MNN - Mother Nature Network

• It is not binding legal agreement.
• It is not a binding political agreement.
• The Copenhagen Accord is now signed by 25 countries and provides an open invitation for other nations to join.
• The accord emerged from a meeting between the U.S. and the BASIC group — China, India, Brazil, South Africa + 20 additional "friendly nations" representing 80%+ of total carbon emissions.
• The accord establishes the target of max 2 degree Celsius rise in mean global temperature but it does not give a "by when."
• Surprisingly AOSIS (the Island Nations) agreed to back it in exchange for initial fast-start funding pledged by the U.S and the EU.
• According to Yvo, joining the accord is voluntary for each nation and is NOT a U.N.-sanctioned consensus document.
• The U.N. has officially moved to "take note" of the agreement, which basically means it MAY be considered in future COP's as the framework for the legally binding agreement.
• The accord calls for some form of third party "consultant" process for accounting carbon emissions of each of the participating nations.
• The U.S. delegation made it clear this morning that the accord agreement was made "far above" the level of U.N. officials and cannot be modified by the U.N.

Copenhagen has been a major disappointment ………….. and yet …

 

This week, China, India, Europe and the United States all stated clearly that the risks posed by climate change are unacceptable to the global community. The leaders of China and the leaders of the United States have agreed in concept to work together towards a binding agreement that would both lower CO2 emissions and also provide more meaningful tracking of regional emissions.

 

This week (a seemingly tired) president of the United States - hung around - gathered other world leaders back in one last effort at an agreement - and he succeeded (sort of…)

 

Copenhagen should give us hope.