SG: Good morning ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to see you at the conclusion of this very important meeting on climate change.

We have had a long and exhausting couple of days.

We talked all Thursday and Friday night and delegations are still discussing this issue.

Finally we sealed the deal. And it is a real deal.

Bringing world leaders to the table paid off.

I would like to thank Prime Minister Rasmussen, Minister Hedegaard and the Government and people of Denmark for hosting this conference and helping the negotiations to a successful conclusion.

The Copenhagen Accord may not be everything that everyone hoped for.

But this decision of the Conference of Parties is a new beginning, an essential beginning.

At the Summit I convened in September, I laid out four benchmarks for success for this conference.

We have achieved results on each.

All countries have agreed to work toward a common, long-term goal to limit global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius.

Many governments have made important commitments to reduce or limit emissions.

Countries have achieved significant progress on preserving forests.

Countries have agreed to provide comprehensive support to the most vulnerable to cope with climate change.

The deal is backed by money and the means to deliver it. Up to thirty billion dollars has been pledged for adaptation and mitigation. Countries have backed the goal of mobilizing $100 billion dollars a year by 2020 for developing countries.

We have convergence on transparency and an equitable global governance structure that addresses the needs of developing countries.

The countries that stayed on the periphery of the Kyoto process are now at the heart of global climate action.

We have the foundation for the first truly global agreement that will limit and reduce greenhouse gas emission, support adaptation for the most vulnerable, and launch a new era of green growth.

Going forward, we have three tasks.

First, we need to turn this agreement into a legally binding treaty.

I will work with world leaders over the coming months to make this happen.

Second, we must launch the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund.

The UN system will work to ensure that it can immediately start to deliver immediate results to people in need and jump-start clean energy growth in developing countries.

Third, we need to pursue the road of higher ambition. We must turn our back on the path of least resistance.

Current mitigation commitments fail to meet the scientific bottom line.

We still face serious consequences.

So, while I am satisfied that we have a deal here in Copenhagen, I am aware that it is just the beginning.

It will take more than this to definitively tackle climate change.

But it is a step in the right direction.

Thank you very much.

Q: What went wrong since you didn't get a more binding treaty now? And what is the process forward to make it a legally binding agreement?

SG: Ideally speaking, we should have a legally binding treaty. As you may easily imagine, this kind of negotiation process is very complex. This is by far one of the most difficult negotiation process. Therefore, leaders while keeping ambitious principles that is having legally binding agreed to have a political agreement. (inaudible) We will take necessary actions. (inaudible) We will try hard to have this legally binding treaty as soon as possible in 2010.

SG: Mr. Secretary-General, at midnight German Chancellor Merkel talked about mixed feelings and that there was even no agreement to the 50% aim until 2050. My question is, can we still talk about an agreement because it is very, very vague and there is no real decision, especially if we talk about short term funding, the United States is only giving $3.4 billion from 2010-2013.

SG: Among 30 billion dollars for three years, two-thirds have already been pledged and President Obama yesterday explained to the leaders that while the U.S. is going to take a fair share of the remaining, the budget for 2010 is not fully ready because they made the decision lately. But he committed himself that the U.S. would take a necessary, fair, important share.

Q: I would like to know when the accord doesn't even have the time frame as to how when to proceed to have a legally binding treaty. What are you going to do? And also, why was the decision “to take note of the accord”?

SG: This has been also a very difficult and complex negotiating process. As you know, more than 130 leaders participated this time. This was unprecedented in the history of the United Nations. All world leaders are committed to address climate change issues. However, many countries have different conditions and situations. Many countries are still grappling with domestic difficulties, because of the domestic situation as well as their own financial and economical situation. Climate change relates to all aspects of our lives, therefore it needs to be comprehensively addressed. This means it requires very a comprehensive and complex process.

I did my best and at last minute I really tried my best to facilitate so that this decision would be adopted by consensus just half an hour ago. We have spent many days and many nights. I have only slept two hours in forty eight hours.

I have not returned to my hotel since yesterday morning, without dinner or even breakfast. I have worked all the night through but with my direct and my last minute facilitator role, I was able to convince some Member States who were still reluctant, who were still having reservations. I'm very glad that I was able to play a certain role.

I hope you will understand that this has immediate operational effect starting next year. And it has good monitoring and verification systems which have been agreed between developed and developing countries. This is a quite significant one.

We will try our best to turn this political accord into a legally binding treaty. As for time frame, I am not able to clearly say what the timeline will be, but we will do our best to do it in 2010.

The Mexican government will be the presidency of COP 16 and President Calderon is very committed already and I will coordinate closely with me.

Thank you very much.