聯合國氣候變遷會議11日早晨在墨西哥坎昆閉幕，總結出兩周以來協商的成果，包含各項已獲同意的決定。秘書長潘基文表示這次結果是「全世界都將以此為賴的重大成功。各國的政府為了共同的事業、共同的利益聚集在這裡，並為了解決這個時代的艱鉅挑戰而作出決議」。
坎昆會議決議文中，要求富裕國家必需在2020年以前將溫室氣體的排放量減少到1990年排放量的25%至40%。目前的共識大約在16%，美國則承諾在2020年前削減17%。
來自194個國家的與會代表都贊同「大幅削減」溫室氣體排放，但提到最關鍵的問題──各國在明年的南非德班協議之前會削減多少排放量時，卻都隱晦不表。
代表們也同意在京都議定書的清潔發展機制（Clean Development Mechanism）底下，捕捉二氧化碳並將其封存在地質中的方式亦符合減碳的作為。這個彈性的機制認可了37個國家以投資發展中國家減碳計劃的方式完成本國削減溫室氣體排放的義務。
此外，會中也同意設立一個300億美元的「綠色氣候基金」（Green Climate Fund）幫助最脆弱的發展中國家適應不可避免的氣候變化影響，同時減少碳足跡。長期而言，已發展國家承諾在2020年以前每年集資1000億美元援助窮困國。這個來自各國的「鉅額分享」會經過綠色氣候基金的統籌，而綠色氣候基金的最初3年則會由世界銀行負責管理。
坎昆協議也包含了保護森林的行動，此行動如此重要是因為森林的砍伐就占了全球二氧化碳排放量的近五分之一。此外，會中也新設了一個分享乾淨能源的機制，幫助發展中國家脫離石化燃料的依賴。
自去年哥本哈根會議以來不斷協商的結果，代表們在坎昆展現出了較為合作的態度，在會議主席、墨西哥外長艾斯琵娜莎(Patricia Espinosa)主持閉幕時，各國代表起立鼓掌讚許這次會議的成果。
艾斯琵娜莎是在玻利維亞的反對下主導大會完成協議。玻利維亞反對坎昆協議的主張在於已開發國家在這次會議裡提出的是一張空白支票，詳述這些承諾的文件都尚未具文發表。
大多數觀察員認為坎昆協議是一個溫和的進展，它將哥本哈根會議之後一度中斷的氣候談判推回協商的正軌。國際自然保育聯盟（International Union for the Conservation of Nature）的氣候變遷政策資深顧問克萊爾帕克（Claire Parker）表示：「我們已經克服了後哥本哈根以來的癱瘓狀態。發展中國家現在看到了擺在桌上的錢，就能放心去面對他們正遭遇的衝擊並減少排碳。」
科學家關懷聯盟（Union of Concerned Scientists）的氣候研究分析主任竇布雪（Doug Boucher）表示：「最大的光明是推動新的阻止濫伐機制（REDD+），這個計劃可以減少熱帶雨林的砍伐。會議廳內正在締造歷史性的轉變，在我們的有生之年可望見到數千年來對亞馬遜森林的砍伐就此停止。」
然而，也有人指責美國國會內部的權力角力阻礙了世界共同面對氣候危機的能力。美國野生動物基金會（National Wildlife Federation）全球暖化政策主任喬曼德爾松（Joe Mendelson）表示：「大會在若干重大議題上取得了進展，但是美國參議院未能通過乾淨能源法案使得協商代表們施展不開，以致無法達成一個完整的全球協定。即便正式承認了哥本哈根的目標──包含美國在2020年前減碳17%──也遠遠不夠應付氣候危機底下必須完成的努力。」
The United Nations climate change conference in Cancun wrapped up two weeks of negotiations at dawn this morning with agreement on a package of decisions that UN officials are hailing as a victory.
The outcome is an "important success for a world much in need of it," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today. "Governments came together in common cause, for the common good, and agreed on a way forward to meet the defining challenge of our time."
The Cancun Agreements recognize the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from rich countries by 25 to 40 percent from 1990 levels within the next 10 years. Current pledges amount to about 16 percent; the United States has pledged a 17 percent reduction by 2020.
Delegates from 194 countries agreed to seek "deep cuts" in greenhouse gas emissions, but they put off the essential question of how much all nations will cut emissions to next year's talks in Durban, South Africa.
Delegates agreed that carbon dioxide capture and storage in geological formations will be included as an eligible project activity under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism. This flexible mechanism allows the 37 countries to fulfill their greenhouse gas emission obligations by investing in projects that reduce emissions in developing countries.
Delegates also agreed to establish a Green Climate Fund of US$30 billion of new contributions for the period 2010-?2012to help the most vulnerable developing countries adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change and reduce their carbon footprints.
In the longer term, developed countries committed to a goal of mobilizing jointly US$100 billion per year by 2020 to address the needs of poorer countries. A "significant share" of new multilateral funding for adaptation should flow through the Green Climate Fund, which will be managed by the World Bank for the first three years, delegates agreed.
The Cancun Agreements include action to protect the world's forests, important because deforestation accounts for nearly one-fifth of all global carbon dioxide emissions.
They also created a mechanism to share clean technologies to help developing countries move away from fossil fuels.
After last year's contentious negotiations in Copenhagen, delegates in Cancun showed a more cooperative spirit, greeting the outcome with a standing ovation for conference president Mexico's Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa.
Espinosa brought delegates to agreement without the approval of Bolivia, which objected that the Cancun Agreements amount to a blank check for developed nations because the documents specifying their commitments have not yet been published.
Most observers called the Cancun Agreements a modest achievement that puts climate negotiations back on track after the disappointing talks in Copenhagen.
"We have moved away from the post-Copenhagen paralysis," said Claire Parker, senior climate change policy advisor with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. "Developing countries can now see new money on the table which they can draw on to adapt to the impacts they're already facing and reduce emissions."
"The real bright spot was moving forward with REDD+, the program to eliminate tropical deforestation," said Doug Boucher, director of climate research and analysis with the Union of Concerned Scientists, based in Washington, DC. "Historic changes are happening in conference halls and in the Amazon that can end thousands of years of deforestation in our lifetime."
But others blamed the balance of power in the U.S. Congress for hampering the world's ability to deal with damaging climate change.
Joe Mendelson, global warming policy director with the National Wildlife Federation, said today, "Progress was made on a number of important issues, but it's clear the Senate's failure to pass clean energy legislation tied the hands of negotiators to come to a full global deal. Formally recognizing the Copenhagen reduction targets, including the U.S. 17 percent reductions by 2020, still leaves the world woefully short of what needs to be done to tackle the climate crisis."
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