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Symmetry Sustainable Business

What was achieved at Copenhagen Climate Conference?

By Imam Ali MACROC Economic Development Officer and Symmetry Project Manager

The global conference on climate change in Copenhagen was a great success or a failure depending on ones perspective on the existence and causes of global warming and expectations of corrective actions required to address the situation.

Although the Copenhagen conference did not produce solid actions to mitigate the threat of impending climate change, it did however lay the groundwork for action in the near future. The agreement among large polluters at Copenhagen contains an acceptance of setting emission targets for greenhouse gases for both developed and developing countries and a framework for verifying emissions.  The developed countries are also expected to contribute $100 billion annually to assist developing countries mitigate the effects of climate change.

Those expecting tangible and bolder actions will naturally feel disappointed at the outcome. The conference failed to set concrete targets for mid- to long-term reductions in greenhouse emissions nor did it set a deadline to reach a binding treaty for next year. On top of this, the leaked U.N. report concluded that the pledged emissions cuts would almost certainly allow for warming far beyond 2 degrees Celsius, the tipping point beyond which scientists predict global warming to produce disastrous consequences. Finally, it is not clear whether the $100 billion assistance promised by the developed countries to help poor countries adapt to climate change is additional to the ongoing development aid they provide.

*The views expressed are those of the author and may not be shared by MACROC

 

 

 

This project is proudly supported by AusIndustry, an Austrlian Government Initiative

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