UN climate chief fears Copenhagen deal will not be comprehensive
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 11:34 | 
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Yvo de Boer, the head of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework for a Convention on Climate Change), last week spoke about his concerns that a comprehensive climate deal would not be agreed in Copenhagen at the end of the year. Speaking ahead of the final round of climate talks taking place in Barcelona between 2-6 November, he predicted that it would be ‘physically impossible, under any scenario, to complete every detail of a treaty in Copenhagen’.
Despite his less than optimistic outlook on the current state of negotiations, he insisted that even if not all details were finalised in Denmark, history suggests that a workable and comprehensive deal would eventually be agreed. Citing the circumstances surrounding the agreement of the Kyoto Protcol, he said ‘It took five years, I believe, before the Kyoto Protocol was ultimately ratified by a sufficient number of countries and entered into force’.
He has however reiterated the importance of the December summit calling it a ‘unique window of opportunity’, with speculation growing that the Danes are preparing a compromise agreement, should negotiations end in a dead-lock.
Speaking ahead of the European Council summit which took place last week, he also reemphasised the role the EU has to play in the lead up to and culmination of international negotiations for the climate deal (for link to article on European Council conclusions click here). He had hoped that the occasion would be used by the EU ‘to provide clarity’ on the key issue of financing of developing countries’ climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, an opportunity, which as it turns out, has not been taken and will surely only further dampen expectations ahead of the COP.
With the global summit now less than 40 days away only a few opportunities now remain ahead of the meeting, with UN negotiations currently taking place in Barcelona this week (2-6 November). In addition to clarity on funding of developing countries, Mr de Boer has targeted ambitious emission reduction goals for industrialised countries, significant increases in financial and technological resources and appropriate mitigation efforts by developing countries as the key areas where agreement will be essential for a workable global climate deal.
Despite his less than optimistic outlook on the current state of negotiations, he insisted that even if not all details were finalised in Denmark, history suggests that a workable and comprehensive deal would eventually be agreed. Citing the circumstances surrounding the agreement of the Kyoto Protcol, he said ‘It took five years, I believe, before the Kyoto Protocol was ultimately ratified by a sufficient number of countries and entered into force’.
He has however reiterated the importance of the December summit calling it a ‘unique window of opportunity’, with speculation growing that the Danes are preparing a compromise agreement, should negotiations end in a dead-lock.
Speaking ahead of the European Council summit which took place last week, he also reemphasised the role the EU has to play in the lead up to and culmination of international negotiations for the climate deal (for link to article on European Council conclusions click here). He had hoped that the occasion would be used by the EU ‘to provide clarity’ on the key issue of financing of developing countries’ climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, an opportunity, which as it turns out, has not been taken and will surely only further dampen expectations ahead of the COP.
With the global summit now less than 40 days away only a few opportunities now remain ahead of the meeting, with UN negotiations currently taking place in Barcelona this week (2-6 November). In addition to clarity on funding of developing countries, Mr de Boer has targeted ambitious emission reduction goals for industrialised countries, significant increases in financial and technological resources and appropriate mitigation efforts by developing countries as the key areas where agreement will be essential for a workable global climate deal.
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