By Samantha Hayes
They had a grand ambition to save the planet – in the end politicians at the Climate Change conference struggled to save face.
Instead of the legally-binding treaty climate scientists said was vital, world leaders agreed on a collection of pledges for the future.
They include a target of keeping global temperature rises below two degrees and for a group of developed countries to give $30 billion over three years to help poorer nations.
The deal was thrashed out by five countries, the US, China, India, South Africa and Brazil.
In the end, it came down to a tense meeting between the US and China, and the body language said everything.
Efforts to salvage a global agreement were hampered by deep divisions between rich and poor nations.
But US President Barack Obama made sure of an agreement of sorts – though even he admits it is an imperfect framework.
The main points you should know are:
1. The deal was thrashed out by five countries: the US, China, India, South Africa and Brazil
2. They have agreed to give developed countries $30 billion over three years
3. There has been no decision on reaching a target for cutting carbon emissions
4. It does include a method for verifying each nation's emissions reductions
So they have made it, but it is an agreement that is filled with flaws; $30 billion over the next three years – but it is not the universally accepted agreement everyone was hoping for and developing countries will be disappointed.
Massive expectation was hanging on the arrival of the US president.
Barack Obama’s frustration at the lack of progress was evident.
“We will be back having the same stale arguments month after month, year after year perhaps decade after decade; all while the danger of climate change grows until it's irreversible,” he said in his speech.
After all the hype building up to his appearance, the reception for his words was lukewarm.
Kumi Naidoo from Greenpeace says he thought the president’s speech was “excellent on rhetoric”.
“It gets how serious the problem is; very, very low on detail. He has not put anything fresh on the table.”
Obama’s tactics – holding private meetings with a select few – were condemned by those who were left out.
“Behind everyone's back in an anti-democratic way cooks up a document. Cooks up a document that we don't accept, we will never accept it,” said Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela.
As the talks ploughed on relentlessly into the night, protesters staged a torch-lit vigil, calling on the leaders to salvage an accord.
Inside the conference centre, the strain of the past two weeks was taking its toll.
At last though, some nations did accept Obama's document; an agreement of sorts, in name, if not substance.
The major emitters have agreed to give developing countries $30 billion over the next three years.
Prime Minister John Key says it is progress.
“But I think it falls well short of the expectations and aspirations people had for Copenhagen.”
Officials will now pour over the detail, such as it is.
It is a big disappointment for developing countries, a far cry from the $200 billion they were hoping for and nowhere near enough to fight climate change effectively.
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