Well, COP15 has come to a close, and we have a deal. While it's not the binding treaty or definitive political document people were hoping for, but this is a HUGE step forward. The deal that was brokered yesterday and finalized last night/this morning is a strong basis for moving forward. The key sticking points have been resolved.
Of specific note, the major developing economies have agreed to allow their emissions to be reported and subjected to international "analysis." This was a key issue late in the stage - the US and other developing nations insisted that major economies subject their emissions reductions to monitoring, reporting, and verification. China in particular balked at the idea of "verification" because of fears of international intrusion. A small change in wording, that hopefully does not lead to significant loss of rigor in the process, helped move this forward.
Once the announcement was made, I decided to go "home" and get rest. The agreement that President Obama announced had to go through the UNFCCC process to be formally drafted and accepted, which ended up taking all night and into the day Saturday. Tuvalu, Somalia, Venezuela, and one or two other countries did not accept what is now being referred to as the "Copenhagen Accord". Somalia used particularly strong and graphic words, which received widespread condemnation from other countries. The opposition turned out to be a very small minority, and had there been a process for a vote, they would have been soundly defeated.
I had planned to return to Washington this morning, but there is a heavy storm in the DC area and my flight has been cancelled. I'm talking this opportunity to see the city of Copenhagen in the daylight (for the first time) and get some rest. Once I have some time to gather myself, I'll post some closing thoughts on the conference (and more photos!) in the coming days.
Posted By: Thomas Lee @ 4:43 PM |