An agreement was reached today at the United Nations climate change conference in Cancun. The Climate Change Conference took place at a luxury resort in Cancun, Mexico, attended by delegates from over 190 countries. Consensus was reached in the Cancun agreement in spite of objections from Bolivia. However, deeper cuts are still needed to reduce carbon emissions and does not contain a mechanism for achieving the contents of the agreement. Certain nation’s resistance to the Kyoto Protocol has been a stumbling block throughout the conference negotiations.
Developing nations such as India, China, South Africa and Brazil found some of the issues to be intrusive, but a compromise was reached. Poorer nations welcomed the agreement as one which will begin the influx of cash from wealthier nations to begin developing cleaner alternative energy systems.
“Delegates cheered speeches from governments that had caused the most friction during negotiations – Japan, China, even the US – as one by one they endorsed the draft.
BBC environment correspondent Richard Black said the meeting did not achieve the comprehensive, all-encompassing deal that many activists and governments want.
But he said it was being “touted as a platform on which that comprehensive agreement can be built”.
European Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said the deal was substantial and covered several issues. Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon said the summit had allowed leaders to “glimpse new horizons” where countries had the “shared task to keep the planet healthy and keep it safe from [humans]“.
The UK Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Now the world must deliver on its promises. There is more hard work to be done ahead of the climate change conference in South Africa next year.” The Green Climate Fund is intended to raise and disburse $100bn (£64bn) a year by 2020 to protect poor nations against climate impacts and assist them with low-carbon development.
A new Adaptation Committee will support countries as they establish climate protection plans. And parameters for funding developing countries to reduce deforestation are outlined.”
Source: BBCnews.com