It appears that there’s going to be a tremendous amount of activity coming out of Copenhagen – as we’ve known for a long time – but no final agreement. In a dramatic move, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the Danish Prime Minister, flew to Singapore to meet with key leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings. In the wake of his talks there, the consensus was to put off a final agreement. His proposal, as reported here by Reuters, is to finalize a framework and then to negotiate specifics and sign off on them later with annexes as the vehicles. Rasmussen said in Singapore “Let me be specific on the format: I envisage a political text framing the agreement, say 5-8 pages. Not a political declaration with niceties, but precise language of a comprehensive political agreement covering all aspects of the Bali mandates: Commitment of developed countries to reductions and of developing countries to actions. Strong provisions on adaptation, finance and technology, including up front finance for early action.”
President Obama and other APEC leaders agreed with Rasmussen. “The Guardian” reports here that “During a hastily convened breakfast meeting in Singapore, the US president supported a Danish plan to salvage something from the moribund negotiations by aiming for a broad political agreement and postponing contentious decisions on emissions targets, financing and technology transfer.”
When Vernon Evans set off headed West from South Dakota to find work during the Depression, he painted “Oregon Or Bust” on his old car. This phrase has come to stand for reaching your destination no matter what. Copenhagen is not our final destination anymore, if it ever really was. Our destination, our goal in all this is to pull back from the brink of plunging the earth and all its life into oblivion. Does that sound too apocalyptic? Well, if it does, I’m sorry, but that’s exactly how it is. Let’s hope we get there and we can look back at Copenhagen as a critical way station.
