United Nations Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen 2009

United Nations Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen 2009
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Name	United Nations Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen 2009
Date	7–19 December 2009
Location	Copenhagen, Denmark
Also known as	COP15, CMP5
Organizers	United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Participants	192 Parties, heads of state, non-state actors

United Nations Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen 2009 was the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 5th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, held in Copenhagen from 7 to 19 December 2009. The summit gathered national delegations, heads of state, United Nations agencies, European Union representatives, and civil society to negotiate a successor to the Kyoto Protocol and to set global emissions targets ahead of the 2010s climate policy era. Expectations were high for a comprehensive treaty; outcomes included the politically negotiated Copenhagen Accord and contentious reactions from negotiators, activists, and media.

Background

The Copenhagen summit followed a series of international processes including the annual COP sequence beginning with COP1 at Berlin and milestones such as the Kyoto Protocol adoption at COP3 in Kyoto, the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change processes, and the Bali Road Map adopted at COP13 in Bali. Major drivers included scientific assessments by the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, policy frameworks under the UNFCCC Secretariat, and international diplomacy influenced by blocs like the G77, European Union, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and emerging powers such as China, India, Brazil, and South Africa. Domestic politics in capitals including Washington, D.C., Beijing, New Delhi, Brasília, London, and Ottawa shaped national negotiating positions and expectations of a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol.

Negotiations and Agreements

Formal negotiations at the Copenhagen conference took place in plenary and contact group formats under the rules of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process. Delegates from least developed countries and small island states such as Maldives and Tuvalu urged deep emissions cuts and climate finance commitments, while industrialized parties including United States, Japan, Canada, and members of the European Union debated mitigation pledges and market mechanisms. Negotiating text drew on prior initiatives like the Bali Action Plan and proposals from the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP). Parallel high-level meetings involved heads of state from United States, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Denmark attempting to bridge gaps on finance, measurement, reporting, and verification.

Copenhagen Accord

The Copenhagen Accord, drafted in closed plenary sessions and brokered by leaders including United States President Barack Obama, China Premier Wen Jiabao, India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, recognized the scientific view that the rise in global temperature should be limited to below 2 °C. The Accord proposed national mitigation pledges, a collective goal of mobilizing US$100 billion per year in climate finance by 2020 for adaptation and mitigation, and the establishment of a Green Climate Fund and mechanisms for measurement, reporting, and verification. Although the Accord was noted by the plenary, it was not adopted as a legally binding treaty under the UNFCCC; instead it was "taken note of," reflecting compromises among United States, China, Russia President Dmitry Medvedev, South Africa President Jacob Zuma, and other leaders.

Participants and Key Actors

Primary participants included the 192 Parties to the UNFCCC, heads of state and government such as Barack Obama, Hu Jintao, Gordon Brown, Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy, Kevin Rudd, and Stephen Harper, and ministers from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Australia. Institutional actors included the UNFCCC Secretariat, the European Commission, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and non-state entities like Greenpeace, WWF, Friends of the Earth, and the Climate Action Network. Key negotiators and figures included Yvo de Boer (UNFCCC Executive Secretary until 2009), Christiana Figueres (later UNFCCC Executive Secretary), and national negotiators from coalitions such as the Umbrella Group, the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), and the G77 and China.

Protests and Public Response

Copenhagen hosted extensive public engagement, including demonstrations organized by Friends of the Earth, Climate Justice Now!, 350.org, and trade unions. Protest actions ranged from peaceful marches led by figures like Bill McKibben to direct actions targeting official venues. Local law enforcement in Copenhagen and security arrangements involving Danish Police confronted incidents during high-visibility days such as the arrival of heads of state. Media coverage by outlets including BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera highlighted both diplomatic drama and grassroots mobilization, while cultural figures and celebrities added visibility through endorsements and public statements.

Outcomes and Criticism

The immediate outcome was the Copenhagen Accord, which secured political commitments but fell short of a legally binding comprehensive treaty. Observers from small island states and least developed countries criticized the process for lack of transparency and for marginalizing vulnerable parties. Academics and commentators from institutions such as Stanford University, Oxford University, Harvard University, and think tanks including World Resources Institute and International Institute for Environment and Development debated the Accord's adequacy relative to IPCC recommendations. Critics argued that pledges by United States and China were insufficient for limiting warming and that the conference exposed fractures within negotiating groups like the European Union and the G77.

Legacy and Subsequent Developments

Copenhagen's political outcomes influenced subsequent international processes, accelerating efforts that culminated in the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action at COP17 and ultimately the Paris Agreement at COP21 in Paris in 2015. Institutional legacies included momentum for the creation of the Green Climate Fund, reforms in UNFCCC negotiation practices, and intensified bilateral diplomacy between United States and China leading to later joint initiatives. The summit shaped climate finance discussions involving the World Bank and catalyzed civil society networks that continued advocacy through campaigns by 350.org, Greenpeace International, and regional coalitions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Copenhagen remains a focal point in analyses of international environmental governance and climate diplomacy.

Category:United Nations climate change conferences Category:2009 in international relations