Falling apart? Leaked draft climate agreement causing uproar in Copenhagen

Empty seats in the plenary hall are seen during a working session
of the Climate Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday
Dec. 8, 2009.  A proposed agreement that was prematurely
leaked has caused an uproar at the summit. 
(AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

On only the second day of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen, talks began to quickly unravel after a draft agreement was leaked. The draft has developing nations in an uproar over perceived inequalities between themselves and richer nations.

• See the draft agreeement below

Delegates from 192 nations across the globe started work yesterday on an agreement to curb carbon emissions and aid poorer countries. The conference which run a total of 12 days until December 18th now may be in serious trouble.

The draft proposal, floated by the Danish government and purportedly authored with input from the UK and US, provides the political agreement that nations had been seeking after realizing a binding treaty was not possible. A number of goals are outlined in the document including:

• Committing to no more than a 2 degrees Celsius increase in global temperatures
• Ensure that a peak level of emissions is reached soon, no later than 2020
• Support a reduction of emissions in 2050 by at least 50 percent below 1990 levels
• Developed nations would reduce emissions by 80% of 1990 levels by 2050
• Developing nations would “commit to nationally appropriate mitigation actions”
• Establish a carbon trading market (i.e. cap and trade)
• Public financing to developing nations on the order of billions of dollars (not specified)

Developed nations have already reacted strongly against the proposal saying it falls far short of what is needed and gives richer nations an advantage. Most troubling to them are the per capita emissions limits that are proposed. The agreement would allow 1.44 tons of carbon emissions per person by 2050 in poor nations while rich countries would be permitted to emit 2.67 tons per capita.

The rift highlights problems that were highlighted in the weeks leading up to the summit with developed nations standing on one side and poorer nations on another. Less financially capable nations are seeking billions of dollars in funding and greater latitude in emissions to support their growth. Rich nations are reluctant to commit to limits for themselves while not setting them for all nations.

Related:

• Complete COP15 coverage from Examiner.com
• Live video coverage - UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Denmark
• In pictures - Day one at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen

Draft - The Copenhagen Agreement