KELOWNA, B.C. (CUP) – While the Copenhagen Accord, released to the world in December, recognized the problem of climate change, it contained no legally binding emission reduction goals and was not formally adopted by participating countries.
The Copenhagen Accord was the result of the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). COP15 represented the result of two years of planning and pre-negotiations, and took place Dec. 7-18 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The agreement aims to reduce and limit carbon emissions worldwide so as to limit the rise in global temperature to two degrees Celsius. It also aims to establish a global fund to aid the efforts of poor nations dealing with climate change.
The completion of any sort of deal whatsoever looked almost impossible heading into the conference’s final day, the Globe and Mail reported at the time. A negotiation deadlock meant there was no significant document for leaders to sign, as many of them arrived the day before. This forced world leaders to negotiate directly; an unusual occurrence, said Robert Orr, the UN assistant secretary-general at a press conference after the meeting.
The text of the Copenhagen Accord was negotiated mainly between the U.S., China, India, Brazil, and South Africa, and presented to the plenary, where delegates voted to “take note” of it. The UNFCCC cannot formally adopt an accord without unanimous support from its members, which some developing countries refused to give.
The accord is therefore not legally binding and does not make any official commitments to reduce emissions. It is expected, according to TIME magazine, that next year’s COP meeting in Mexico City will largely be concerned with adding details and structure to the document.
Canada’s chief negotiator, Environment Minister Jim Prentice, told the Canadian Press that the accord was a success. “It sits within the principles we put forward as a Canadian government and it essentially achieved all our negotiating objectives,” he said.
In a statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper claimed Canada played a “key part” in the negotiation of the accord.
But Canada and the Conservative government have faced criticism on this issue. Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff attacked Harper’s importance on the international stage after the prime minister wasn’t invited to a 20-nation emergency meeting of world leaders. ““For decades,” he said in a press release, “the world has looked to Canada as a broker on progressive matters of international importance – regardless of the party in power. Now we are no longer even at the table.”
The standard measure of emissions reductions being used is the difference between annual emissions in the year 1990 versus the year 2020. Unlike many other nations who support the 1990 benchmark, Canada wants to establish 2006 as the year for comparison. That “would wipe out any obligation to deal with the country’s 26 per cent rise in . . . emissions since 1990,” according to an article by Jonathon Gatehouse in Maclean’s Magazine.
Canada’s current emissions reduction targets are equivalent to three per cent below 1990 levels by the year 2020, which is much less than targets of 25 per cent set by Russia and Japan. Many provinces have targeted their own emissions cuts, according to the McGill Tribune, including a 20 per cent cut from 1990 levels in Quebec, 15 per cent in Ontario, 11 per cent in British Columbia and 10 per cent in New Brunswick. However, oil giant Alberta’s climate goals are simply to stabilize emissions by 2020, according to Maclean’s.
Canada was presented the “Fossil of the Year” award by the global Climate Action Network after COP15. “Canada’s performance here in Copenhagen builds on two years of delay, obstruction and total inaction,” Ben Wikler, the U.S. campaign director of the global action movement Avaaz, said during the announcement. “This government thinks there’s a choice between environment and economy, and for them, tar sands beats climate every time.”
To the Minister of the Environment Jim Prentice and Prime Minister Stephen Harper!
What are you reducing Greenhouse Gases and Emissions for and spending tax payers dollars, when it has been proven that the Carbon Emissions Scientific Measurements are totally fraudulent and manipulated numbers are you a fool? Do you think Canadian citizens are stupid?
“Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant but a natural trace gas essential to all plant and animal life on earth”. They point to times in Earth’s history when concentrations of CO2 were much higher, plants thrived, coral reefs grew prolifically and polar bears survived. They do not believe man’s “greenhouse gas emissions” are a major driver of global warming.” Have you not looked at Dr. Tim Ball's evidence? From the University of Manitoba, now residing in Vancouver!
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and you Mister Minister Prentice have to get a legal document that proclaims the Copenhagen Emissions numbers as the fraud they are and therefore Canada should not be obligated to these Carbon reduction emission numbers Eg. 20%!
Your voters are aware of the Fraud based Science these reductions are based off of and as such, I cannot see your voters in favor of spending Canadian Tax Dollars on this United Nations, International Monetary Fund Fraud!
To the Minister of the Environment Jim Prentice and Prime Minister Stephen Harper!
What are you reducing Greenhouse Gases and Emissions for and spending tax payers dollars, when it has been proven that the Carbon Emissions Scientific Measurements are totally fraudulent and manipulated numbers are you a fool? Do you think Canadian citizens are stupid?
“Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant but a natural trace gas essential to all plant and animal life on earth”. They point to times in Earth’s history when concentrations of CO2 were much higher, plants thrived, coral reefs grew prolifically and polar bears survived. They do not believe man’s “greenhouse gas emissions” are a major driver of global warming.” Have you not looked at Dr. Tim Ball's evidence? From the University of Manitoba, now residing in Vancouver!
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and you Mister Minister Prentice have to get a legal document that proclaims the Copenhagen Emissions numbers as the fraud they are and therefore Canada should not be obligated to these Carbon reduction emission numbers Eg. 20%!
Your voters are aware of the Fraud based Science these reductions are based off of and as such, I cannot see your voters in favor of spending Canadian Tax Dollars on this United Nations, International Monetary Fund Fraud!
You hit the nail on the head.
The environmental movement was hijacked by fascists 30 years ago.
250 million people have been directly starved because of good agriculture land that produces food for humans was changed into bio-fuel growing areas. This cause a jump in food prices and pushed millions over the line into starvation.
Environmentalism is the new Nazism
GREEN is the new RED/BLACK
You hit the nail on the head.
The environmental movement was hijacked by fascists 30 years ago.
250 million people have been directly starved because of good agriculture land that produces food for humans was changed into bio-fuel growing areas. This cause a jump in food prices and pushed millions over the line into starvation.
Environmentalism is the new Nazism
GREEN is the new RED/BLACK
So who cares.
Climate has become a religion, backed by untestable, unprovable "pseudoscience". The essence of science is provability, something which the climate fearmongers cannot provide. In the UK, where much of this hysteria originates, they have "warmists" and "deniers". Yep, sounds like science to me. The "climategate" emails show how dishonest, petty and money-motivated these so-called scientists are. Maybe it's time we told these idiots to shut up and get back in the real world by stopping spending public funds on them. And also, as individuals, by NOT contributing to Greenpeace, the Sierra Club etc.
The big losers in this are the legtitimate members of the scientific community who have lost credibility with the public.
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