Suddenly there is a renewed world effort to achieve some measure of progress toward an agreement to replace the Kyoto Accord.
In preparation for the Copenhagen meeting, China’s State Council says China will reduce its carbon intensity 40 to 45 percent by the year 2020 as compared to 2005 levels.
President Obama has announced that he intends to attend and is expected to make a provisional pledge to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020.
Canada’s announced goal is 20% reduction in GHG by 2020, compared to 2006 levels, and it appears that Prime Minister Harper will attend the Copenhagen conference.
The key objective many people believe the Copenhagen agreement must include are commitments to
- prevent the earth’s temperature from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit)
- cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050, with at least 80 percent of the reduction coming from developed nations.
With these agreements in Copenhagen, it may be possible to arrive at a final treaty by the end of 2010, at a meeting likely to take place in Mexico.
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