Cancun agreements raise expectations for COP 17 in South Africa next year

Abstract

Cancun UN Climate Change Conference have been greeted with enthusiasm by negotiators and participants who now see a real possibility for some kind of a legally binding instrument being adopted in Durban, South Africa next year, according to the Information and Communication Service (ICS) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Citing key aspects of the agreements arrived at in the Mexican sea side resort, ICS reports that after the post-Copenhagen pessimism, the mood among negotiators and participants was generally upbeat, heightening expectations for the next conference, COP17 billed for Durban South Africa towards the end of 2011. The Conference adopted series of decisions, called the Cancun Agreements, setting governments on the move toward a low-emissions future and support enhanced action on climate change in the developing world. The conference also established a new Cancun Adaptation Framework that would allow for better planning and implementation of adaptation projects in developing countries through increased financial and technical support, including a clear process for continuing work on loss and damage.