The climate conference at Copenhagen has been branded a distaster after leaders failed to put in place legally binding carbon reduction targets.
Despite an accord to limit global temperature rises to 2 degrees, several countries refused to sign up to legally binding carbon reduction targets. The result is that there will not be a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
Friends of the Earth said the conference, which ended on Friday had been an “abject failure”, pointing out that the effects of global warming would be felt most by the poor. The blame for the failure has been cast in many directions- in particular towards the US and China, the two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.
The agreement to the targets stalled when head of China’s climate delegation Xie Zhenhua, refused to agree a process allowing inspectors into China to verify that the country is meeting its carbon reduction committments. This process was a condition insisted upon by US President Obama and the lack of agreement to it has been seen by many as China asserting its power in the new world in a way other countries will not be happy about.
UK Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said that the outcome of the conference was “disappointing” but claimed that important progress was made in the challenge to deal with global warming.
Miliband blamed China for blocking an agreement to legally-binding emissions targets and a 50% cut in greenhouse gases by 2050. He did however claim that having a limited deal is better than having no deal at all.
UK Green MEP, Caroline Lucas insisted that the result is in ‘no small part down to the frustrating reluctance of EU leaders to step up the EU’s negotiating position – and show leadership where it is so desperately needed.’
The conference had been close to falling apart until a last-minute agreement by the US, China, Brazil, India and South Africa to ‘recognize’ common goals. US President Obama said “We’ve come a long way but we have much further to go.”
The resulting draft text was described as a “meaningful agreement” by Obama and an “essential beginning” by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
