The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen - 7 to 18 December 2009

15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change and 5th meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol

According to the agreements of the Climate Change Conference in Bali (COP 13) in 2007, negotiations on the international post-2012 climate protection regime were to have been concluded at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. Despite the attendance of more than 120 heads of state and government, the conference did not meet the high expectations.

The only result of Copenhagen was the Copenhagen Accord, drawn up by a small group of developed, newly industrialising and developing countries. The Copenhagen Accord is not a binding agreement, but a political declaration which formally was only taken note of by the parties and thus introduced as a basis in the future negotiation process.

Neither the form nor content of the Copenhagen Accord meet Germany's and the EU's targets. The Accord does, however, contain key elements for a future international climate policy. The German government therefore considers it at least a first step on the way to a new post-2012 climate protection agreement. Germany and the EU aim at swiftly implementing the Copenhagen Accord and transferring the contents to the formal process of climate protection negotiations of the UN. In 2010 it is therefore important to mediate between countries and entrenched negotiation positions and to work toward a legally binding agreement for the post-2012 period. It was also decided in Copenhagen that the negotiations in the two parallel working groups on future climate policy under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol should be continued until the next Climate Change Conference in Cancun (COP 16) in December 2010.

Key elements of the Copenhagen Accord

• All participating countries recognise the view that the increase in global temperature should remain below 2 degrees Celsius and that for this purpose dramatic reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions are necessary. This aim and the progress of implementation should be reviewed in 2015.
• In order to comply with the 2° Celsius target, the trend in global and national emissions should be reversed as soon as possible.
• The developed countries commit to presenting quantified economy-wide emissions reduction targets for 2020 by 31 January 2010 and to implement them.
• The developing countries agree to communicate adequate national mitigation measures by 31 January 2010 and to implement them.
• The developing countries accept in principle an international review of their own nationally verified mitigation measures (through national communications every two years); climate protection measures supported financially by developed countries will be registered by the UN and verified internationally.
• The developed countries commit to financial support for developing countries for climate protection measures to an amount of USD 30 billion for the period 2010-2012.
• Furthermore, the developed countries also commit to the goal of jointly mobilising USD 100 billion a year. This funding will come from private and public sources, bi- and multilateral funds as well as alternative sources of finance.
• In addition, a High Level Panel will be established to monitor the progress for meeting the financial commitments. A Copenhagen Green Climate Fund will also be set up to orchestrate a major share of the funds.
• A mechanism for the reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+) will be introduced. Another innovation is the initiation of a Technology Mechanism for the support of technology transfer in developing countries. The specific functions of this are left open by the Copenhagen Accord, however.

Listing emission targets and measures in the Copenhagen Accord

More than 100 countries (including the EU Member States) have declared their formal support for the Copenhagen Accord. Numerous developed and developing countries have communicated concrete emissions reduction targets and measures to the UN Climate Secretariat to be added to the Annex of the Copenhagen Agreement. Although the Copenhagen Accord envisages a submission of targets and measures by late January 2010, submissions made after this date will be added as well.

All major emitters of the developed and developing countries, with their total emissions adding up to around 80% of global emissions, have communicated emissions reduction targets and measures. In this context, the EU and its Member States submitted the EU emissions reduction goal for 2020 for the Copenhagen Accord, which they had already announced prior to the Copenhagen Conference: a reduction of 20% compared to 1990 (already legally binding within the EU), or 30% if other developed countries commit to similar efforts and developing countries make appropriate contributions.