Talking Point

During 07-18 of this December month, the Danish capital city Copenhagen was at the centre stage of world attention, as it hosted the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Called the COP15, the fifteenth annual Conference of the Parties, the meet had delegates from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) parties to deliberate and collectively respond to the challenges facing the humanity today, due to climate change.

The conference, assumed crucial significance given the perilous climate realities and provided an opportunity to take a new pledge after the commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol on emissions targets expires in 2012.

In this concluding part of the series we attempt to capture the key outcome of this global effort, put into perspective in our earlier posts Countdown to Copenhagen Part 1 and Part 2. 

People from across the world, over 40,000 of them – politicians, diplomats, scientists, media people, activists, lobbyists, businessmen… traveled down to Copenhagen for the UN’s annual climate change summit, COP15. The 193-nation conference with 119 heads of state and government attending gave the summit its unmatched political dimension raising expectations to a feverish pitch.

War & peace: Despite the gigantic turnout, the global magnitude and high pitch summit diplomacy in the presence of heads of state the conference produced little results of worth to the disappointment of the majority concerned.

At the negotiation, the chasm widened between the participating countries as the quagmire of logic continued around the contentious debate of historical performance of the developed countries, their need to expiate for the climate debt and therefore common but differentiated responsibilities between developed and developing nations for the future.

In the process, the UNFCCC efforts, years of preparatory work in the perspective of Kyoto protocol and Bali action plan for a binding agreement, weeks of intense negotiations at the Bella Center yielded little results in this high profile conference. The COP 15 salvaged from the brink of collapse with the summit stretching well past the scheduled close produced at the end a face saving arrangement of an interim, non-binding commitment.

Fortunately, the Copenhagen outcome is not going to limit the UN process for addressing the climate issues, nor the world will be at peace on the subject of climate crisis unless the concerned parties work out a meaningful and enduring deal for action to save the humanity.

New semantics after COP15:  As it transpires, the Copenhagen accord can at best be an interim pact of contrary voices with no seeming single orchestration. It is far from enough given the enormity of the climate crisis.

The UNFCCC, COP15 closing press briefing of Dec 19 describes the Copenhagen accord as politically important. It brings together a diversity of countries under a letter of intent with the ingredients for a response to climate change.

The key points of the accord include the objective to keep the maximum temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius; the commitment to list developed country emission reduction targets and mitigation action by developing countries for 2020; USD 30 billion short-term funding for immediate action till 2012 and USD 100 billion annually by 2020 in long-term financing, as well as mechanisms to support technology transfer and forestry.

The challenge now is to turn what is agreed into something that is legally binding in Mexico one year from now.

Despite limitations, the Copenhagen accord remains as a global step to fight climate challenges in 21st century. It raises hope on REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) issues and aims to operationalise soon the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund. Passed by plenary vote the new document of the accord stands to formal signature by the countries at the talks.

The deliberation to the accord also signals the new semantics in this global process:

• The presence of high powered state representatives from all over the world establishes that climate diplomacy has finally come of age. Carbon capping has moved beyond being symbolic to a contentious global issue with far reaching impacts on environment and economies.
• The emergence of BASIC countries, Brazil, South Africa, India and China is the new force in climate negotiation and with US on board, the key architects of the accord.
• Way forward, the tasks are tougher as by/for the next summit the countries will be required to negotiate upon the finer, arduous details of the Copenhagen accord framework for further binding alignment.

It would  soon be time  to reboot all energises in preparation for a successful COP16 outcome. Come December 2010, all eyes would be on Mexico City, in achieving a global legally binding climate change treaty.

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