COP15 ends up in failing to adopt legally binding accord

Japan Press Weekly

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COP15 ends up in failing to adopt legally binding accord - Akahata editorial (excerpts)

The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Copenhagen December 7-18 failed to reach a conclusion contrary to world expectations. However, because of the international demand calling for measures to deal with climate change, the breakdown of negotiations was avoided at the last moment.

What is deep-rooted antagonism?

While giving up unanimously adopting a new accord to replace the Kyoto Protocol, the climate change conference agreed to “take note” of the Copenhagen Accord, a non-binding deal for combating global warming. This was the only accomplishment of the conference.

Because most world leaders wanted to avoid the breaking down of negotiations, they accepted the document by considering it as a foothold to the next step of negotiations.

No nation any longer opposes the target of limiting global warming to a maximum two degrees Celsius over pre-industrial times set under the Copenhagen Accord. All countries concerned are requested to submit a goal of cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 in accordance with the accord within a month. If no measure to change the situation is taken, there will be no progress on negotiations on global warming. The key is whether or not developed countries, especially the U.S., will take a big step to enable progress to be made.

During the conference, deep-rooted antagonisms between developed and developing countries became apparent. It highlighted problems caused by the process of world economic growth.

After WWII, when colonial countries achieved independence one after another, it was necessary to establish a new international economic order. However, while a few developed countries controlled the world economy, they neglected to address issues of developing countries, including the issues of starvation, poverty, heavy debts, and over-exploitation of resources. As a result, a conflict between so-called developed and developing nations erupted at a time when the world is facing the urgent task to tackle global warming through international cooperation.

Sustainable development

Industrialized countries agreed to increase the size of financial aid for developing countries to $100 billion a year by 2020. Developing countries supported this move to some degree. Taking this as a first step, developing countries should seek a process of sustainable economic growth different from developed countries’ past process of growth at any cost, through international cooperation. This move will lead to a more reasonable approach coping with climate change and should lead the way to build a new democratic international economic order.

- Akahata, December 21, 2009