As I write this, the first day of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference 2009 is just finished. It is taking place in Bella Center in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, between December 7 and 18. Representatives from 190 countries are expected to participate in this conference, and hopefully get closer to a new international deal concerning emissions of green house gases.
So far the political climate debate in Norway has been marked by a lot of ambitious talk, and barely no action at all. The Norwegian prime minister, Jens Stoltenberg, has been comparing his plans for the development of Norwegian CO2 capture technology with a moon landing, a statement that, at best, can be mentioned as an incredibly embarrassing slip of the tongue so far.
While lots of politicians around the world, especially the Norwegians, prefer to talk a lot and do nothing, there has still been some progress. China has just pledged to cut their green house gas emissions by as much as 40-45 % in 2020 compared to 2005. This is a huge step forward, and completely necessary if we are to reduce the emissions by 25-40 %, a target the IPCC claims is the only way to avoid the critical 2 °C rise in global temperature.
Sources:
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:OOfW7L8IWD4J:news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/05/content_12593574.htm+%22copenhagen+climate%22+%22190+countries%22&cd=2&hl=no&ct=clnk&gl=no
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Climate_Change_Conference_2009
http://en.rian.ru/world/20091126/156994803.html
http://www.tu.no/natur/article229690.ece
