Montréal 2005 Closes with Pivotal Agreement for International Cooperation on Climate Change

After months of preparation and two weeks of often-intense negotiations, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Montreal came to an end in the early hours of December 10 with delegates celebrating what the Associated Press called “a watershed agreement”.

In all, the Conference adopted more than 40 decisions at what the acting head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat described as “one of the most productive UN Climate Change Conferences ever”.

Among other decisions, was the adoption of the Marrakech Accords – what might be considered the “Kyotorulebook” – allowing the formal implementation of the Protocol to proceed. Montreal 2005 also saw a number of improvements to operation of the Protocol, including such key elements as streamlining and strengthening the Clean Development Mechanism.

Perhaps most important of all – and the agreement that prompted UK Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett to call Montreal 2005 a “triumph” – all countries agreed to open a dialogue on long-term cooperative action to address climate change. Developed countries under the Kyoto Protocol also started their consideration of future commitments beyond the first Kyotoperiod, which ends in 2012.

Remarking on the success of Montreal 2005, Canada’s Environment Minister and Conference President Stéphane Dion said, “We have achieved what many claimed was unattainable – a decision launching a dialogue on long-term cooperative action to address climate change by ensuring implementation of the Convention.This represents a major victory for the global community, and frees our imaginations to find further innovative solutions that I know we can achieve by working together – governments at all levels, NGOs, industries, experts and others.”

The accomplishments of the UN Climate Change Conference were complemented by the success of A World of Solutions, the broad range of parallel events to the Conference, organized by a variety of partners with the support of the Government of Canada. 

A World of Solutions ensured municipal leaders, premiers and governors, Aboriginal peoples, business and industry, non-governmental organizations, youth representatives and others all had a place and a voice at Montréal 2005. It included such key events as the Climate Leaders Summit, the International Youth Summit, the Municipal Leaders Summit, and Arctic Day. Other events included discussion of such issues as climate change and health, adapting to a changing climate, the role of the international carbon market, and the promise of new technologies such as carbon capture and storage in fighting climate change.