Last day of the Montreal Conference

Between November 28 and December 9, 2005 the United Nations Convention on Climate Change organized the most recent Climate Change Conference, which was held in Montreal, Canada. 190 nations were represented at the conference, which made it the largest environmental summit of intergovernmental character since 1997. The Montreal conference followed two separate tracks associated with the two pacts on climate change – the Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto itself.

On the first track, the Kyoto parties focused on final revisions and finishing touches to the Protocol. They improved the market mechanisms of achieving Kyoto’s goals, agreed on establishing a fund to aid developing economies which may face the negative consequences of global warming, such as sea-level rise or changes in rainfall patterns, and started considering talks on a new list of goals that would come into action after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

The second track was related to discussions under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Participants in the talks included countries, such as the United States and Australia, which have not been willing to legally bind themselves to the ambitious targets of the Kyoto Protocol. The talks on this track only had a wishful character, without demanding the participating parties to commit themselves to any definite goals and timetables. This second thread was significant, however, in that it's tone was voluntary enough to have the US remain a part of the talks. Another point of significance came from the fact that the voluntary talks were the way to attract developing countries into discussions and eventually efforts of limiting their greenhouse-gas emissions, which have been rising due to their industrialization.

Adopting tools and regulations of the Protocol, the Montreal summit finally “gave teeth” to Kyoto. The conference also had significance in that its parties recognized the need for further talks on an agreement beyond Kyoto, which will be put into effect after the Protocol expires in 2012. In another important step countries that had not ratified the protocol, have agreed to participate in non-binding talks that will eventually replace Kyoto.

Delegates reached agreement for future action beyond Kyoto.