luni, 28 decembrie 2009

Secret draft agreement rocks Copenhagen climate change talks

A "secret" draft agreement prepared by the Danish host government and a select "circle of commitment" including Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has been leaked at the Copenhagen climate change talks.

Parts of the proposal, which has allegedly been worked on by countries including the US, UK and Denmark, had been leaked during the week, however it has now been published in its entirety by the UK’s Guardian newspaper.

The Danish Government has denied it is a secret draft for a new Copenhagen Agreement, but rather “many working papers used for testing various positions”.

The document contains elements of a strong political deal, including a limit of warming to 2 degrees Celsius and - in brackets to acknowledge it is not yet fully agreed - the proposition that global emissions should peak in 2020.

It does not, however, set a timetable for a final binding agreement, nor specify that such an agreement should be in the form of a legally binding treaty, nor provide for a future role for the existing Kyoto Protocol. It also sidelines the United Nations in future climate change negotiations.

Instead it says the deal should lead to a “comprehensive legal framework” by an unspecified date. It allows developed nations to emit twice as much carbon dioxide as developing nations.

The climate change talks will continue until December 18th. The high-level summit, which will be attended by 100 of the world’s leaders, will take place on December 17th and 18th.

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