Meeting Notes Summary - Dec. 11, 2009

By Bill Hallmark

REPORT FROM COP 15

COP 15 encompasses two meeting groups: (1) parties under the new convention, a binding treaty entered into after the Rio Earth Summit (Convention) and (2) parties under the Kyoto Protocol (KP). 194 countries are party to the Convention treaty including the US. The KP is a later treaty which the US signed but never ratified. No one expects the US Senate will ratify the KP and therefore the parties are looking for other solutions to involve the US in a binding commitment similar to the KP.

Yesterday and today formal meetings were suspended for consultations amongst a contact group to consider 12 proposed amendments to the KP and Convention protocols. Heavy negotiating must be taking place on how to handle these proposed amendments.

The contact group is negotiating the form that agreements coming out of Copenhagen would take. They fear that commitments made under the KP by the developed countries may be weakened in the process of ratifying a new treaty and therefore seek an examination of greater detail of all proposed amendments. Others think the formation of a contact group will take the focus off of completing the KP commitments.

All informal working groups continue to meet and work on assignments.