December 2009

World Resouces Institute

The result from Copenhagen is an accord that looks very different than what has come before.

The Copenhagen meeting broke new ground in a number of rather historic ways. Never before have heads of state from nations in Asia, Latin America, Africa and North America negotiated an agreement, let alone one so complex as this. Although not specifically planned, it became clear when leaders arrived that their negotiators had been unable to outline even the key choices they needed to make, forcing heads to either engage in a much more detailed fashion than expected or accept no outcome. Luckily they decided on the former, wrenching the decision away from a rather dysfunctional global diplomatic establishment which was unable to come to closure on any of the core issues.

Read the complete story at the World Resources Institute.

Submit comments below: How do you interpret the outcome in Copenhagen? What were the successes and failures? What do you think is the best way forward?

By students at Saddle Brook Middle School, Saddle Brook, New Jersey

One of the many groups that have a lot at stake in the current debate over climate change are our children, who will, after all, certainly bear the consequences of our actions and inactions.

For that reason, we asked students at Saddle Brook Middle School to blog their thoughts about energy and the environment as the COP15 climate change conference took place in Copenhagen from December 7^th through the 18^th.

As the dust settles after a decidedly unconventional climate convention, delegates and experts are turning their attention to the outcome, and what it means for the future of international climate change efforts.

By Clay Nesler, VP of Global Energy and Sustainability, Johnson Controls, Inc.

I am writing this at my hotel in Copenhagen as I can no longer get access to the COP15 conference.  Wednesday morning, NGOs were barred from entering the Bella Center after a disturbance inside the conference, and today, only three of our original delegation of 125 business and NGO representatives were allowed to enter.  Friday, which is the last scheduled day of the conference, even fewer will be allowed to participate.  This is the downside of having over 110 country leaders come to Copenhagen during the last days of the conference to “seal the deal.”

Questions submitted during the December 15, 2009 Energy Efficiency Forum webcast: “Energy Efficiency Forum: Live from Copenhagen.”

By Clay Nesler, VP of Global Energy and Sustainability, Johnson Controls, Inc.

On Saturday, I made an intervention -- a prepared statement -- during a plenary session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice. I was speaking on behalf of business and industry NGOs, representing the views of the International Council for Sustainable Energy and Global Wind Energy Council.

By Steve Thomas, Johnson Controls

I got a chance to observe one of the large plenary sessions at the climate negotiations today – a very impressive sight. The room for the plenary session is massive, with a raised stage all across the front. The “master of ceremonies” was Connie Hedegaard, a Danish Climate Minister who was elected president of this climate change conference.

By Clay Nesler, V.P. Global Energy and Sustainability, Johnson Controls

By the end of day three, the hallway discussions about the leaked “Danish Text” seem to have subsided and parties were again focused on building consensus on items leading to a final consensus agreement. 

By Clay Nesler, V.P. Global Energy and Sustainability, Johnson Controls

Day two of the Copenhagen conference seemed like everything was back to business as usual.

The sky in Copenhagen was cloudy Monday, but the mood was definitely sunny.

By Steve Thomas, Johnson Controls

The eyes of the world are focused on Copenhagen today as the United Nations Climate Change Conference gets underway in Copenhagen. The conference runs through December 18th.

Energy Efficiency Forum Executive Council Member and World Resources Institute President Jonathan Lash believes emissions reduction announcements made recently by the U.S. and China bode well for the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.