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COP 15: 'Disappointing but not surprising'

21 December 2009

Andrew Pendleton, ippr Climate Change Research Fellow said:

'The final outcome of the Copenhagen climate summit is disappointing but not surprising. The cumbersome process and overloaded agenda meant failure was programmed into the system from the beginning. So instead of changing the narrative of human history, COP 15 has written a few notes in the margin.'

'No one country is to blame, but rather the fact that politicians can rarely move faster than voters and citizens will allow. A vocal minority has campaigned for a Copenhagen deal, but most people are wary of the cost and disruption that action on climate change appears to threaten. The job now is to radically reframe climate change policy as progressive, innovative and positive; without this, it's hard to see how the politics will change'

'What matters now is the way forward. Yesterday's leaders' negotiation saw the emergence of the new global elite - US, China, Brazil, South Africa - it would make sense to build on their conversations in Copenhagen using President Obama's Major Economies Forum or even a smaller group to make emissions reductions.'