Brazil: 2009 Green Retrospective and COP15 · Global Voices
Almost a month after the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15), many people are still engaged in debating its results. In Brazil, as well as criticizing the outcome of the conference, bloggers have dedicated part of their blog retrospectives of the year to the event, considering it to be one of the most important moments of 2009.
Photo by kk+ on Flickr. Used under a Creative Commons license.
Brazilian cartoonist <PERSON> in A Caricatura do Brasil [pt] comments that the heads of state have “missed their opportunity to write their names in History”:
A grande expectativa que avizinhou a COP15 só fez aumentar a sensação de perda ante os parcos resultados práticos. O mundo perdeu a grande oportunidade de começar agora o que é inevitável; a maioria dos chefes de Estado perdeu a oportunidade de escrever seus nomes na história – como expressão dos anseios de uma nova era. Esperemos que o planeta não entre em colapso antes dos interesses econômicos conflitantes encontrarem um meio-termo.
The great expectation around COP 15 only increased the sense of loss in the face of the poor practical results. The world has missed a great opportunity to start now what is inevitable; most of the heads of state have missed the chance to write their names in history – as an expression of the aspiration of a new era. Let's hope the planet will not collapse before the conflicting economic interests find a middle ground.
"Strength and height do not guarantee life". Photo by <PERSON> on Flickr. Used under a Creative Commons license.
<PERSON> produced a retrospective of the diplomatic accomplishments in 2009 in a post entitled “2009: a dark year for diplomacy?” on the Blog do NEI – Núcleo de Estudos Internacionais [Center for International Studies, pt]. He cites many cases, such as the Doha Round and the Iranian nuclear program, and finishes by considering climate talks as the greatest failure of diplomacy:
<PERSON> anunciado, que só pegou de surpresa quem não acompanhou as movimentações pré-COP-15, como acordos firmados entre países em desenvolvimento na Ásia, ou a paralisação da legislação sobre o clima no Senado americano. Esperava-se inicialmente um tratado com metas vinculantes e outros mecanismos para suceder <PERSON>. Em seguida, alguns especialistas alertaram que seria mais realista esperar um acordo básico para um futuro tratado no próximo ano. […] Talvez o melhor balanço do grandioso evento seja o fato de, após seu final, os países imediatamente passarem a discutir de quem foi a culpa do fracasso. 448
<PERSON> culpou os Estados Unidos por induzir a Europa e Japão a tentarem eliminar o Protocolo de Quioto. O Reino Unido acusou China de impedir o acordo. E a África do Sul culpou a Dinamarca por tentar impor sua posição aos outros países. E que venha 2010!
[The] announced failure only surprised those who had not been following the pre-COP-15 movements, such as the agreements between developing countries in Asia, or the demise of the climate legislation in the U.S. Senate. It was hoped initially to become a treaty with binding targets and other mechanisms to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. Then, some experts warned us that it would be more realistic to expect a basic agreement for a future treaty next year. […] Perhaps the best balance of the grand event is the fact that, in the end, the countries immediately began to discuss who was to blame for its failure. [Brazilian president] <PERSON> placed the blame on the United States for inducing Europe and Japan to try to get rid of the Kyoto Protocol. The United Kingdom accused China of preventing an agreement. And South Africa blamed Denmark for trying to impose its position on other countries. And here comes 2010!
"Ten less trees per minute." Photo by <PERSON> on Flickr. Used under a Creative Commons license. 289