코펜하겐 합의에 대한 국제법적 검토

This paper investigates the Copenhagen Accord which was taken note of by the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2009 and ‘associated with’ by the members of the UNFCCC. In order to cope with climate change, the intensive two-year long negotiation on the post 2012 climate change regime has resulted in the adoption of the Copenhagen Accord. Although adoption of a legally binding instrument seemed to be ideal to effectively address climate change, Copenhagen Accord is merely a political agreement which lacks legally binding effect. The two-track approach, which applies different schemes to developed and developing country groups in terms of commitment levels as well as the terms of negotiations, has contributed to the failure to agree on legally binding and detailed standards to better deal with issues on mitigation, adaptation, and financing by the end of the Copenhagen climate change conference in 2009. Instead, Copenhagen Accord provides general agreements on these elements, which may serve as a basis for further negotiation.