As the dust settles after what appeared to be a failed climate change convention in Copenhagen, leaders, delegates and experts have gone back to the drawing board to look at what went wrong and how to avert such in the future.

The convention was acknowledged as one of the largest gathering of renowned scientists, bureaucrats, climatologists and heads of governments yet it has the singular aim of deliberating on the threat of climate change on the world.

True to its billing and rating, the Copenhagen conference which is the 15th edition of all parties to the Kyoto protocol attracted over 50,000 delegates including observers, journalists, NGOs and about 130 Presidents and Heads of government.

The attendance at the conference was unprecedented as it surpasses the record of attendance ever witnessed in the history of the COP.

The Copenhagen conference for many reasons was expected to act as the catalyst through which an all embracing treaty with legally binding framework and spelled out commitment was to be agreed in the global efforts to cut emission of greenhouse gases.

This is as a result of the overwhelming scientific evidence of the destructive impact of climate change which has put the global economy under threat and long-term prosperity, as well as the survival of the most vulnerable populations.

Copenhagen, therefore was to bring to fruition, the Bali road map, meaning that all political agreements arrived at the 13th edition of the COP in Bali was to be transformed into legally binding agreements that all parties including the USA were expected to commit to.

The Bali road map articulated in 2007 had provisions for a robust financial mechanism that would enable developing countries already bearing the impact of climate change have unhindered access to finance for adaptation and mitigation purposes.

Copenhagen was also to be that conference of parties where the USA was expected to take her leadership role in global efforts to reduce GHG emission as she was expected as one of the world leading emitter to join other countries in fashioning out a new protocol that would replace the Kyoto protocol whose first phase was to wind-up by 2012.

The Kyoto protocol till date was adjudged a partial failure due to the pulling out of the USA, hence all efforts was made to get the USA on board any treaty or protocol that may emerge from Copenhagen.

But the conference going by the momentum and pre-conference activities generated that rise global hope of a new and enduring treaty to tackle the menace of climate change according to observers was a complete failure.

The coalition of NGOs that attended the conference described it as a gathering where leaders came, saw and did nothing.

"There came at the expense of the tax payer, saw nations being wiped away yet they did nothing," says one of the banner at the entrance of the Bella Centre, venue of the conference.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu addressing the largest global climate protest which attracted over 300,000 protestors from across the globe on the street of Copenhagen said: "The failure of the political process in Copenhagen to achieve a fair, adequate and binding deal on climate change is profoundly distressing. Our leaders must regroup, learn and make good their failure for the sake of humanity's failure."

Mike Peace, Chair of the Climate Justice Network in his assessment of the conference said global hope of addressing the menace of climate change was lost to ego, selfish, political, economic interest of the developed countries.

"The conference was a gross failure, leaving developing countries without any hope of how to contain the ravaging impact climate change," said Hammer Johnson of the Global Climate Order.

Alex Abutu is a fellow of the UNFCCC media group