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Yesterday was deadline day: the date by which those countries that "noted" the non-binding Copenhagen climate accord were supposed to announce their national carbon-reduction targets.  Reuters has tracked the pledges (below). There aren’t many surprises because for the most part countries’ carbon-reduction pledges mirrored what they said they were willing to do before Copenhagen. 

Alas, what they’ve offered, at this point, isn’t enough to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees.

• CHINA reiterated in a January 28 letter it would endeavor to cut the amount of carbon produced per unit of economic output by 40 to 45 percent below projected growth levels by 2020 from 2005. This "carbon intensity" goal would let emissions keep rising, but more slowly than economic growth. The letter stressed the U.N. Convention, without mentioning association with Copenhagen.
• INDIA said on January 31 it would endeavor to reduce its carbon emission intensity by 20 to 25 percent by 2020 in comparison to the 2005 level. The letter did not mention association with the Copenhagen Accord.
• SOUTH AFRICA offered on December 6 to slow the growth of its emissions by 34 percent below projected levels by 2020, conditional on a broad global deal and aid.
• BRAZIL reaffirmed on December 28 a goal announced before Copenhagen of reducing emissions by 36-39 percent below projected levels by 2020. At the most ambitious end of the range, it said emissions would fall by 20 percent from 2005 levels, back to 1994 levels.
• UNITED STATES climate envoy Todd Stern said on January 28 the country would aim to cut emissions by about 17 percent by 2020, from 2005 levels, confirming a goal set by the White House last year. The target, 4 percent below 1990 levels, may be harder to achieve after the Democrats lost a Senate seat.
• The EUROPEAN UNION reiterated on January 27 an offer of a unilateral goal for the 27-nation group of a 20 percent emissions cut by 2020, from 1990 levels, and 30 percent if other nations deepened their reductions.
• JAPAN said on January 26 it was reiterating an offer to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 on condition other emitters led by China and the United States agreed an ambitious deal.
• AUSTRALIA reaffirmed its goal of a 5 to 25 percent emissions cut below 2000 levels, corresponding to 3-23 percent under 1990, the government said on January 27. A decision to move beyond a unilateral 5 percent would not happen until the "level of global ambition becomes sufficiently clear."

In the end, Copenhagen resembled nothing so much as a global Weight Watchers meeting. Leaders from nearly 200 nations came to Denmark, affirmed that they had a common carbon-behavior problem, and agreed to support but not truly police each other. Expect bloated sea levels.