Climate cop-out

WORLD leaders cobbled together an agreement on global warming in Copenhagen, but it was described as a disaster by major pressure groups.

There are no limits placed on greenhouse gas emissions in the medium or long term and no international system for verifying what countries are emitting.

The only figure is a commitment not to allow global temperatures rise more than 2C, but there are no details about how this will be done and any agreement on this will not be legally binding.

US President Barack Obama told leaders it was more important to agree to something that countries could adhere to rather than make promises they would not keep.

Earlier in the day he had disappointed the conference by not increasing the US cut in emissions from 4% from 1990 by 2020, compared to the EU’s commitment of at least 20%.

He also stuck to the deal on the table of ramping up to $10 billion (€7bn) a year by 2012 to help poor countries to cope with the consequences of climate change and to contribute to a $100bn a year fund by 2020.

These figures, less than those put forward by the EU, remained in the two and a half page document that emerged after dozens of side meetings and tough negotiating between the 120 leaders at the summit.

His pragmatism was welcomed by many countries that were unwilling to commit to cutting their emissions, especially at a time when their economies are still developing, including major emerging economies such as India.

But as he jetted back to Washington having claimed a partial victory, EU leaders met behind closed doors to discuss the document that fell far short of the years of negotiations they had put into it.

Environment Minister John Gormley found it difficult to hide his disappointment.

“What is on the table is underwhelming and the only advantage is that it keeps the process on track until the next COP16 in Mexico at the end of next year.”

Greenpeace was less subtle about the conference’s outcome.

“There is no substance in this.

“This is the last confirmation we needed that these politicians are not capable of preventing irreversible and criminal climate change,” said their spokesperson.

He pointed out that the commitments to reduce CO2 emissions on the table amounted to keeping the rise in global temperatures to at best 5C, which would trigger permanent damage to many parts of the world.

The existing Kyoto Protocol which bound more than 30 countries to reduce their greenhouse gases will fall when it comes to an end in 2012, the spokesperson added.

But on the plus side this is the first time that government leaders have committed themselves to taking steps to reduce global warming, President Obama pointed out.