Limited Agreement is Reached as Copenhagen Summit Comes to an End

In a last-minute flurry of diplomatic activity, U.S. President Obama managed to piece together a limited agreement on climate change that falls short of even the modest expectations for the 12-day summit meeting in the Danish capital. Rather than emerging with a legally binding treaty to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions — the original goal of the conference — the deal brokered by Obama stipulates that countries should list their greenhouse gas reduction targets, that negotiators establish a fund to help poor nations deal with global warming, and that the world community aim to limit global temperature increases to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F) above pre-industrial levels. After forging the political accord with China, India, and South Africa, Obama said, “We have come a long way, but we have much farther to go in the fight against climate change.” To eventually get a legally binding agreement, said Obama, “is going to be very hard, and it’s going to take some time.” He added, however, “Today we’ve made a meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough here in Copenhagen.” An Obama administration official conceded, “It’s not sufficient to combat the threat of climate change, but it’s an important first step.” And a statement from the administration said that while “no country is satisfied with each element,” the political accord is “a foundation from which to make further progress.”
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