Global carbon reduction agreed at UN conference
A deal to significantly reduce carbon emissions has been reached at the UN conference in Cancun, Mexico, despite resistance from several countries.
The draft document for carbon reduction, which includes endorsements by Japan, China and the US, incorporates pledges by Westernised countries to lower emissions, however it does not provide a mechanism for achieving the pledges made by countries, an issue that threatened to derail the process.
For the first time developing countries agreed to look at reduction, with an arrangement for funding provided to help with low-carbon development and climate impacts via Green Climate Fund which will provide £64bn a year by 2020.
Countries also agreed in principle to having their emissions cuts inspected.
However, it’s been suggested that the pledged reduction levels may contribute to an actual rise in temperatures.
Instead of a rise of 2 deg C, which is considered a ‘safe’ level of warming, analysis has predicted somewhere nearer 4 deg C.
Pablo Solon, delegation chief, said: “Responsibly we cannot go along with this – it would mean we went along with a sirtuaiton that my president has termed ‘ecocide and genoicide.”
David Cameron said: “Now the world must deliver on its promises. There is more hard work to be done ahead of the climate change conference in South Africa next year.”
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Readers' comments (1)
Meme Mine | 22 December 2010 10:18 pm
It's time you news editors took a side and took a stand and started to be responsible for 24 years of CO2 fear mongering.
Renounce the CO2 or we will no longer trust you.
And an apology would be nice too for scaring our kids with DEATH BY CO2 for 24 years. YOU KNEW this was all a lie and a CO2 mistake, but you didn’t care.
We care.
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