What was Copenhagen 15/02/2010 00:00:10
What was it?
The UN Climate Change Conference took place in Copenhagen between 7 and 18 December 2009, with the ultimate aim of cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
The journey to Copenhagen was long and at times slow: the Kyoto protocol was a significant step forwards with initial targets; the Bali Road Map set up a "framework" for climate change mitigation and the aim at Copenhagen was to fix ambitious new targets.
What did it seek to achieve?
The fundamental aim of Copenhagen was to create a new treaty to follow the Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012. The hope was that the summit would create new targets for industrialised nations to reduce carbon emissions, with tailored targets and funding for poorer nations to limit greenhouse gases.
What was achieved?
The conference was the subject of some bitter disputes, particularly between developed and developing nations. On the positive side, a small number of nations – including the
US and China – signed the nonbinding Copenhagen Accord to curb greenhouse gas emissions and hold the increase in global temperature below 2C. The Accord also made $100bn a year available to developing countries. However, the conference failed to
deliver a legally binding deal or any commitment to reach one in future.
What does it mean for business?
There was much debate about how the conference would impact on UK businesses. The most obvious area was regulation, with a global deal leading to changes to a host of regulatory tools – from the emissions trading scheme to Producer Responsibility Notices.
However, failure to reach agreement led business groups to denounce Copenhagen as "a missed opportunity". The most immediate impact was a dramatic fall in the price of carbon, although the wider consequences are yet to be felt.
What do we think?
Tetra Pak wanted to see the creation of ambitious new targets as a means of challenging businesses to become greener. However, we felt it vital that targets were set in a strong international framework, in order to provide clarity for business. We believe that tackling climate is important for everyone – that’s why we are working as an integral part of WWF’s Climate Savers programme. This requires us to set ambitious targets for reducing our emissions, even as we grow as a business. Tetra Pak continues to work with its customers and partners to raise the issue of climate change.
