Conference of Parties 15, Day 5

The Association of Small Island States officially released its draft text of a Copenhagen Agreement this morning. The proposal called for strong emissions reductions in order to ensure the safety of island citizens and the future of their homes. With each of the circulating coalition texts there are some strong disagreements. From levels of emissions mitigation to the role of developed and developing nations, little compromise was made in week one.

The chairs of both the AWG-LCA and AWG-KP proposed new drafts of the negotiating text. The separate drafts in the two tracks are significantly shorter than the original version in the Bali Action plan. There is concern that the texts incorporates the concerns of some countries and coalitions and overlooks the interests of others. The texts also leave out critical provisions such as the peak year of emissions, the possibility of a five-year commitment period, and more. We will see how the countries respond to the text and move forward with negotiations.