Despite the campaigns from millions of individuals and hundreds of organizations around the globe, the verdict seems to be in for this December’s Climate Conference in Copenhagen and it falls far short of what most were hoping for.

A variety of officials including Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Yvo de Boer, the United Nations top climate official, and even President Obama himself have now stated that they do not believe it will be possible for a climate treaty to be reached at Copenhagen in December, turning their attention instead to using the Conference for further work toward a climate treaty that could be reached midway through 2010 or in December of 2010.

The disappointing news isn’t entirely shocking, as some officials have been expressing serious doubts about a climate treaty being reached in Copenhagen for months now. Still, many around the world were hopeful that pressure from some countries  and organizations would be enough to spur leaders into committing to a new climate treaty this year.

With acceptance sinking in about no climate treaty for December, leaders are now looking to Copenhagen as a chance to lay groundwork and increase the likelihood that a treaty will be reached at a following climate conference. But some view the move as further stalling on an issue that can’t wait any longer, and feel the United States lies at the heart of the blame. As one of the most polluting countries, the United States’ refusal to commit to a climate change agreement is thought to have been responsible for other nations hesitating to reach pledges of their own. With a domestic climate bill still having difficulty fighting its way through the Senate, however, it could be some time before major decisions are reached regarding the United States and its contributions to climate change.

Powered by Bookmarkify™