Five Countries Forge Climate Deal

No emissions reductions targets were met by the end of the United Nations summit on climate change, but five countries—the U.S., China, India, Brazil, and South Africa—have agreed to list the actions they will take to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by specific amounts and have agreed to a cap on worldwide temperature increases at no more than 2 degrees. But world leaders dropped their goal of creating a legally-binding treaty before the end of 2010, so enforcement of their agreement is unlikely. The major positive outcome for developing nations is the $30 billion of climate aid richer nations have promised to provide over the next three years, and $100 billion a year from 2020. Countries have until February 1 to announce emissions targets, though it's unlikely any of them will. “We need to strive for a more binding agreement over time,” Obama said at a press conference after the deal was forged. “The most important thing I think we can do…is to build some trust between the developed and developing countries.”