Copenhagen conference sees slow progress

• 15 years ago (2009-12-16)
• David Flin

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Two new sections of text have emerged from the conference. The first is a proposal on enhancing financial flows to developing countries, and the second is a new skeleton text of a draft: “Outcome of the work of the Ad-Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action Under the Convention.”

This latter document gathers together nine sub-texts into a complete report to be submitted to the COP presidency. It is a further sign that the pressure is increasing and that ministers and negotiators alike are keenly aware that time is fast running out. The text on financial flows establishes a “high-level finance committee of the financial mechanism” charged with developing infrastructure to deploy funds from developed countries which are themselves to be held in an as yet unnamed fund or facility.

Apart from these new texts, senior negotiators have indicated little in the way of good news so far, except assurances and promises that talks would continue to unblock the main log-jams. Various elements of the twin track talks (under the AWG-LCA and AWG-KP) remain at a standstill as parties remain unwilling to compromise.

Developed countries continue to insist that any voluntary action by developing states to reduce emissions should be subject to monitoring, reporting and verification. This has upset larger developing countries who are unwilling to submit their own actions to external scrutiny.

COP President Connie Hedegaard identified five “crunch” issues that have been the focus of ministerial attention: developed country reduction targets; developing country actions; long-term finance; aviation and maritime emissions; and what she called “the special circumstances of particular countries with regard to mitigation.” Attempting to explain the slow progress by the conference towards a conclusion, Hedegaard compared the brinkmanship to a school homework assignment. She said: “If (children) have a very long deadline to deliver an exercise, they will wait until the last moment.” Which begs the question as to whether or not the delegates will claim that the dog ate the deal if they fail to deliver.