25 March 2010: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has released a report it commissioned on “The Outcomes of Copenhagen: The Negotiations and the Accord.” Author Alina Averchenkova recognizes that the Conference fell short of the high expectations to deliver a UN-level agreement on a future international framework on climate change, but underlines that the Copenhagen Accord reflects a political consensus on the main elements of the future framework among the major emitters and representatives of the main negotiating groups.
The paper includes an evaluation of the status of the negotiations on key issues under the formal negotiating tracks and the provisions of the Copenhagen Accord. The author also draws implications for implementation of actions in developing countries. Some of the unresolved issues highlighted include: commitments by industrialized countries; mitigation actions by developing countries; financing and technology transfer; measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of actions and support; and the global quantitative goal for emission reductions.
This publication is available in English, French, Spanish and Russian. It was prepared under the UNDP Energy and Environment global project on “Capacity Development for Policy Makers to Address Climate Change.” The project is funded by UNDP, with the Governments of Norway, Finland, Switzerland and Spain, and the UN Foundation. [The Report]