U.S. President Barack Obama and world leaders announced on Sunday that a final agreement on global warming is unlikely to happen during next month’s climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. White House deputy national security adviser, Mike Froman, said that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum attendees “thought it was likely we would reach a final agreement in Copenhagen, and yet they felt it was important that Copenhagen be a step forward.”
Froman also said that President Obama “spoke about the importance of achieving success in Copenhagen.” The President, along with other world leaders, is hoping for a two-step process to take place.
Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen introduced the “one agreement, two steps” strategy, allowing 191 countries, which are part of the Copenhagen forum, to sign an agreement involving steps necessary to fight global warming and to seal a deal to eliminate carbon emissions.
“I think the two steps was meant to reflect the realistic assessment that it was unrealistic to expect a full legally binding international agreement to be reached between now and when Copenhagen starts in 22 days,” Froman commented.
President Obama is in support of the process but his attendance during the summit is still in question according to Froman. Former Vice President Al Gore, meanwhile, is hoping for Obama’s presence during the conference to represent America’s support for the climate change deal.
An announcement was released on Sunday that the 21 nations forming APEC are committed to “work towards an ambitious outcome in Copenhagen”.
The members proclaimed that they are willing to fulfil a promise made during the 2007 summit to reach “an APEC-wide aspirational target of reducing energy intensity by at least 25 percent by 2030”.
