After intense pressure from the Maldives, world leaders accepted a climate change agreement in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Saturday morning.
After all-night negotiations, the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change formally accepted the Copenhagen Accord drawn up in Copenhagen, Denmark early Saturday morning.
“We did our best to accommodate all parties. We tried to bridge the wide gulf between different countries. In the end we were able to reach a compromise” President Nasheed told world media.
The Copenhagen Accord was thrashed out between 25 world leaders on Thursday, including President Obama of the United States, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, President Sarkozy of France, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Nasheed.
The accord was then adopted by over 150 countries after fraught negotiations in a 30 hour negotiation session on the plenary floor of the United Nations.
At one point in the negotiations, as the talks stood on the brink of collapse, President Nasheed made an impassioned appeal to intransigent nations to “leave pride aside and adopt this accord for the sake of our grandchildren.”
The accord calls for limits on carbon dioxide emissions, verification of emissions reductions pledges and financing for vulnerable nations, such as low lying islands.
At a live press conference between President Nasheed and Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen, shortly after the United Nations adopted the Copenhagen Accord, Prime Minister Rasmussen said: "President Nasheed is the real hero of Copenhagen."
President Nasheed said: “The world faced the abyss last night but this morning leaders took a step back.”
“The Copenhagen Accord is a long way from perfect. But it is a step in the right direction towards curbing climate change.”
