsibility

The main problem is one of money. Poorer countries – led by China – say they cannot afford to cut emissions and are demanding that industrialised countries reduce their greenhouse gas levels first. Richer countries – led by United States – point out that emissions from countries with huge populations such as China and India are set to increase dramatically and it is these countries that will be largely responsible for increases in emissions in the future.

The European Union is faced with a similar clash of interests. The main sticking point within Europe is the question of who will fund the planned €15 billion a year in financial aid to encourage the developing world to find alternative, cleaner sources of energy. The poorer EU countries, led by Poland, are demanding a “means test”. This would see the richer nations, such as the UK, France and Germany, pay more, while less well-off nations - mainly in Central and Eastern Europe - would contribute less.

So, Copenhagen has ambitious goals. The Danish government’s aim is for the summit to produce a comprehensive, global agreement. But the jury is still out on whether, realistically, this can be achieved.

Comments

by rose fuller

27.02.2010

Other

The prior comment which states that global warming is a hoax is grossly misinformed. The science behind this has been building for decades. And scientists are not all making this up to get grants. Ridiculous. In the scientific community, you must pass peer reviews and other tests of your data. Corporations are more likely the culprits here as they promote fear and ignorance in order to stave off climate control regulations. Unfortunately, many people are reacting purely on emotion and fear. They do not have all the facts and do not know better than highly educated and experienced scientists from around the world. Who is scamming who?

by James Dibble

09.12.2009

United Kingdom

This is a HUGE Spin.. swindle.. its organized WORLD GOVERNMENT FORMATION.. DON"T GET SUCKED IN BY IT PEOPLE ...you have more to loose than you understand. Its THEFT. The Editor is they are LEFT WIND.. Socialists will edit this away. Climate change without MONEY.. why can't they do that.. .. THAT'S RIGHT.. its ALL TO DO WITH MONEY.. TAX.. and MORE TAX.. to make your life miserable.

CLIMATE CHANGE DEBATE IS RESEARCH GRANTS< PUBLIC SERVANTS >> ALL GETTING MORE MONEY FOR THEMSELVES .. YOU WILL GET NOTING.. its a HUGE HUGE CON.. thats all..

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