The Copenhagen Calamity

Climate change is very much a global issue. It affects every single one of us living on earth. However, as an individual, we don't really have much of impact on this issue. If I were to suddenly change to a zero carbon output lifestyle, would global climate change be affected even in the slightest bit considering the activities of my 7 billion neighbours on earth? A bit too pessimistic for an environment studies student? I like to look at things as they are. The fact of the matter is the politicians of the most important countries in the world aren't even serious when it comes to climate change. As can be implied from the title, I'll be discussing the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, also known as the Copenhagen Summit.

The Copenhagen Summit included the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 5th Meeting of the Parties (MOP 5) to the Kyoto Protocol. At the previous United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2007 at Bali, a framework for climate change mitigation beyond 2012 was to be agreed at the Copenhagen Summit. The main thing that came out of the Copenhagen Summit was instead the Copenhagen Accord. The Copenhagen Accord is not legally binding and was merely 'taken note of' by the 193 states present at the Copenhagen Summit. 

Regardless of the content of the Copenhagen Accords, the fact that it was merely 'taken note of' just shows the level of difficulty in bringing a group of nations together to agree on a deal to limit emissions at the cost of economic growth. Political consensus has not yet matched up to the scientific consensus on climate change. This is important as the future of the earth's climate is in the hands of our leaders. While we do also have a part to play, the impacts of their decisions far outweigh anything the a normal person can do. The science of climate change has been settled. Its time for the politics of climate change to move forward to safeguard our future.