Today, the Climate Change Conference starts in Copenhagen, Denmark. COP15, as it is so nicely called is a United Nations conference, the 15th of the so-called Conference of Parties.

Barack Obama and the Norwegian primeminister, Jens Stoltenberg, will attend the conference along with over 60 other world leaders and discuss how to reduce emissions that harm our climate. A lot is expected for this climate meeting, but is there a lot to hope for? Everyone seems to be willing, but keep the cards close to their chest, so in the end it will be hard to get anywhere.

Barack Obama is the world leader with the biggest pressure on his shoulders. During the eight years of Bush administration, the United States didn’t contribute to an active climate policy. Now it’s up to Obama to show that he can contribute actively to the change we need. Unfortunately, Obama has met a lot of resistance back home, where republicans are pushing hard, saying the climate changes aren’t man made and where surveys show that Americans don’t really care about the climate change.

The COP15 conference will probably not end with spectacular agreements in emission cuts, but it’s a step in the right direction. Most countries agree that action is needed in order to reduce CO2 emissions, the important discussion is the time perspective. What we can expect is agreements on principles and time schedules.

A lot more was expected from the COP15 conference. Many countries, including Norway, hoped for a legally binding agreement to reduce climate change. Now, most of these hopes have been abandoned, partly because the US Senate didn’t pass Barack Obama’s climate bill earlier this fall.

I’m confused. The entire COP15 conference is hard to understand for us outsiders. All the participants are willing to contribute, but unwilling to sacrifice too much. The game has begun, let’s see what it brings.

Please comment:
What do you expect from the COP15 conference?
What do you hope for?
What achievements are realistic?