UN Climate Negotiations Conclude with ‘Cancun Agreements’

On December 11, 193 nations reached agreement in several areas at the UN climate summit in Cancun, Mexico. Known as the 'Cancun Agreements', the package solidifies key elements from last year's summit in Copenhagen, which were never formally adopted. The new global framework includes the creation of a Green Climate Fund to transfer money from rich nations to poor nations for climate change mitigation and adaptation in addition to research centers that will ease the transfer of clean technology and the establishment of a system to compensate nations for preserving forests that are vulnerable to logging or burning. The deal does not include details on how the pledged aid will be funded, whether the Kyoto Protocol will be extended, or targets that will keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius--a target nations agreed to in Copenhagen.

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