Copenhagen Climate Conference - COP 15

[1]

Summary of the Copenhagen climate summit [1]
December 7-18, 2009

A new political accord struck by world leaders at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen provides for explicit emission pledges by all the major economies – including, for the first time, China and other major developing countries – but charts no clear path toward a treaty with binding commitments.

The basic terms of the Copenhagen Accord were brokered directly by President Obama and a handful of key developing country leaders on the final day of the conference, capping two weeks of harsh rhetoric and pitched procedural battles that made the prospect of any agreement highly uncertain.  It then took nearly another full day of tense negotiations to arrive at a procedural compromise allowing the leaders’ deal to be formalized over the bitter objections of a few governments.

Click here to read the complete summary. [1]

Our Statement on the Copenhagen Outcome [2]

Our view on Copenhagen Climate Agreement [3]

Targets & Actions Under the Copenhagen Accord [4]

Adding Up The Numbers: Mitigation Pledges Under the Copenhagen Accord [5]

The Center's Copenhagen Events

• High-Level Dialogue with Government and Business Leaders [6]
• Press Briefing @ COP 15 - December 16 [7]

The UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen presents a critical opportunity to strengthen the international response to global climate change. The aim in Copenhagen should be a comprehensive political agreement that puts countries on a clear path to concluding a legally binding agreement in 2010. This interim agreement should deliver both immediate action and the broad architecture of a future treaty, including:

• Ambitious political commitments for mid-term action by all major economies: economy-wide emission reduction targets for developed countries, and quantified mitigation actions by major developing countries;
• A “prompt start” on adaptation, forestry, technology and capacity-building activities and support in developing countries;
• The core elements of a legally binding agreement to be finalized over the coming year, including: a framework for verifiable mitigation commitments by all major economies; new arrangements for sustained mitigation and adaptation support to developing countries; and a system to verify countries’ actions and support; and,
• A clear mandate to conclude negotiations on a legally binding agreement at COP 16 in December 2010.

Read More [8]

Additional Resources

• Post-2012 International Climate Policy Briefs [9]
• Paper on the Legal Form of New Agreement: Avenues and Options [10]
• Report on MRV Options [11]
• Copenhagen Accord text [12]
• UNFCCC Resources [13]

The Center's Side Event - BUILDING ON COPENHAGEN: A High-Level Dialogue
Co-Hosted with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development
December 14, 2009

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS WEBCAST [6]

A high-level panel of government and business leaders will examine critical issues from the perspectives of both the public and private sectors, and developed and developing countries. Partcipants include:

• GOVERNOR CHRIS GREGOIRE
  Governor, Washington State, US
• GINA MCCARTHY
  Assistant Administrator, US Environmental Protection Agency
• MARTIN PARKINSON
  Secretary, Department of Climate Change, Australia
• GRAEME SWEENEY
  Executive Vice President, Future Fuels and CO2, Shell
• BILL TYNDALL
  Senior Vice President, Federal Government & Regulatory Affairs, Duke Energy

Moderated by:

• BJORN STIGSON
  President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
• ELLIOT DIRINGER
  Vice President, International Strategies

Press Briefings

• Our Copenhagen briefing assessing expectations for outcomes in Copenhagen and beyond, and addressing the path forward for U.S. climate legislation in Congress - December 16, 2009
  Watch the Webcast [7]
• Our Copenhagen Briefing with Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers - December 10, 2009
  Watch the Webcast [14]
• Pre-Copenhagen Briefing - December 1, 2009
  Eileen Claussen and Elliot Diringer discuss likely outcomes in Copenhagen and the outlook for reaching a final global climate deal in 2010.
  Listen to the Briefing [15]
  Presentation [16]

Copenhagen Conference Blog Posts

• Copenhagen Reflections [17]
• Gov. Gregoire Highlights State Action [18]
• Delivering More Than Promises [19]
• Where's the US on Verification & Compliance? [20]
• Reframing a Copenhagen Deal [21]

In The News

• A Climate for Compromise [22] (BusinessWeek)
• U.S. & China Step Forward [23] (NPR)
• Gauging the Negotiations [24] (Science Friday)
• Copenhagen Concludes [25] (Charlie Rose)
• Pricing Emissions & Carbon Offsets [26] (NPR)
• Sum & Substance of Copenhagen [27] (Nature India)
• Why India Should Be Part of a Climate Deal [28](Nature India)