Climate Change and International Negotiations
History of Climate Change in the UN
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- Kyoto
- The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 and committed 37industrialized countries and the European community to reducing carbon emissions.
- The list of countries that have ratified Kyoto is fairly exhaustive, but the United States is not one of them. The first commitment period for Kyoto ends in 2012.
- Bali Road Map (Post-Kyoto Talks)
- The Bali Road Map was the result of the 2007 Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) meeting in Bali, Indonesia.
- It was designed to provide a two year action plan that would guide the negotiations process toward developing a binding post kyotoagreement by the end of 2009.
- Over the past two years, there have been COP meetings in 2008 in Bangkok, Bonn, Accra, and Pozan, and in 2009 in Bonn, Bangkok, and Barcelona; all leading up to the December 2009 COP meeting in Copenhagen.
- Copenhagen
On December 18, 2009 the COP 15 put forth the Copenhagen Accord.
Concern: The Copenhagen Accord does not mandate the necessary emissions reductions to truly protect God’s people and God’s Creation from the worst impacts of climate change.
Joy: The U.S. and other developed countries will committ to providing $100 billion by 2020 to developing nations for climate adaptation and mitigation. These funds will come from both the public and private sector. Click here to read a press release from the NCC commending this committment.
Perspectives on Copenhagen
NCC Eco-Justice Webblog post Reflections from Copenhagen: Where do We go from Here?
World Resources Institute: Reflections from Cophenhagen: The Accord and the way Forward
Time article Lessons from the Copenhagen ClimateTalks
Upcoming Climate Talks:
Mexico City: What we are hoping for
It is time for the countries that benefit most from activities that cause climate change to acknowledge this injustice and take the steps necessary to correct it. To do this nations must:
- Establish clear and defined committments to reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 80% of 1990 levels by 2050.
- Provide adaptation assistance to reduce the impact of climate change on thoes living in poverty.
- Establish means of measuring accountability to ensure that nations are meeting the standards scientists tell us we must in order to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.
It is within our power to create an earth where all of God's Children share in teh abundance of this magnificent Creation.
Links and Resources
- Click here to learn about the Ncc's participation in the climate negotiations in Accra Ghana in 2008.
Return to the Climate webpage.