U.N. says COP-15 Accord is not enough

The Copenhagen Accord reached in December at COP-15 was certainly a disappointment.  At least, it could and should be said, it marked an agreement of sorts among many of the industrialized countries which will need to lead the way out of our climate predicament.  But it’s already time for a reality check.  January 31 marked the first key deadline in the accord, as the signatories had to submit to the U.N. their pledged goals for reducing emissions.  Reports have arrived from 55 nations, and the only thing news-worthy is that nothing news-worthy arrived at the U.N.  The verdict from the U.N. top climate advisor on reaching the target of limiting temperature rise to two degrees Celsius:  ”It is likely, according to a number of analysts, that if we add up all those figures that were being discussed around Copenhagen, if they’re all implemented, it will still be quite difficult to reach.”

“That is the bottom line, but you can look at it negatively and positively,” Janos Pasztor continued to the Associated Press.  “The negative part is that it’s not good enough. The positive side is that for the first time, we have a goal, a clear goal that we’re all working toward. … Before we would just talk.”

So, the glass is less than half-full, but it’s not quite empty.  Maybe this moment can be yet another wake-up call, and put some more needed pressure on COP-16 in Mexico.

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