Key decisions taken in Durban conference on climate change

After two weeks of negotiations, including 24 hours of extra time, at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) governments, including 38 industrialised countries, have come to several decisions which include the continuation of the Kyoto protocol, more active Green Climate Fund, Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, technology and strategies to support developing countries.

The Details of some Key Decisions that came out of COP17 include:

Continuation of Kyoto Protocol:

Since drafting a new U.N. Treaty is extremely time-consuming the delegates at conference agreed to extend Kyoto, whose 1st phase of emissions cuts run from 2008 to 2012. The 2nd commitment period will run from January 1, 2013 until the end of 2017.

The EU and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) agreed to continue the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012, but only if other governments, including major carbon emitters from developed and developing countries, agreed to negotiate a new legally binding treaty with deeper emission cuts by 2015.

The process for developing a new protocol, another legal instrument or agreement, with legal force that will be applicable to all parties to the U.N. climate convention under a new group called the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action.

Green Climate Fund:
The talks made way to channel up to $100 billion a year by 2020, known as Green Climate Fund. The developing & poor countries can access the fund, boosting their efforts to establish their own clean energy futures and adapt to existing climate change.