On the last day of the UN Conference on Climate Change, a select group of countries including the U.S. announced that a deal was reached which was formally accepted by the Conference of Parties.
At the end of what could only be described as a very contentious two-week meeting on climate change, the United States, along with four other emerging countries, China, Brazil, South Africa, India and major European countries, announced that a compromise was reached and so the Copenhagen Accord was born.
According to President Obama, “For the first time in history all major economies have come together to accept their responsibility to take action to confront the threat of climate change,”
However, many view the deal as toothless and in particular, developing countries perceive the document as a cozy arrangement, worked out in their absence and running counter to democratic norms and values of the UN itself.
The Accord too, was met with great disappointment by activists, many of whom view it as weak, not holding developed countries, in particular, accountable.   For example, the Copenhagen Accord is not legally binding and while the document sets a commitment to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, no emission reduction targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions are set for 2020 or 2050.
UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, summed it up this way, “It may not be everything we hoped for, but this decision of the Conference of Parties is an essential beginning … The importance will only be recognized when it’s codified into international law … We must transform this into a legally binding treaty next year,” he said according to BBC.
It is very doubtful that any legally binding treaty will emerge next year, either!
Source: en.cop15.dk/
