Asserting that the non-binding Copenhagen Accord marks a "significant step" forward in achieving the goals of climate change, UN chief Ban Ki-moon, today said the just-concluded summit was a "success".
"The conference was a success. Among the conference decisions, the Copenhagen Accord marks a significant step forward," Ban told reporters at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York.
Ban said the accord, though non-binding, commits countries to work to limit global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius.
"It also says that they will review this commitment in 2015 to take account of new scientific evidence. I understand that the IPCC is going to try to release their fifth assessment report in 2014," he said.
The UN secretary general said the Copenhagen Accord brokered by the US, and agreed upon by India, China, Brazil and South Africa, includes mid-term mitigation targets by developed countries and mid-term mitigation actions by developing countries.
He said countries have also agreed on the importance of acting to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
"This means we have finally brought the source of nearly one-fifth of global emissions into the emerging climate regime," he said.
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