Science Features

BACKGROUND: The conservationists' wish-list for Copenhagen

Dec 9, 2009, 20:08 GMT

NGOs demonstrate outside the Bella Center, the venue of the ongoing COP15 Climate Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, 09 December 2009. EPA/KELD NAVNTOFT

Copenhagen - Thousands of delegates from 192 countries are currently negotiating a new climate deal in Copenhagen.

The talks, which are aimed at keeping global warming in check through massive greenhouse gas emission cuts by rich nations and billions of dollars in 'green' aid to the developing world, will be wrapped-up by world leaders at the end of next week.

What follows is a wish-list from the Climate Action Network (CAN), a worldwide network of over 450 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), among them Greenpeace and WWF:

- Overall aim: A commitment to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Centigrade.

This is to be achieved through:

a) A reduction in greenhouse gas concentrations, so as to ensure that carbon dioxide in the world's atmosphere does not exceed 350 parts per million;

b) Peaking emissions within the 2013-2017 period and rapidly declining emissions by at least 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050;

c) Emission cuts should fully reflect the historic and current contributions of developed countries to climate change and the right of developing countries to sustainable development;

- Emission cuts by rich nations: Industrialized countries must reduce their emissions by at least 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020. Reductions for individual countries should be based on historic and present responsibility for emissions as well as current capacity to reduce emissions.

- The role of developing countries: Developing countries must be supported in their efforts to limit the growth of their industrial emissions, making substantial reductions below business-as-usual.

- Deforestation and degradation: Emissions from deforestation and degradation must be reduced to zero by 2020, funded by at least 35 billion dollars per year from developed countries.

- Aid to developing countries:

a) Developed countries need to provide at least 195 billion dollars in public financing per year by 2020, in addition to existing Official Development Assistance commitments.

b) At least 95 billion dollars per year for low emissions development, halting deforestation, agriculture, and technology research and development in developing countries;

c) At least 100 billion dollars per year in grants for adaptation in developing countries, including an international climate insurance pool;

- Legally-binding deal: Any agreement reached in Copenhagen must be legally binding and enforceable.

- Double counting: To be avoided.

a) Offsets, purchased by an industrialized country from developing countries to help meet the industrialized country's emissions reduction goal, cannot be counted as also helping a developing country to meet its emissions reduction goal.

b) Payments for offsets should not be double counted.

- Adaptation Action Framework: This should immediately and massively scale up predictable and reliable support to developing countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change.