21st December 2009: Linda Urges Action After Copenhagen Disappointment

Linda McAvan, MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber and spokesperson on the environment for the socialist group in the European Parliament, is urging the major carbon emitters of the world to act quickly and decisively in the New Year to agree a binding deal on CO2 emissions. 

“The major carbon emitters – the US, the EU, Japan and other developed nations - need to get together as soon as possible in the New Year to put firm figures on the table.  Likewise, China, the world’s biggest emitter, needs to make a real and verifiable commitment.  The world cannot wait any longer.

“There’s no point pretending that Copenhagen wasn’t hugely disappointing.  These types of negotiations are always difficult but the stakes are simply too high to justify the political posturing that we saw.  However, a limited agreement was at least struck that sees the world’s biggest polluters acknowledging climate change and making some kind of commitment to address it.  The EU is supporting the new deal as a basis for further action.  This small advance has to now be built on quickly to secure a binding agreement that delivers definitive actions.”     

The Copenhagen climate conference (officially known as COP15) saw two weeks of negotiations between developing and developed nations.  The goal was to agree a deal to reduce CO2 emissions that would limit increases in the average global temperature to no more than 2 degrees Celsius, thereby averting the worst effects of climate change.  However, no universally recognised deal was reached.  Instead, an agreement was concluded by the U.S., Brazil, China, India and South Africa that failed to set any legally binding targets.  Rather, it included recognition that temperature rises should be limited to no more than 2 degrees Celsius, with countries agreeing to submit plans of how to achieve this.  Also included was a promise to deliver £18.5 billion of aid over the next three years, and £62 billion a year by 2020 to help developing nations tackle the impact of climate change.