Copenhagen Climate Change Conference

Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
Name	Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
Year	2009
Location	Copenhagen, Denmark
Venue	Bella Center
Dates	7–18 December 2009
Also known as	Conference of the Parties 15, UNFCCC COP 15
Participants	192 parties, United Nations, European Union

Copenhagen Climate Change Conference

The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference was the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark from 7 to 18 December 2009. The meeting convened representatives from United States, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, European Union, and nearly all United Nations member states to negotiate a successor framework to the Kyoto Protocol. High-profile participants included leaders from Barack Obama's administration, Hu Jintao, Manmohan Singh, and Angela Merkel, alongside envoys from Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries, and coalition groupings such as the G77 and the Alliance of Small Island States.

Background

The conference followed a series of multilateral processes including the Kyoto Protocol negotiations, the Bali Road Map from the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference, and the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change whose Fourth Assessment Report influenced urgency. Preparatory meetings occurred under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat led by Yvo de Boer and later Christiana Figueres's office. Major negotiating blocs such as the Umbrella Group, African Group, AOSIS, and Alliance of Small Island States sharpened positions alongside influential advocacy from Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, Sierra Club, 350.org, and scientific institutions like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NOAA, and Hadley Centre.

Negotiations and Key Outcomes

Negotiations produced the political statement known as the Copenhagen Accord, drafted during high-level consultations involving delegates from United States, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa—collectively labeled the BASIC countries—together with the European Union, Japan, and Russia. The accord was noted for voluntary emissions pledges, a goal to limit warming to below 2 °C referenced to pre-industrial levels, and proposed financing mechanisms including the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund and short-term fast-start finance. Critical legal issues included differentiation between Annex I and non-Annex I parties under the UNFCCC and compliance mechanisms debated in the context of the Kyoto Protocol’s second commitment period. Observers from United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund participated in discussions on finance architecture. Despite high expectations, the conference did not secure a legally binding successor treaty endorsed by all United Nations parties, and the Copenhagen Accord was initially "noted" rather than formally adopted by the UNFCCC COP.

Participating Parties and Stakeholders

Delegations included national leaders from United States of America, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Japan, Russian Federation, and members of the European Union such as Germany and United Kingdom. International organizations present included the United Nations Environment Programme, World Meteorological Organization, World Bank, International Energy Agency, and regional bodies like the African Union. Non-state stakeholders encompassed corporations from the energy sector such as representatives linked to ExxonMobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, and China National Petroleum Corporation alongside finance institutions including Goldman Sachs and the Asian Development Bank. Civil society coalitions from Friends of the Earth, indigenous groups represented via Sámi Council, trade unions like the International Trade Union Confederation, and faith-based networks such as World Council of Churches also participated.

Protests and Public Response

Public demonstrations and direct actions took place in Copenhagen and globally, organized by groups including Climate Justice Now!, Extinction Rebellion precursors, 350.org, and People’s Climate March organizers. Police and municipal authorities in Copenhagen responded to sit-ins and street actions near the Bella Center; clashes were reported and resulted in arrests, drawing scrutiny from human rights observers like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Concurrent cultural events featured musicians and artists associated with environmental campaigns, and parallel forums included the People's Summit and NGO-organized dialogues, drawing delegations from European Environment Agency and student groups tied to International Student Environmental Coalition.

Scientific and Economic Issues Discussed

Scientific input relied heavily on findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and research institutions such as NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Hadley Centre for Climate Science and Services, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Key topics included greenhouse gas inventories under protocols like Kyoto Protocol, carbon budgets consistent with a 2 °C target, climate modeling uncertainties, and attribution science related to extreme events. Economic debates focused on carbon pricing instruments, emissions trading schemes exemplified by the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, market mechanisms such as Clean Development Mechanism, technology transfer under the UNFCCC, and finance commitments including mobilization via the Green Climate Fund concept, proposed contributions from developed parties under Annex I, and risk-transfer tools explored with the World Bank and Insurance Industry stakeholders.

Legacy and Impact on International Climate Policy

The conference influenced subsequent diplomatic tracks leading to the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action and ultimately the Paris Agreement of 2015 by catalyzing negotiations on nationally determined contributions and climate finance architecture. Copenhagen accelerated transparency mechanisms, spurred creation of the Green Climate Fund, and reshaped relations among major emitters such as United States and China culminating in bilateral agreements like the 2014 US-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change. Scholarly analysis by institutions including Stockholm Environment Institute and Resources for the Future assessed the Accord’s impacts on mitigation pledges and finance flows. While criticized by Friends of the Earth and others for process shortcomings, the meeting remains a pivotal moment cited in policy debates involving the European Commission, African Development Bank, and subsequent COP presidencies, and it continues to feature in curricula at universities like Oxford University, Harvard University, and Yale University.

Category:International climate conferences