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  • COP15 ends disappointing

    Copenhagen: COP15 ends disappointing

    Chaotic climate meeting allows much be undone

    While the chairman, Danish PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen took a powernap after a chaotic night, the United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon made efforts to put in place a settlement in Copenhagen.

    But the text is full of holes.

    NTB Published 19.12.2009 17:08 - Updated 19.12.2009 17:08
    Google translator (with some improvements) http://www.aftenbladet.no/energi/kli...aa_ugjort.html

    A frustrated Rasmussen could be interviewed by Danish TV2 in the Bella Center at 10 AM Saturday.

    When he had led a plenary session through the night with hard fronts and harsh outcome, with the hope of getting through the text a group of 28 heads of state and government leaders had negotiated the night before.

    - I have been working continously for 28 hours, so now I need a break.

    It is out of my hands now.

    This could just as easily be done by a vice president.

    Now I take a powernap, said Løkke Rasmussen.

    Holocaust accusations

    In the heated debate, which dealt a lot about the procedure, had the majority of countries pleaded the Conference to adopt the text, while a group of Latin American countries with Venezuela in the lead put the foot down.

    From the Sudan were the terms in the text Løkke Rasmussen had with him, was compared with the Holocaust, a comparison that made the audience to froth.

    But only shortly after Rasmussen retired, it was possible to get a decision in which all countries take the text "under advisement", but where each country is free to sign it.

    - Copenhagen-Settlement certainly is not everything that everyone hoped for, but this decision is an important beginning, to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to tell after he had personally helped to get it all into harbour.

    A UN source told [news agency] NTB that many took a sigh of release when Løkke Rasmussen took a nap.

    Major deficiencies

    The text confirms the goal of that global warming will be halted at 2 degrees, but all quantify commitments for emissions cuts to reach this goal were deleted.

    Gone are the targets of a 50 percent cut in world emissions from 1990 to 2050, and the same goal that the countries should cut 80 percent.

    A goal of a legally binding agreement over the next year was also removed.

    The text has an addition of two blank pages in which countries' emissions commitments so far, shall be entered by February next year.

    It also establishes that one should have in place $ 100 billion annually to the climate in developing countries from 2020, and that $ 30 billion will be in place for climate adaptation in the next three years.

    This includes rain forest conservation.

    At the same time the text outlines a system for how emission reductions will be monitored and verified, a key point that the U.S. could go with the text.

    - The alternative was a failure

    - We got into something, but the alternative was a failure and collapse.

    It would have been devastating for the work ahead.

    Now we come a small step on the road, but many remain, says Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg (Ap) to the NTB.

    Stoltenberg participated in the most important meetings with his cabinet Hanne Bjurstrøm (Ap).

    There was the world's definite top executives and negotiated among themselves in a way that is very unusual in a global context.

    - - It's almost as I feel with the trade union leader again, the Brazilian President Luiz "Lula" da Silva exclaimed.

    Lars Løkke Rasmussen is among those who believe the meeting in this way highlighted something completely new.

    - The American President sat and worked on the documents, together with representatives of some of the poorest countries in the world, "he says.

    Although he had wanted a more ambitious text, said Environment Minister Erik Solheim (SV) the world has not seen anything like that the Copenhagen meeting since Versailles Conference in 1919.

    - It was a unique, historic conference, "he said.

    Minister of Envinronment, Erik Solheim, attacks 'climate sabotage'

    Norway's Minister of Envinronment,
    Erik Solheim is annoyed by what he believes is countries that put sticks in the wheels to get in place a new climate agreement.

    Solheim attacks Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela

    - Now we need the UN to take back power from those countries only doing games and noise.

    Google translator (with some improvements) http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/12/19/n...tabbe/9590793/
    Written by Marie Melgård, Dagbladet

    - This was a conference at its worst.

    It's like a sports club that will not play football, but rather discuss the constitution, " Environment and Development Minister Erik Solheim told Dagbladet.

    Solheim is now back on Norwegian soil, and he does not conceal that he was very annoyed by certain countries' behavior during the climate conference in Copenhagen. He thinks they created major problems for the progress in the final phase of the conference:

    - Now we need the UN to take back power from those countries only doing games and noise.

    It is not constructive when they keep on like that.

    Now we have to stop to check us in this [finne oss i dette], the vast majority must ignore those who want to stick sticks in the wheels," he says.

    Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Sudan were the countries with the highest expressed his dissatisfaction with the new agreement.

    - This is a suicide pact for Africa, "said Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping from Sudan, a spokesman for the G77 group, addressing the new climate agreement text.

    - There is a desire for compensation for lost oil, for other countries it is about to ram the U.S. instead of fighting climate change, "commented Mr Solheim.

    - In the last part we were told that the agreement was a killing machine, and that it resembles the Holocaust.

    It is a gross insult to countries that negotiated the agreement.

    It is very rude to accuse Gandhi's homeland, India, for mass murder, "he continues.

    Last nght Solheim had a speach where he clearly stated his opinion about such behaviour

    - I wanted to speak up against this.

    Developing countries require funds for mitigation, and Norway are helping to provide plenty of support and promises big money, only to be accused of that this is an attempt to bribe poor countries.

    It is a serious allegation and an insult, we do not accept, "said Solheim.

    - We need to discuss the work the way for future conferences, "he adds.

    Step in the right direction

    Solheim is disappointed with the outcome of the conference, but said nonetheless that there is some flashes of light:

    - One step forward is better than two back.

    But it is not something to pop champagne for, "he says.

    - What is positive is that there is broad consensus to achieve the goal of global warming should not exceed two-degree temperature rise, there is approval for the rainforest project, and there is big money on the table.

    - But there is no binding emissions cuts, and it must be in place later.

    It is always better to do things now than to postpone it until tomorrow, but it is better to do it in the morning than to do nothing at all, "he explains.

    - It's not that the political processes came to a halt.

    The outcome of the conference will lead to more death, more need to move, but it shows that we must do more, and the pressure will increase.

    It could have ended with no agreement

    Even if the agreement is not optimal Solheim is happy that we got a deal.

    For a long time it seemed that world leaders had to go home empty-handed again:

    - Did not Obama and Wen arrive, we had not had a deal at all.

    There were negotiations in the 10 days before they came, and then we did not move much forwards, "he explains.

    He compares this year's climate conference in the meeting in Versailles in 1919:

    - It is unique that state leaders from the United States, from China, from Europe, sit down together to formulate a text.

    It is a global event.
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