Hi! It’s konkaz (@konkazuk).
In 2009, COP15 —also known as the Copenhagen Summit— was held in Denmark as part of the UN climate negotiations. In this article, I would like to briefly review its key points.
The Copenhagen Summit is widely seen as a disappointment ー so what really went wrong?
🔷 What Was COP15 Aiming to Achieve?
The goal of COP15 was to establish a new international agreement on climate action to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which was adopted in 1997, came into force in 2005, and was set to conclude its first commitment period (2008–2012).
The main topics of discussion included:
▪️Setting greenhouse gas reduction targets for both developed and developing nations.
▪️Negotiating an agreement that included the U.S.—which had exited the Kyoto Protocol—along with major emerging economies such as China, India, and Brazil.
▪️Determining how financial support would be allocated to developing nations for climate action.
🔷 Why has it been widely regarded as unsuccessful?
The main reason the Copenhagen Summit is considered a failure is that disagreements over responsibility between developed, emerging, and developing nations could not be resolved, preventing the creation of a legally binding framework.
Why some countries opposed or resisted the agreement:
⚫ Developing Countries (Bolivia, Sudan, Venezuela, etc.)
These nations believed that developed countries—responsible for most historical emissions—were not taking accountability. The Copenhagen Accord lacked clear commitments on climate finance and technology transfer for developing countries. Moreover, as the final agreement was shaped by major economies, smaller developing nations had little influence and were effectively sidelined from the decision-making process.
⚫ Emerging Economies (China, India)
China and India, despite having high overall emissions, argued that their per capita emissions remained significantly lower than those of developed nations. They insisted that climate policies should be based on per capita emissions rather than total emissions. Additionally, both countries were undergoing rapid economic expansion and feared that legally binding emissions reductions could hamper their growth. As a result, they favoured a framework that avoided strict legal obligations.
⚫ United States
The U.S. objected to the fact that China, the world’s largest emitter, was not subject to the same reduction obligations as developed nations, calling it unfair. (China countered by arguing that developed nations should bear greater responsibility due to their historical emissions.) Overall, the U.S. prioritised its national interests above global cooperation.
In the end, the “Copenhagen Accord” placed the responsibility for greenhouse gas reductions on individual countries, leaving many to question its effectiveness.
As for financial aid to developing nations…
Short-term support
A total of $30 billion was pledged for 2010–2012.
Long-term support
Developed countries committed to $100 billion per year by 2020.
However, since the funding sources were unclear and the balance between public and private funds remained ambiguous, discussions were postponed to future COP meetings.
For these reasons, COP15 is often seen as a “missed opportunity”.
That said, it also highlighted the crucial need for stronger international cooperation in addressing climate change.
Anyway, that wraps up this article on COP15.
Until next time.
konkaz
*You can read this blog post in Japanese from the link below.
👉 「高い期待と深い失望の交差点」COP15