CIAO DATE: 05/2010
December 2009
Centre for International Governance Innovation
Skepticism abounds as to whether the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) being held in Copenhagen in December 2009 will result in a new climate change agreement. This policy brief asserts that the North-South divide is perhaps the most important hindrance to reaching an agreement. The divide stems from two factors: differences between the North and South with regard to incomes per capita and economic growth; and disagreement over responsibility for damage and whether to measure emissions on an annual basis or on a historical or cumulative basis. According to the authors, movement across this divide will be necessary to reach a deal; however, the likelihood of a significant agreement, even post-Copenhagen, is unclear despite the current political momentum. China's recent emissions-reduction commitment offers an opportunity to lessen the divide, but how the parties will respond remains to be seen.
Resource link: Bridging the North-South Divide on Climate Post Copenhagen [PDF] - 491K