Copenhagen Treaty Deemed Unlikely to Happen
Image source: en.cop15.dk
For months now, people have been pushing governments towards the climate change treaty goal of COP15 in Denmark. Protests were made, celebrities voiced their thoughts through song, and the number 350 spread like wildfire across the world. But it seems these efforts of ours may not be enough to convince government and U.N. officials to stick to their word (big surprise).
Director of the Secretary-General’s Climate Change Support Team, Janos Pasztor, said “it’s hard to say how far the conference will be able to go” because the US Congress has yet to agree on a climate bill, industrialized nations have not agreed on how to reduce their CO2 emissions, and they’ve yet to agree on funding to help developing countries limit their own emissions. Pasztor also states that while “there is tremendous activity by governments in capitals and internationally to shape the outcome” of the climate change conference, it most likely won’t produce a treaty. Instead, he expects it will push governments as far as they are willing to go for an agreement.
The main unresolved issues at this point are agreeing on emission reduction targets for industrialized countries and how to fund developing countries to limit their own emissions plus be able to adapt to the harsh effects of climate change. Read More…
By Heidi Marshall
Tags: carbon emissions, climate change treaty, cop15, copenhagen
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