Cancun Breakthrough? By Kate Shepard, Mother Jones, 12/11/10. “It's not perfect, and it's not binding, but international climate negotiators have struck a deal. The final hours in Cancun were a world of difference from the closing night of the Copenhagen climate talks. Last year's summit closed with drama, confusion, and plenty of unhappy delegations, but the Mexico conference came to an end with multiple standing ovations for the host country and widespread agreement among countries to approve the text of an agreement. It was after 3 a.m. when the parties adopted the two agreements -- one that delays a decision on the future of the Kyoto Protocol and another laying out in more detail a new agreement on climate that includes major emitters like the US and China.
“Of the 194 countries represented in Cancun, 193 backed the text… Much of what is included in the Cancun Agreements [PDF, 32 pp] for a new climate agreement is based on the spare Copenhagen Accord, formalizing it within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change… The greatest success may have been that the Mexican organizers, particularly Espinosa, were able to restore faith in the process… Bolivia objected to the adoption of the agreements, saying it did not require enough of wealthy nations… Most delegations, however, were eager to walk away with something they could declare a win -- including the US and China, a signal that the language in the text bridged differences between the two countries about emissions targets and how they would be tracked by other countries.”
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