Skilaboð frá COP15 í Köben

Þá er loftslagsráðstefnunni í Köben lokið.

Og flestir virðast sammála um að árangurinn hafi orðið heldur snautlegur. Vissulega var þarna í blálokin reyndar samþykkt yfirlýsing, sem fengið hefur heitið Kaupmannahafnar-yfirlýsingin (Copenhagen Accord). En hún hefur nákvæmlega enga lagalega þýðingu og því algerlega óljóst hvað mun taka við eftir að Kyoto-bókunin rennur út 2012.

Væntanlega verður boðað til nýrrar ráðstefnu til að móta bindandi markmið og skuldbindingar. Kannski best að þetta gerist utan sviðsljóssins og þá einfaldlega innan Sameinuðu þjóðanna. Þessar megaráðstefnur virðast hreinlega ekki vera að ná tilgangi sínum lengur.

Kaupmannahafnar-yfirlýsinguna má sjá hér  á vef Loftslagssamningsins (pdf-skjal). Og lesa má íslenskan úrdrátt eða endursögn hér á vefnum www.loftslag.is.

Að auki fengum  við sem eigum sæti í CEL (IUCN's Commission on Environmental Law) send sérstök skilaboð fyrr í dag, um innihald  Kaupmannahafnar-yfirlýsingarinnar og þýðingu hennar. Orkubloggarinn lætur þessa sendingu fljóta með hér að neðan og hverjum og einum frjálst að móta sér sína eigin skoðun á því hvort þessi ráðstefna í Kaupmannahöfn eigi eftir að hafa einhverja þýðingu í framtíðinni. En skilaboðin til CEL hljóðuðu þannig:

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While much work remains, the Copenhagen Summit process has led to important steps forward by the United States and many counties around the world.  Here are a few highlights of noteworthy developments.  These developments are a meaningful start down the pathway to binding global agreement. 

At 10:33, Copenhagen time, December 19, 2009,the nations approved the Copenhagen Accord.  The new deal engages the United States with other developed and developing countries in an agreement that includes emission reductions, investments in clean technology and adaptation. Over the next years countries will submit their pollution targets, finalize the operational arrangements for short and long term finance that ramps up to at least $100 Billion and work out accountability arrangements and move toward a legally binding agreement. While the deal is not as fair as it should be, not as ambitious as science recommends and not yet binding, it is much needed progress toward global cooperation on the most dangerous issue facing our world today.

Countries have until January 30th to submit their emissions reductions commitments. They are not done yet - there is much more work to do to protect us from dangerous climate change.

Unprecedented Public Support for Strong Climate Action:

 "Never has the world united on such a scale" - Ban Ki Moon,Dec. 18.

• 125 Heads of state.
• 45,000 summit attendees.
• 100,000 marched in Copenhagen calling for strong action.
• 13million petition signers on the "tck, tck, tck" petition (www.tcktcktck.org, which calls for a fair,ambitious and binding agreement).

For the first time, the majority of the world's countries have offered to reduce their emissions, including but not limited to[1]:

US - 17% by 2020(below 2005 levels).

EU-20% by 2020 (below 1990).

China - 40-45% by 2020 (below 2005 levels, energy intensity).

India - 20-25% by 2020 (below 2005 levels, energy intensity).

Brazil - 21-25% by 2020 (below 2005 levels).

Indonesia - 26% by 2020 (below BAU).

Mexico - 50% by2050 (below 2000).

South Africa -34% by 2020 (below BAU).

South Korea - 4% by 2020 (below 2005).

Japan - 25% by 2020 (below 1990).

Architecture for a Program to Protect Forests: Agreement on the basic architecture and financing for international forest protection (Reductions in Emissions in Deforestation and Degradation; REDD).

Transparency in Meeting Emissions Reductions: US and China have agreed to a method for international emission reduction reporting for all counties.  This consists of a domestic legally binding system to report and verify carbon emissions reduction activities.  Should the US or other countries have questions, they've agreed to an international process for validating the data.

Clean Technology for the DevelopingWorld: Agreement on a technology deployment mechanism with two elements: 1) a technology executive committee and 2) a climate technology center/network.  They have also agreed on a short list of functions for the above two bodies.

China's Commitments:

• 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2020, Intensity target.
• Increase non-fossil primary energy by 15%.
• Increase level of forest cover and forest density.
• 20% Energy Intensity Reduction Target over 5 years.

Financial Commitments from US and other Countries:

Fast-start Financing: This process has resulted in general commitments being replaced by real dollar figures, providing money over the next 3 years:

• The US has committed to our share of $30 billion.
• Japanhas committed $15 billion.
• Others?

Financing for Forest Protection:

The US pledged $1 billion over the next 3-years for REDD.

Australia, France, Japan, Norway, UK and US combined pledged $3.5 billion from 2010 to 2012.

Clean Technology Deployment:

US Department of Energy's Climate Renewables and Efficiency Deployment Initiative (REDI) - $350 million multi-lateral commitment over 5-years, of which $85 million is from the US for the scaling up renewable energy via the following programs:

• SolarLED Energy Access Program.
• Superefficient equipment and appliance deployment program.
• Clean Energy information platform.

Black Carbon (soot that harms public health and exacerbates climate change):

US EPA committedto $5 million to reduce black carbon emissions. 

Long-term Financing:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton committed to contributing our share of a $100 billion fund for adaption, forest protection, and mitigation.

Phase out of Fossil Fuels:

Secretary Locke reaffirmed commitment made at G20to phase out of fossil fuels.

[1]World Resources Institute, 2009, Summary of GHG Reduction Pledges by Developing Countries.

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Svo mörg voru þau orð. Orkubloggaranum verður hugsað til Matador-spilsins skemmtilega hér í Den: "Farðu aftur á byrjunarreit...". Það var a.m.k. skárra heldur en "Farðu beinustu leið í Steininn..."!