In the news: Durban a Done Deal: But is it a success?



Figure: British Oxfam activist protesting about the COP-17 Conference in Durban.  


Following from my post on the Durban climate summit last week, after the conference was extended over the weekend an agreement has been made to start working towards a a new Protocol which would legally bind both developed and developing countries to reduce their carbon emissions by 2020. This would differ from the current Kyoto Protocol which only legally binds developed nations (that have signed the agreement) to decrease their carbon emissions. This is a significant step forward and shows a political commitment to try and restrict global warming within the 2°C target set by scientists.

 Entitled 'The Durban Platform For Enhanced Action' a two-page document has been published providing guidelines for countries to voluntarily begin to reduce their carbon emissions by 2015 although legal commitments will not come into place until 2020 (UNFCCC, 2011) . In this interim, developed nations have also agreed to continue to be legally bond to reduce their emissions with the first Kyoto Protocol expiring in 2013. However, although this is being hailed a success by the UN and some other countries, critics have argued that the paper has simply glossed over the disputes between developed and developing (particularly China and India) and significant negotiations are still needed before a protocol will be produced (The Guardian, 2011). Further criticism arises from small island states and environmental NGOs which argue that global carbon emissions may have peaked by 2020, and that a legal agreement needs to be brought into force sooner than the proposed 2020 date (The Telegraph, 2011).

However, how realistic is it to expect countries to produce a treaty by 2015 let alone, bring the date forward as the smaller island nations suggest? The UN economic summit in Brussels is an obvious example. Countries self-interests are still at the forefront of international debates about our global future, in the economy and also in the environment. Although, the nations have all signed onto reducing their emissions, the next talk in Qatar will highlight the true commitment that developing nations have to enter into a legally binding agreement when targets are drawn up for each nation (The Telegraph, 2011).

Therefore, although the UN may feel like the 'cat that's got the cream' I suggest that they should delay their celebrating as that cream may just well turn out to be sour.
                                                

To read the two-page agreement for yourself, click here. The Guardian has also released a three-minute video which includes the opinions of this new agreement by some of the delegates at the conference.

Reference:
Gray, L (2011) 'Durban climate change: the agreement explained', The Telegraph, 11th December 2011.

Harvey, F. and D. Carrington (2011) 'Durban climate conference agrees to do a deal- now goes the hard part', The Guardian, 12th December 2011.