With the first week of the COP 15 coming to an end, a draft proposal is finally on the table, although it leaves many of the details still “to be determined.”  http://unfccc.int/files/kyoto_protocol/application/pdf/draftcoretext.pdf

During negotiations this morning, Tuvalu made another impassioned plea for the world to realize that its very survival depends on a binding and effective  agreement.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuG5vR3HJDU]

Negotiations this afternoon went back and forth as the parties are still divided about whether or not to abandon the Kyoto Protocol  in favor of a totally new agreement.   

COP President Hedegaard

The G-77 and China made a strong statement that they still support the two-track agreement laid out in Kyoto and reinforced in Bali.  Nigeria stated that the work of Kyoto still needs to be accomplished and added “you do not kill the mother before the child is born.”  

Annex-I countries, however, such as Canada, Japan, Switzerland and Sweden all stated that the Kyoto framework will not be effective enough to keep climate change below the 2 degree number.  They each stressed the need to merge the Kyoto document into a new binding agreement that eliminates the two-track system.  

But developing countries were quick to point out the lack of meaningful action taken on the part of the developed nations to date.  Saying that the developing  countries need to take responsibility for their historical actions (as Bolivia highlighted, “75% of historic emissions are the responsibility of the developed countries),  Ecuador stated, “It is not a matter of political will, it is a matter of social responsibility.”  

COP-MOP in 5th Plenary

The 5th meeting of the CMP is now adjourned.