Big carbon emitters endorse Copenhagen
Source: Agencies |
February 1, 2010, Monday
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NATIONS accounting for most of the world's greenhouse gas emissions have restated their promises to fight climate change, meeting yesterday's deadline for a low-key endorsement of December's "Copenhagen Accord."
Experts say their promised curbs on greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 are too small to meet the accord's key goal of limiting global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times.
The United Nations Climate Change Secretariat plans to publish submissions today. That may pressure all capitals to keep their promises.
Countries accounting for at least two-thirds of emissions - including China, the United States and the European Union - have all written in. Smaller emitters, from the Philippines to Mali, have also sent promises or asked to be associated with the deal. The Secretariat says yesterday's deadline was flexible.
"Most of the industrialized countries' (promises) are in the 'inadequate' category," said Niklas Hoehne, director of energy and climate policy at climate consultancy Ecofys, which assesses how far national commitments will help limit climate change.
"The US is not enough, the European Union is not enough. For the major developed countries it's still far behind what is expected, except for Japan and Norway," he said.
Some developing nations, such as Brazil or Mexico, were making relatively greater efforts, he said.
The accord's goal of limiting warming to below 2 degrees - meant to help limit floods, droughts, wildfires and rising seas - is twinned with promises of billions of dollars in aid for developing nations.
Ecofys reckons that the promised curbs will set the world towards a 3.5-degree rise in temperatures, not 2.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP said that on current projections the world would exceed an estimated "carbon emissions budget" for the first half of this century by 2034, 16 years ahead of schedule.
The EU plans to cut emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, and 30 percent if others make deep cuts. The US plans a cut of 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, or 4 percent below 1990 levels.
"Carbon prices look set to remain relatively low until economic growth picks up or until a more ambitious target is adopted," said Richard Gledhill, a climate expert at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
"This will continue to delay major capital investment in low carbon technology."
The Copenhagen Accord, reached after a summit on December 18 in Denmark, was not adopted as a UN plan after opposition by a handful of developing nations such as Venezuela and Sudan.
Experts say their promised curbs on greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 are too small to meet the accord's key goal of limiting global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times.
The United Nations Climate Change Secretariat plans to publish submissions today. That may pressure all capitals to keep their promises.
Countries accounting for at least two-thirds of emissions - including China, the United States and the European Union - have all written in. Smaller emitters, from the Philippines to Mali, have also sent promises or asked to be associated with the deal. The Secretariat says yesterday's deadline was flexible.
"Most of the industrialized countries' (promises) are in the 'inadequate' category," said Niklas Hoehne, director of energy and climate policy at climate consultancy Ecofys, which assesses how far national commitments will help limit climate change.
"The US is not enough, the European Union is not enough. For the major developed countries it's still far behind what is expected, except for Japan and Norway," he said.
Some developing nations, such as Brazil or Mexico, were making relatively greater efforts, he said.
The accord's goal of limiting warming to below 2 degrees - meant to help limit floods, droughts, wildfires and rising seas - is twinned with promises of billions of dollars in aid for developing nations.
Ecofys reckons that the promised curbs will set the world towards a 3.5-degree rise in temperatures, not 2.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP said that on current projections the world would exceed an estimated "carbon emissions budget" for the first half of this century by 2034, 16 years ahead of schedule.
The EU plans to cut emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, and 30 percent if others make deep cuts. The US plans a cut of 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, or 4 percent below 1990 levels.
"Carbon prices look set to remain relatively low until economic growth picks up or until a more ambitious target is adopted," said Richard Gledhill, a climate expert at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
"This will continue to delay major capital investment in low carbon technology."
The Copenhagen Accord, reached after a summit on December 18 in Denmark, was not adopted as a UN plan after opposition by a handful of developing nations such as Venezuela and Sudan.
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