The document summarizes information about the 2009 United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen. It discusses the goals of establishing a successor to the Kyoto Protocol and expectations for participation. It also provides background on greenhouse gases and their impact on global temperatures, as well as sources of emissions and levels of key greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

1. Copenhagen Climate Summit
MOHAMMAD AZAD KHAN
ROLL NO.- 00316100413
B TECH BIOCHEMICAL

2. • From December 7, 2009, environment ministers and
officials will meet in Copenhagen for the United Nations
climate conference to thrash out a successor to the Kyoto
protocol. The conference, held at the modern Bella Center,
will run for two weeks.
• One hundred-and-ninety-two countries have signed the
climate change convention. More than 15,000 officials,
advisers, diplomats, protestors and journalists are expected
to attend the meet, joined by heads of state.

3. The Background
Greenhouse gases are gases in an atmosphere that absorb
and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range. This
process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect.
The main greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are
water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and
ozone. In our solar system, the atmospheres of Venus,
Mars and Titan also contain gases that cause greenhouse
effects. Greenhouse gases greatly affect the temperature
of the Earth; without them, Earth's surface would be on
average about 33 °C (59 °F) colder than at present.
Human activities since the start of the industrial era around
1750 have increased the levels of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere.

4. Greenhouse Gases & their
Contribution
In order, Earth's most abundant greenhouse gases are:
• water vapor
• carbon dioxide
• methane
• nitrous oxide
• ozone
• CFCs
The contribution to the greenhouse effect by a gas is affected by both the
characteristics of the gas and its abundance
When these gases are ranked by their contribution to the greenhouse
effect, the most important are:
• water vapor, which contributes 36–72%
• carbon dioxide, which contributes 9–26%
• methane, which contributes 4–9%
• ozone, which contributes 3–7%

5. • In addition to the main greenhouse gases listed above,
other greenhouse gases include sulfur hexafluoride,
hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons
• Scientists who have elaborated on Arrhenius's theory of
global warming are concerned that increasing
concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are
causing an unprecedented rise in global temperatures, with
potentially harmful consequences for the environment and
human health.
• It was recognized in the early 20th century that the
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere caused the Earth's
overall temperature to be higher than it would be without
them.

6. • In the industrial era, human activities have added
greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, mainly through
the burning of fossil fuels and clearing of forests
• Since about 1750 human activity has increased the
concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases. Measured atmospheric concentrations of
carbon dioxide are currently 100 ppmv higher than
pre-industrial levels
• The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide
remained between 260 and 280 parts per million for
the 10,000 years between the end of the last glacial
maximum and the start of the industrial era.

7. The main sources of greenhouse gases due to human activity are:
• Burning of fossil fuels and deforestation leading to higher carbon dioxide
concentrations. Land use change (mainly deforestation in the tropics)
account for up to one third of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions.
• Livestock enteric fermentation and manure management, paddy rice
farming, land use and wetland changes, pipeline losses, and covered
vented landfill emissions leading to higher methane atmospheric
concentrations. Many of the newer style fully vented septic systems that
enhance and target the fermentation process also are sources of
atmospheric methane.
• Use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in refrigeration systems, and use of
CFCs and halons in fire suppression systems and manufacturing processes.
• Agricultural activities, including the use of fertilizers, that lead to higher
nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations.

8. Seven Sources of CO2 from fossil fuel
combustion
The seven sources of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion
are (with percentage contributions for 2000–2004):
• Solid fuels (e.g., coal): 35%
• Liquid fuels (e.g., gasoline, fuel oil): 36%
• Gaseous fuels (e.g., natural gas): 20%
• Flaring gas industrially and at wells: <1%
• Cement production: 3%
• Non-fuel hydrocarbons: < 1%
• The "international bunkers" of shipping and air
transport not included in national inventories: 4%

9. Increase in the concentrations of
Greenhouse gases
• Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and
three groups of fluorinated gases (sulfur
hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs) are the major
greenhouse gases and the subject of the Kyoto
Protocol, which came into force in 2005.
• Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution,
the concentrations of most of the greenhouse
gases have increased. For example, the
concentration of carbon dioxide has increased by
about 36% to 380 ppmv, or 100 ppmv over
modern pre-industrial levels.

10. Sharp acceleration in CO2 emissions
• The sharp acceleration in CO2 emissions since
2000 to more than a 3% increase per year (more
than 2 ppm per year) from 1.1% per year during
the 1990s is attributable to the lapse of formerly
declining trends in carbon intensity of both
developing and developed nations. Although over
3/4 of cumulative anthropogenic CO2 is still
attributable to the developed world, China was
responsible for most of global growth in
emissions during this period.

11. China’s Contribution
• Atmospheric levels of CO2 continue to rise, partly a sign
of the industrial rise of Asian economies led by China.
Over the 2000-2010 interval China is expected to
increase its carbon dioxide emissions by 600 Mt,
largely because of the rapid construction of old-
fashioned power plants in poorer internal provinces
• According to a preliminary estimate by the
Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, the
largest national producer of CO2 emissions since 2006
has been China with an estimated annual production
of about 6200 megatonnes. China is followed by the
United States with about 5,800 megatonnes.

12. Kyoto Protocol
• The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change aimed at combating global warming.
• The Protocol was initially adopted on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto,
Japan and entered into force on 16 February 2005. As of November
2009, 187 states have signed and ratified the protocol
• The most notable non-member of the Protocol is the United States,
which was responsible for 36.1 per cent of the 1990 emission
levels.
• Under the Protocol, 37 industrialized countries commit themselves
to a reduction of four greenhouse gases (GHG) (carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride) and two groups of
gases (hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons) produced by
them, and all member countries give general commitments.

13. India & Kyoto Protocol
• India signed and ratified the Protocol in August, 2002. Since India is
exempted from the framework of the treaty, it is expected to gain from
the protocol in terms of transfer of technology and related foreign
investments. At the G8 meeting in June 2005, Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh pointed out that the per-capita emission rates of the
developing countries are a tiny fraction of those in the developed world.
Following the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, India
maintains that the major responsibility of curbing emission rests with the
developed countries, which have accumulated emissions over a long
period of time. However, the U.S. and other Western nations assert that
India, along with China, will account for most of the emissions in the
coming decades, owing to their rapid industrialization and economic
growth.

15. • In our solar system, the atmospheres of
Venus, Mars and Titan (a satellite of Saturn)
also contain gases that cause greenhouse
effects. Greenhouse gases greatly affect the
temperature of the Earth; without them,
Earth's surface would be on average about 33
degree centigrade (59 degree Fahrenheit)
colder than at present.

16. How will it impact India?
• Asian megadeltas, such as the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta, are
at risk because of large populations and high exposure to sea-
level rise, storm surge and river flooding. Also, the Himalayan
glaciers can melt leading to flooding, rock avalanches,
disruption of water sources.
• In tropical areas, crop yield is projected to decrease, even
with relatively modest rises of 1-2 degrees centigrade in local
temperature, increasing the risk of hunger. The changes in
health will be most felt by those least able to adapt, such as
the poor, the very young and the elderly.

17. What has India done till date?
• India is doing its bit with the National Action Plan on Climate Change
(NAPCC) which includes 8 missions -- solar, enhanced energy efficiency,
sustainable habitat, water, sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem, green
India, sustainable agriculture, and strategic knowledge for climate change.
• India has also reportedly offered to cut energy intensity of its emissions by
20-25 per cent following similar moves from the US and China. Energy
intensity means energy used per unit of income or output. This means
that emissions will increase but slowly.
• An emission intensity is the average emission rate of a given pollutant
from a given source relative to the intensity of a specific activity.

18. But why should India feel the
pressure?
• India's intensity of carbon dioxide or CO2 use is among the
lowest in the world (and equal to that of Europe in 2007), and
China's is among the highest.
• India's trend decline in intensity is comparable to the world's
average. However, the centre categorically states that in no
way do these 'new' targets put pressure on India to commit to
any reduction target. The current Indian per capita emission is
1.1 tonne. For the US, this figure is more than 20 tonnes.
• India's energy intensity by unit of GDP has reduced from 0.3
kgoe (kilogramme of oil equivalent) per US$ GDP in PPP terms
in 1980 to 0.16 kgoe currently. This is already lower than US
and China and is comparable to Germany.

19. How climate change affects us
• Among the trends already evident and which will accelerate if action is
not taken, are:
• Rise in temperature affecting agriculture and making water more scarce in
some areas, more plentiful in others leading to increased risk of flood.
• More extreme weather in the form of heatwaves, severe air pollution
events and tropical storms, more floods and droughts causing crops
failures and imposing immediate and significant costs: Australia is
experiencing its worst drought on record, 2005 was the worst hurricane
season ever in the US.
• A rising of the oceans up to 0.6m or more by 2100 and affecting many of
the world's major cities and ports
• Mass animal and plant extinctions, and
• An increase in many human, plant and animal diseases.

20. What's causing greenhouse
effect?
• Energy supply
Effective ways of generating, distributing and using energy must be developed and
applied at scale. The world must assess the relative merits and importance of
different transportable and non-transportable energy sources: cleaner coal, gas,
nuclear, wind, solar, wave and tidal, geothermal and other sources of climate
responsible energy.
• Transport
New ways of fueling cars and other forms of transport must be developed and
applied including the use of hydrogen fuel cells, sustainable biofuels, and electric
engines.
• Agriculture
Farming practices need to become more productive and sustainable. Other
methods should be reductions through the sequestration of carbon in agricultural
soils; the efficient utilisation of crop waste and understanding more ecologically
complex interactions on farms.

21. What's causing greenhouse
effect?
• Promoting and protecting natural processes/biology
Tropical forests are an indispensable element in earth's climate system.
They not only hold large amounts of carbon, but through their
transpiration create rainfall and actively cool earth. About half of the
mature tropical forests that once covered the planet have been felled.
• Water resources
The interconnections between water, energy and climate are complex but
essential to consider.
Climate change will lead to dramatic changes in the hydrological cycle,
both in terms of water availability and quality, and in terms of
intensification of extreme events such as floods and droughts.

22. • THANK YOU