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Copenhagen climate summit

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Connie Hedegaard, president of the UN Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen

The United Nations Climate Change Conference is taking place at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, between December 7 and December 18, 2009. The conference includes the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 5th Meeting of the Parties (COP/MOP 5) to the Kyoto Protocol. According to the Bali Road Map, a framework for climate change mitigation beyond 2012 is to be agreed there.[1]

The conference was preceded by the Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions scientific conference, which took place in March 2009 and was also held at the Bella Center.

Electric vehicles

UNEP

At the fifth Magdeburg Environmental Forum held from 3-4 July 2008, in Magdeburg, Germany, United Nations Environment Programme called for the establishment of infrastructure for electric vehicles. At this international conference, 250 high-ranking representatives from industry, science, politics and non-government organizations discussed solutions for future road transportation under the motto of "Sustainable Mobility– United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009|the Post-2012 CO2 Agenda".[2]

Technology Action Programs

Technology Action Programs (TAPs) have been proposed as a means for organizing future technology efforts under the UNFCCC. By creating programs for a set of adaptation and mitigation technologies, the UNFCCC would send clear signals to the private and finance sector, governments, research institutions as well as citizens of the world looking for solutions to the climate problem. Potential focus areas for TAPs include early warning systems, expansion of salinity-tolerant crops, electric vehicles, wind and solar energy, efficient energy grid systems, and other technologies.[3]

Technology roadmaps will address barriers to technology transfer, cooperative actions on technologies and key economic sectors, and support implementation of Nationally Appropiate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs)[4] and National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs).[5]

Negotiating position of the European Union

On January 28, 2009, the European Commission released a position paper, "Towards a comprehensive climate agreement in Copenhagen".[6] The position paper "addresses three key challenges: targets and actions; financing [of "low-carbon development and adaptation"]; and building an effective global carbon market".[7]

In order to demonstrate good example, the European Union had committed to implement to binding legislation, even without a satisfactory deal in Copenhagen. Last December, the European Union revised its carbon allowances system called the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) designed for the post-Kyoto period (after 2013). This new stage of the system aims at further reducing greenhouse gases emitted in Europe in a binding way and at showing the commitments the EU had already done before the Copenhagen meeting. To avoid carbon leakage—relocation of companies in other regions not complying with similar legislation—the EU Commission will foresee that sectors exposed to international competition, should be granted some free allocations of CO2 emissions provided that they are at least at the same level of a benchmark. Other sectors should buy such credits on an international market. Energy intensive industries in Europe have advocated for this benchmark system in order to keep funds in investment capacities for low carbon products rather than for speculations.[8] The European chemical industry claims here the need to be closer to the needs of citizens in a sustainable way. To comply with such commitments for a low-carbon economy, this requires competitiveness and innovations.[9]

The Danish government and key industrial organizations have entered a public-private partnership to promote Danish cleantech solutions. The partnership, Climate Consortium Denmark, is an integrated part of the official portfolio of activities before, during and after the COP15.[10]

There is also a European Conference for the Promotion of Local Actions to Combat Climate Change.[11][12] The entire morning session on 25 September was devoted to the Covenant of Mayors.[13]

The Local Government Climate Lounge will be an advocacy and meeting space located directly in the COP 15 building, at the heart of the negotiations.[14]

Official pre Copenhagen negotiation meetings

A draft negotiating text[15][16] for finalisation at Copenhagen has been publicly released. It is being discussed at a series of meetings before Copenhagen.

Bonn - second negotiating meeting

Delegates from 183 countries met in Bonn from the 1st to the 12th of June in 2009. The purpose was to discuss key negotiating texts. These will serve as the basis for the international climate change agreement at Copenhagen. At the conclusion the Ad Hoc Working Group under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) negotiating group was still far away from the emission reduction range that has been set out by science to avoid the worst ravages of climate change: a minus 25% to minus 40% reduction below 1990 levels by 2020. The AWG-KP still needs to decide on the aggregate emission reduction target for industrialised countries, along with individual targets for each country. Progress was made in gaining clarification of the issues of concern to parties and including these concerns in the updated draft of the negotiating text.[17]

Seventh session

Bangkok

The first part of the seventh session of the AWG-LCA was held in Bangkok, Thailand, from Monday, 28 September at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Bangkok, Thailand.[18]

Barcelona

The resumed session was held in Barcelona, Spain, from the 2nd to the 6th of November in 2009. Thereafter, the AWG-LCA will meet to conclude its work at its eighth session, concurrently with the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties which will open in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 7 December 2009.

Breakdown of proposed actions (by country)

Japan

To cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25% below 1990 levels by 2020.[19]

United States of America

To cut greenhouse gas emissions by 17% below 2005 levels by 2020, 42% by 2030 and 83% by 2050.[20]

This is equivalent to 1.3% below 1990 levels by 2020, 31% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.[21]

European Union

To cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30% below 1990 levels by 2020 if an international agreement is reached committing other developed countries and the more advanced developing nations to comparable emission reductions.

To cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2020 unconditionally.[22]

Brazil

To cut emissions by 38%-42% below 2005 levels by 2020.[23]

This is equivalent to an emissions cut of between -5% to 1.8% below 1990 levels by 2020.

China

To cut CO2 emissions per unit of GDP (emissions intensity) by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2020.[24]

India

To cut emissions intensity by 20%-25% below 2005 levels by 2020.[25]

South Africa

To cut emissions by 34% below current levels by 2020.[26]

This is equivalent to an emissions cut of about 3%-10.4% below 1990 levels by 2020 projecting from 2004-2007 emissions.

Australia

To cut carbon emissions by 25% below 2000 levels by 2020 if the world agrees to an ambitious global deal to stabilise levels of CO2 to 450 ppm or lower.

This is equivalent to 2.2% below 1990 levels by 2020.

To cut carbon emissions by 15% below 2000 levels by 2020 if there is an agreement where major developing economies commit to substantially restrain emissions and advanced economies take on commitments comparable to Australia.

This is equivalent to a 10.8% above 1990 levels by 2020.

To cut carbon emissions by 5% below 2000 levels to 2020 unconditionally.[27]

This is equivalent to 23.9% above 1990 levels by 2020.

See also

References

  1. ^ IISD Reporting Services - Upcoming meetings
  2. ^ http://climate-l.org/2008/07/11/unep-and-daimler-call-for-infrastructure-for-electric-and-fuel-cell-vehicles/#more-1003
  3. ^ http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2008/smsn/ngo/071.pdf
  4. ^ http://unfccc.int/files/kyoto_protocol/application/pdf/india100209b.pdf
  5. ^ http://unfccc.int/national_reports/napa/items/2719.php
  6. ^ Questions and Answers on the Communication Towards a comprehensive climate change agreement in Copenhagen
  7. ^ Towards a comprehensive climate agreement in Copenhagen
  8. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=FR&hl=fr&v=b1kf_axslfk
  9. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpmXY0R7RLQ
  10. ^ http://en.cop15.dk/climate+consortium
  11. ^ http://www.eea.europa.eu/events/submitted/i-european-conference-for-the-promotion-of-local-actions-to-combat-climate-change-1
  12. ^ http://www.vleva.eu/content/4608
  13. ^ http://www.eumayors.eu
  14. ^ http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=10497&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4127&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=bf5e80d264
  15. ^ "Negotiating text" (PDF) (in English (others available)). United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. p. 53. Retrieved 2009-06-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  16. ^ "Negotiating text" (PDF) (in English (others available)). United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. p. 181. Retrieved 2009-09-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  17. ^ "Progress Made in Negotiations for Ambitious and Effective Copenhagen Deal at Bonn UNFCCC Meeting" (PDF). Press Release. UNFCCC/CCNUCC. 12 June 2009. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
  18. ^ "Bangkok Climate Change Talks - 2009". United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
  19. ^ BBC (2009-09-07), Japan vows big climate change cut, BBC
  20. ^ BBC (2009-11-25), Obama vows greenhouse gas emissions cuts, BBC
  21. ^ IEA (2009-10-06), CO2 emissions from fuel combustion: highlights (2009), IEA
  22. ^ BBC (2009-11-26), EU climate package explained, BBC
  23. ^ Tom Phillips (2009-11-10), Brazil pledges deep emission cuts in 'political gesture' to rich nations, The Guardian
  24. ^ BBC (2009-11-28), Where countries stand on Copenhagen, BBC
  25. ^ The Hindu (2009-12-04), Jairam Ramesh: 20-25 % carbon emission intensity cut by 2020, The Hindu
  26. ^ BBC (2009-12-7), South Africa to cut carbon emissions by 34%, BBC {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ Kevin Rudd, Penny Wong, Wayne Swan (2009-05-04), A new target for reducing Australia's carbon pollution, Department of Climate Change and Water{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
News media
Governments
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