U.S. and Developing Countries Reach Modest Climate Agreement

Published December 18, 2009

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The U.S., China, Brazil, India and South Africa reportedly reached a modest climate change agreement in Copenhagen late Friday that aims to keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius and address several other issues that had deadlocked the talks over the last two weeks.

"Today we've made meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough here in Copenhagen," President Barack Obama said in announcing the Copenhagen Accord, the New York Times reported. "For the first time in history all major economies have come together to accept their responsibility to take action to confront the threat of climate change."

But the weak deal, reached late Friday in the Danish capital, must still be approved by the 193 United Nations members. President Barack Obama characterized it as "meaningful," but many acknowledge it is insufficient in addressing climate change.

Some details of the Copenhagen Accord include:

• The U.S. will contribute $3.6 billion between 2010 and 2012, compared to $11 billion from Japan and $10.6 billion by the European Union.

• Language setting late 2010 as the date by which to conclude a binding international treaty was dropped.

• Nations must disclose national mitigation plans and emissions reduction commitments

• Developing countries must report efforts every two years to the U.N.

Image courtesy of Getty Images.

The difficult issues

ahidayat08 (not verified), December 24, 2009 - 04:09

There are many of the difficult issues bedevilling attempts to reach an emissions deal:

1.How to obtain treaty commitments from a huge range of countries at different stages of economic development.

2.How to handle negotiations with the United States, given the peculiar nature of that country’s constitutional arrangements.

3.How to ensure countries live up to their commitments and resolve subsequent disputes about treaty implementation.

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U.S. and Developing Countries Reach Modest Climate Agreement

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The difficult issues

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U.S. and Developing Countries Reach Modest Climate Agreement

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The difficult issues

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