Copenhagen – What Actually Happened?

For all the sound and fury, it’s fair to say not much, reports Ben. Friends of the Earth and other campaign groups had been campaigning for a strong deal. The result of the negotiations, the Copenhagen Accord, was neither strong, nor was it a deal. Essentially, developed countries continued to refuse to pay for the clean-up and developing countries refused to sacrifice their aspirations for economic growth and prosperity. Yet the world’s poor increasingly suffer the costs of this short-sightedness.

In Bali, two years previously, it had been decided that the objective of Copenhagen was to be a legally binding deal, setting out cuts essential to our common future. All that happened was that the Accord, with a very weak text, was ‘noted’. Countries were then asked to associate themselves with the text and write their pledges for cuts by 31 January. Even this deadline has been allowed to slip, leaving International Climate Change negotiations in an administrative limbo.

There are some interim talks in Bonn, in early summer, and the next major talks are in Mexico. There is yet time to propose the trajectory for greenhouse gas emissions following 2012 – when Kyoto runs out – but there is no longer a political process, the consensus-based system having been thoroughly disrespected by the major powers and the Danish conference hosts.

Nevertheless, there are two positives to take forward. This is the first time that world leaders have sat down and actually tried to debate climate change targets. It has finally arrived at the highest levels. Secondly, despite the failure to find agreement, there are increasingly strong pledges coming from both developed and developing countries.

Another key takeaway from Copenhagen is the growing strength of the social movements. While political leaders failed to find ideas, failed to find inspiration and failed to find common ground, across the city people came together in a show of unity, irrespective of the shameful, repressive policing. So going forward, it will be up to us to keep pressure on our government to stay the course of its commitments, irrespective of the outcome of the general election, and to continue to demand and rally around the cry for climate justice, giving leaders around the world an example of the will that they were so lacking in the cold Danish capital last December.