2009

Last word on Brokenhagen
21 December 2009

Final entry.

Back home from Copenhagen.

A bitterly disappointing two weeks.

What we've got is a voluntary accord drafted by a few nations. 

The so-called Copenhagen Accord says it wants to prevent global temperatures exceeding 2 degrees. But it promises emissions cuts that spell temperature rises of 3 degrees or more.

There is a small amount of money on the table for developing countries. But they can get hold of it only if they sign the Accord.

Much of that money is not new, and a lot is loans rather than grants.

An illustration of how feeble this agreement is: traders are already saying the price of carbon will fall now. In other words, it's cheaper to pollute now than it was before Copenhagen.

The UK is championing the Copenhagen Accord as one step forward. But really it makes the chance of getting a strong and fair legally binding agreement more difficult.  

It's a blow felt keenly by everyone who's spent the past two years trying to get an agreement that would have protected the world's poorest people from climate chaos.

2010 is going to be a busy year.

Thank you for your help - the money you've given, the action you've taken. It may seem hard to swallow right now but your commitment really has made a difference.

The voices calling for a just and strong agreement have never been louder or more unified.

The poorer countries have been emboldened as never before. They're not going to lie down or shut up.

And neither are we. Please stick with us.

Flood Copenhagen

© Friends of the Earth

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