Carbopedia

The Copenhagen Accord

What happened at COP15 in Copenhagen?

Through December last year world leaders met at The Bella Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark for the UNFCCCs 15th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP15) and the 5th meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (MOP5). According to the Bali Road Map, framework for climate change mitigation beyond 2012 was to be agreed there.

The Copenhagen Accord was drafted by the US, China, India, Brazil and South Africa, and judged a "meaningful agreement" by the United States government.

It was "taken note of", but not "adopted", in a debate of all the participating countries the next day, and it was not passed unanimously.

Released on December 19, 2009, the Copenhagen Accord is a three page political declaration that is intended to frame future UN climate change negotiations.

Key elements of the accord include:

  • Recognition that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the present day and that actions should be taken to keep any temperature increases to below 2°C
  • The increased potential for US and Chinese involvement in a global climate change regime
  • It has been said that without the US and China making commitments, a post-Kyoto global climate deal would be pointless, given the extent of their emissions
  • Larger pledges of financial support for developing countries
  • "Developed countries commit to a goal of mobilising jointly US$100 billion a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries" This represents a major boost from the current US$10 billion being offered.
  • Recognition that Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD -Plus), and increasing forests (AFOLU) are crucial to reducing climate change and that a mechanism to mobilise financial resources from developed nations to this end is required.
  • Annex I countries are to voluntarily "commit to implement individually or jointly report on quantified economy-wide emissions targets for 2020" by 31 January 2010 for compilation in an informal document.
  • Countries can choose their own base year, and their own reduction targets. Their responses are recorded on the UNFCCC website unfccc.int
  • Non Annex 1 countries (developing nations) were to submit nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) by 31 January 2010
  • Under the Kyoto Protocol, developing countries (non-Annex 1 countries) including significant emitters like Brazil, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, were exempt from reporting their GHG inventories and mitigation actions. The Copenhagen Accord for the first time encapsulates a UN agreement that developing countries should report their mitigation actions and national GHG inventory reports. Crucially, this includes China's emissions which will be subject to a moderate level of international verification.
  • Establishment of the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund. This fund will be an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the UNFCCC, including but not limited to the distribution of the US$100 billion fund for developing nations.

What was missing?

  • A lack of a deadline to negotiate a successor Treaty to the Kyoto Protocol
  • The Bali Action Plan, agreed in December 2007, set COP15 in December 2009 as the deadline to negotiate a successor Treaty to the Kyoto Protocol. Not only did the Copenhagen negotiations not agree on a new Treaty, the declaration did not even set a future deadline to agree a Treaty. This calls into question what may happen to the Kyoto mechanisms beyond 2012 and may result in a lack of continuity in UN-level climate policy in 2013.
  • No internationally agreed binding GHG emission reduction targets
  • While all countries have posted voluntary emission reduction targets, many of these are quantified with "I will if they will" quantifications.
  • No coverage of aviation and maritime emissions
  • Aviation and maritime emissions require international governance due to the nature of the industries. Without international accord the EU will struggle to implement their cap on emissions from aviation in EU airspace, scheduled for 2013.
  • And no reform of the Clean Development Mechanism market.

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is a critical mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol, but there are major issues with processing validation applications for CDM projects. Further, the inclusion of LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry) in the CDM needs to be discussed.

What's next?

  • The next UN Conference of Parties (COP16) is due to be held in Mexico City in 2010 between November 20th and December 10th. Perhaps the two greatest achievements of the Copenhagen Conference were to bring the United States and China to the table with a willingness to discuss real commitments to emission reduction and financing. With this step achieved, there is real opportunity for a global agreement at Mexico City later this year.
  • The Copenhagen Accord is available for download from the UNFCCC website: unfccc.int

Last Updated 4/06/10.

References

  1. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
  2. http://www.denmark.dk/en/menu/Climate-Energy/COP15-Copenhagen-2009/cop15.htm
  3. Verdantix (2009) The Business Implications of the Copenhagen Accord
  4. http://cop15.vattenfall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/20091222-Copenhagen1.pdf (no longer online)