Geography Project Group 3

“Copenhagen Accord fails to minimize global warming.” Melissa Ho Fiona KamAgatha NgVanessa Pang

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Most-challenging International Q&A !!!

~ All about The Copenhagen Accord

Kytot Protocol(2006) stated that Less Developed Countries did not need to reduce their carbon dioxide (CO2) emission.

A.TrueB.False

A. TrueKyoto Protocol : Less Developed Countries did not need to reduce CO2 emission.

More Developed Countries thought that it was unfair to them as LDCs did contributed to the increased greenhouse gases.

the Copenhagen Summit (7.12.2009-18.12.2009) was held to discuss a fairer accord concerning the coping with the global climate change

Copenhagen Accord was compromised before the Copenhagen Summit ended

on the basis of the consensus of five countries, including the US, China, India, Brazil and South Africa

While >110 countries agreed with the Accord

X-File !

What was recognized in the Copenhagen Accord?

A. the increase in global temperature should be below 2 degree Celcius and greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere should be stabilized

B. Less Developed Countries should speed up their economic development by any means as soon as possible

Copenhagen AccordStated a few actions to achieve the above

goal (rise in global temperature < 2TC)

1) different countries with different capabilities should cooperate together to cope with the climate change

2) financial aid should be provided to Less Developed Countries LDCs could enjoy technology mechanism to reduce CO2 emission

3) Countries should cooperate to reduce global emission

X- File !

How many participating countries are thereA. < 50 countriesB. >110 countries

B. >110 countriesParticipating countries

More Developed Countries

Less Developed Countries

The United States, Japan, Canada, France and Germany

China, India, Indonesia and Brazil

> 110 countries

“Group Discussion”

Topic: Discuss the viewpoints of MDCs and LDCs towards the Copenhagen Accord

More Developed Countries agreed with the importance and need of (1)reducing emission of greenhouse (2)increasing the transparency of monitoring system

美國總統奧巴馬則說，所有主要經濟大國都要採取實際行動減排，並要提高減排透明度和建立監察機制。奧巴馬警告，中國必須放寬反對設立監察機制的立場，因為缺乏問責的任何協議皆無非是一紙空文。他承認在峰會的成果將是不理想的，是「一個不完美的框架」，但促請各國接納。

Representative: USA

Less Developed Countries agreed that countries with different capabilities should

have different responsibilities in coping with the same goal-- minimizing global warming

MDCs should provide financial aid and technology mechanism to LDCs

MDCs should reduce greatly their emissions of greenhouse gases

a monitoring system is not needed.

溫家寶重申，各國必須採取「共同但有區別的責任」原則。發達國家必須率先大幅量化減排並向發展中國家提供資金和技術支持，這是不可推卸的道義責任，也是必須履行的法律義務。發展中國家應根據本國國情，在發達國家資金和技術轉讓支持下，盡可能減緩溫室氣體排放，適應氣候變化。

奧巴馬警告，中國必須放寬反對設立監察機制的立場，

Representative: China

Geograpedia : Copenhagen Accord Signing Copenhagen Accord is a form of

International cooperation which is by reaching consensus on a particular issue

International effort is important in reducing greenhouse gases because …

Increasing greenhouse gases will accelerate global warming

situation of global warming has worsened Disastrous consequences will be resulted if

no action is taken

International Effort

For example,Atmosphere: frequent heat waves and stronger hurricanesLithosphere: spread of desertificationHydrosphere: more droughts in inlands, more flooding in low-lying areas, rising sea levels and death of countriesBiosphere: More spread of infectious diseases, extinction of animals and loss of biodiversity

International Effort

Global warming will affect countries all over the world

One country’s effort in reducing greenhouse gases is pointless as though that country’s greenhouse gases are reduced, global warming can not be minimized if other countries do not reduce their emission of greenhouse gases

International Effort

-LDCs are much poorer than MDCs So MDCs should provide financial aid to

LDCs so that LDCs could enjoy improved technology mechanism to reduce C2

emission in a more efficient way Countries in the world need to cooperate

together to reduce greenhouse gases International effort is important in reducing

greenhouse gases

International Effort

Geograpedia: Conclusion from Copenhagen Accord

short-term and long-term funding will be provided (come from public and private sectors)Established the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund Short-term: USD $30billion will be provided between 2010–2012

- prioritized for the most vulnerable developed countries -help Less Developed Countries which are poorer to cope with climate change to minimize the global warming

Funding

Long-term: -More Developed countries would

mobilize jointly USD 100billion by2020 - most of the money would go to the

Copenhagen Green Climate Fund -for reducing emissions which are due to

deforestation and forest degradation -for supporting the transfer and

development of technology in Less Developed Countries

Less Developed countries might be more capable of reducing emissions

Funding

Geograpedia: Conclusion from Copenhagen Accordeach country have to submit a

target of reducing the volume of emission by the end of January 2010

Emission Targets

Geograleaks: Evaluation of the funding1)The Long-term adaptation funds

did not state clearly what the sources of funds are. More Developed Countries did not have to bear concrete responsibilities in providing financial aid to Less Developed Countries MDCs may choose to provide less financial aid to LDCsLess Developed Countries may not receive sufficient fund to improve technology level so as to minimize global warming

Limitations

Geograleaks: Evaluation of summiting emission targets2)The measure of asking countries to summit

emission targets -without a global guide for countries’ reference• Both MDCs and LDCs are free to choose how

much CO2 they wanted to reduce the amount may be very small that it could not

help much in minimizing global warming the amount of CO2 that countries would like to

reduce was for information purpose only • Without monitoring system to check if countries

have fulfilled their pledged responsibilities countries may actually failed to reduce Co2

emission failed to minimize global warming

Difficulties in putting what the Accord stated into practice

Self-interest of different countries: Less Developed Countries: ~industries are their main economic

pillars -cutting Co2 emission suffer from

economic losses e.g. outputs of factories will drop GDP

drops worsen national economy

http://greenlifestylemagazine.net/issue-4/copenhagen-accord.php

More Developed Countries:~cutting CO2 emission -government: order power station to generate

fewer electricity-citizens: need to reduce the use of electrical

appliances inconvenience to most citizensCitizens do not do much that helps minimizing

global warming *Every country do not want to sacrifice Hindered long-term international co-operation Hard to minimize greenhouse gases emission

Conclusion 1) There was a call for raising fund,

reducing greenhouse gases greatly and establishment of Technology Mechanism

2) No concrete amount of C02 reduction needed was stated (countries may reduce few only )

3) No monitoring system is established no one knows if the emission of one country has been reduced or not

4) No legal binding no punishment will be given even if they did not fulfilled what they promised

5) As “CA” was not agreed by most of the countries not an accord with legal status to all countries in the world countries could withdraw from the “CA” even they once agreed

6) There is high cost of putting what the Accord stated into fact

Thank you!