Climate accord offers some grounds for hope

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The UN Climate Change Conference ended on Saturday (19 December) with frustration and verdicts of failure from many delegates because it did not reach a binding agreement on how to tackle climate change — or any agreement at all on targets for carbon emissions. But some commentators say that important principles behind fighting climate change have been established for the first time, and some action could start immediately even without the existence of a universal agreement.

The UN Climate Change Conference ended on Saturday (19 December) with frustration and verdicts of failure from many delegates because it did not reach a binding agreement on how to tackle climate change — or any agreement at all on targets for carbon emissions.

But some commentators say that important principles behind fighting climate change have been established for the first time, and some action could start immediately even without the existence of a universal agreement.

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The Copenhagen Climate Accord — a political "statement of intent" forged by four major developing country economies (Brazil, China, India and South Africa) and the United States, backed in principle by the European Union and "noted" by the rest of the world during the final session of the conference — states that signatory nations will build clean-energy economies and help the most vulnerable nations adapt to the effects of climate change.

The accord envisages a Copenhagen Green Climate Fund — approximately US$30 billion a year between 2010 and 2012 — to help developing countries prepare for climate change, develop and integrate new technologies into development plans and protect their forests.

By 2020 the accord envisages US$100 billion a year for mitigation and adaptation — far below what bodies like the World Bank estimate is needed.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, contrasted the deal with the 2007 talks in Bali, Indonesia, when countries offered no financial support.

"This time we have US$100 billion a year ... significant big money," the New York Times reported him as saying. "This is a new step toward the era of clean energy security and toward an era of green growth."

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