A new global climate agreement is to be signed at the UN-meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009. In an evaluation, the network Aprodev points out the importance of keeping and strengthening the current Kyoto protocol. This as a way of securing that the developed countries historical climate burden and responsibility, must not be lost in a new agreement.

Great risk to start with an entirely new climate agreement

The Kyoto protocol in its current form is valid until 2012. It is far from perfect and the reductions in emissions that the protocol states are too low. But still: starting over from the beginning with a completely new climate agreement is putting earlier achievements at risk. Instead, it would be better to keep and develop the Kyoto protocol and create an additional period with new, stricter conditions.

The historical responsibility of the rich countries

In the current negotiations for a new climate deal, Aprodev sees a high risk that important components of the Kyoto protocol will get lost. One of them is the principle that the rich and developed countries have a historical climate debt, and should therefore take on a specific respnisbility for reduction of emissions.

Front cover of the Aprodev evaluation presented in Barcelona on November 5th 2009.

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