COP15 is the fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The conference will take place from December 7 to December 18, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The COP is the highest body of the UNFCCC and consists of environment ministers who meet once a year to discuss the convention’s developments. At least 10,000 people, including from countries with observer status, industry groups and non-government organizations are expected to attend the conference.

The official goals of the climate change convention “are to stabilize the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level that prevents dangerous man-made climate changes. This stabilization must occur in such a way as to give the ecosystems the opportunity to adapt naturally. This means that food safety must not be compromised, and that the potential to create sustainable social and economic development must not be endangered.” The overall goal for the COP15 is to establish an ambitious global climate agreement for the period from 2012 when the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol expires.

It is by no means certain that a post-Kyoto agreement will be reached at the COP15 meeting. Central to the prospects of reaching an agreement is whether the developed Annex I countries, which have emitted the bulk of the human-induced carbon dioxide currently in the atmosphere, agree to deep binding cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

Amongst the Annex I countries, the European Union has displayed more willingness to take action, while the Umbrella Group countries — including the United States, Canada and Australia, have played more of a spoiling role. The United States in particular have refused to make binding commitments unless major developing economies, such as China, are included in an agreement. Developing countries – most actively represented by the G-77 block – have indicated a willingness to cut emissions, but only if developed countries take a leadership role.

Early action by developed countries alone will not be enough to prevent dangerous climate change. However, central to the ability to win support from developing countries will be the financing of low-carbon emission technologies that allow low income countries to develop, compensation for developing countries that reduce deforestation, and funding for adaptation measures for those developing countries most at risk from rising sea levels and extreme weather events.

Key issues which will be under discussion in the lead up to and at COP15 will include:

• The baseline year that specified reduction targets will be measured against and the duration of the second commitment period.
• The proposed greenhouse gas reduction targets for both the second commitment period and beyond.
• Whether the agreement will be expanded to include greenhouse gases that are currently excluded from the Kyoto Protocol.
• Whether a new agreement will be expanded to include Greenhouse gas emissions from the international maritime industry and Greenhouse gas emissions from the international aviation industry, both of which are currently omitted from the Kyoto Protocol.
• Whether the rules governing the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) will be tightened to ensure the environmental integrity and avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions or whether they will be relaxed.
• Whether the CDM will include the as yet unproved Carbon Capture and Storage technology being promoted as a way of allowing coal-fired power stations to continue operating and new ones to be built.
• Whether the agreement will include measures to curb the rate of deforestation, especially of tropical rainforests in developing countries – otherwise known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD).

(Source: http://www.sourcewatch.org)