Guardian UK: Copenhagen heading for meltdown

[marmar]

Copenhagen heading for meltdown as stalemate continues over emission cuts
UN fails in last-ditch efforts to get world leaders to commit to a maximum 2C rise as draft texts get weaker

Suzanne Goldenberg, John Vidal and Jonathan Watts in Copenhagen
guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 December 2009


The UN's climate summit was heading for meltdown this afternoon with countries unable to agree on emission cuts and blaming each other for the descent towards a humiliating fiasco.

Last-ditch efforts by the UN to get the 120 world leaders to at least commit to hold temperatures to a maximum rise of 2C in the next century were failing, as a series of draft political agreement — each weaker than the last — were circulated among countries.

Versions of the overarching political text seen by the Guardian showed that profound disagreements between countries had not been resolved. Only weak, long-term aspirations for an overall global emissions cut of 50% by 2050 and an 80% cut by 2050 for rich countries. These commitments, and the 2C pledge, were assumed to be givens in any deal.

As the draft text reached its sixth version, there were some glimmers of hope, as some nations put more encouraging language into the agreement, including a reference to a limit of 1.5C being supported by the science. But more versions are expected.

Observers said that all numbers and target dates were likely to change over the night as further draft texts were issued, but that the two most serious stumbling blocks were demands from rich countries that developing country should peak their emissions within a few years, and the Kyoto protocol should be abandoned before a new legal treaty was in place. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/18/copenhagen-draft-treaty-meltdown

[Vincardog]

1. This mirrors what has been happening in Health Care ER I mean Insurance Reform ER I mean the

don't piss off the Corporations bill

[Blackhatjack]

2. It all comes down to $$ ... who is willing to forego $$ to help forestall global warming...

The US and China are the two biggest countries that could make huge differences in the overall outcome, but such action would come with huge economic costs.

Of course, once the horrendous consequences are visited on all of us as a result of inaction everyone will say 'why did they wait to do something?'