Yesterday I posted my opinions on the three negative outcomes of the Copenhagen conference on climate change. Today, we’ll go over the big-picture positives.
1. Countries Didn’t Walk Away
Despite having all these world leaders meet in Copenhagen only to shuffle home with their tail between their legs, none of the parties decided to walk away from the process, nor remove themselves from the commitment to build a common accord. Since the Kyoto Protocol was seriously hampered without the participation of the United States, this gives us a glimmer of hope that some sort of mutually-beneficial agreement can still be made in the coming months.
2. Split in the “Developing Countries” Bloc
With 192 countries as members countries with common goals tend to gather into negotiating blocs, and with climate change, all of the developing countries have traditionally stuck together.
During Copenhagen a major fissure occurred between the lesser developed countries and those like Brazil, India and China (the so-called “BRIC” countries) whose populations and level of development far exceed countries like Sierra Leone and Haiti.
In Copenhagen, the large ‘BRIC’ emitters were frequently at odds against the poorer G77 countries most sensitive to changes in climate, such as the small island states like Tuvalu and the Maldives. As India, China, South Africa and Brazil continue to grow their economies (and their emissions) and solidify their role in the G20, the rupture within the G77 felt during the first week of the Copenhagen conference will continue to occur. And given the large amount of emissions the China and India will be producing, this separation can’t be a bad thing.
3. Development comes with Responsibility
One of the greatest things that came out of Copenhagen was the recognition that with development comes some responsibility to manage emissions. This was clearly illustrated when many of the BRIC countries publicly announced that they would take on emissions targets. Not only does this set a precedent for other industrializing countries to follow, it’s particularly good for the planet as the world increase of emissions are projected to come primarily from these populous, rapidly developing economies.
4. Climate Action is still Happening
Despite the failure of one of the largest gatherings of Heads of State, it was clear from all the activity outside of the main negotiating hall that tremendous amount of work is being done around the globe at the grassroots level.
From community groups, NGOs to business and local governments, there was an incredible array of people and solutions on display throughout the city during the two-week conference. I met with indigenous groups and youths, businesspeople and activists. There were lawyers and teachers and farmers and bankers… all with solutions to share with one another.
Ultimately, the real work to resolve climate change will come from every day people – not a room full of negotiators or Presidents and Prime Ministers. And whether they wear jeans or business suits, traditional dress or Western attire, they were all on display in Copenhagen and I feel immensely blessed to have met them.
March 5th, 2010 at 10:08
The canyon which must be crossed is that the paying countries don’t want to pay and the receiving countries know that the money is not free . Both sides feel that the costs are just too high. Neither side wants to sign this treaty.
The paying countries don’t want to be involved with controlling the spending of the money in the developing countries. In other words they don’t want to control those countries. So they don’t want to sign.
Also the countries receiving the money just want the money, they don’t want to be told how to spend it. The money has alot of string attached to it, and giving up sovereignty is a cost that is just too high. So they don’t want to sign. This treaty is doomed.