{"id":1422,"date":"2011-12-11T23:58:39","date_gmt":"2011-12-11T23:58:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/?p=1422"},"modified":"2011-12-12T00:17:30","modified_gmt":"2011-12-12T00:17:30","slug":"global-warming-climate-change-cop17-it-is-the-unfccc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/2011\/12\/11\/global-warming-climate-change-cop17-it-is-the-unfccc\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Warming, Climate Change, COP17\u2014 it is the UNFCCC"},"content":{"rendered":"[youtube=http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gJ370AgvDMI]\n

In Durban, South Africa, it is more than a metaphor that any kind of agreement at the annual United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC<\/a>) in year 17, (COP17) is realized . \u00a0After the conference officially ended\u2014 it went two days into overtime. This was not the first time, overtime has become the norm in the past\u2014 it\u2019s a pattern that may be a warning about our future.\u00a0 COP17 came dangerously close to no deal at all, but ended with the bare minimum as the controversial and the only international binding climate policy, the Kyoto Protocol<\/span><\/a>, will continue.<\/p>\n

The Kyoto Protocol which originated in Japan in 1997 still has flaws, loopholes, weak rules, bad definitions, and it still lacks key countries commitments, but its 2012 expiration was extended for another five years (until the end of 2017) with a \u00a0mandate for a future treaty.\u00a0 There is a work plan to begin next year with deliberately blurred targets.\u00a0 The AdHoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action will negotiate new global agreement by\u00a0 2015 to be ratified by all countries, that would come in force by 2020.\u00a0 The who, what, where, and legally binding details need to still be worked out.<\/p>\n

The issue is 2020 may be too late, but there is now at least a mapped out path to a legally binding agreement on emissions reductions\u2014\u00a0 will they be enough, in time? The Durban negotiations did not manage to extend the emissions cut pledges made in both Copenhagen in 2009 and 2010 in Cancun, but the agreement \u00a0intends to have a more transparent process. The Kyoto scheme rewards governments or companies with carbon credits when they invest in clean energy projects in developing countries, which they can trade and sell for profit.<\/p>\n

The Green Climate Fund was created, which is great, but it has yet to have any funds from governments. However \u00a0its shell is a start. Also included are measures involving the preservation of tropical forests and international cooperation in clean-energy technology transfer.<\/p>\n

Many small island states and developing nations are at risk of rising sea levels and extreme weather\u2014\u00a0\u00a0this deal marked the lowest common denominator possible.<\/p>\n

After Durban, we are still headed for over 3\u00b0C warming, so more ambitious actions from each country are needed. The proposed reductions of greenhouse gasses on the table are not sufficient to limit temperature increase to 2\u00b0C. A warming over 3\u00b0C might bring the world close to several potential global-scale tipping points such as:<\/p>\n