Grounds for hope in Copenhagen
17 November 2009
It’s too early to give up on a fair, ambitious and binding global deal on climate change at the UN climate summit next month.
Just 20 days to go till the Copenhagen climate summit gets going, and we keep hearing the same message: there won’t be a legally binding deal made in Copenhagen.
But that message is only coming from certain developed nations. The majority of countries in the world are still pushing for a strong, legally binding outcome in December.
The latest to join the ranks of those downplaying expectations for Copenhagen was Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who this week outlined a two-stage approach – with a ‘political agreement’ in Copenhagen, and a full, legally-binding treaty to follow next year. From some reports in the press, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is all we can hope for from Copenhagen.
But we believe it’s too soon to give up on the fair, ambitious and binding deal that so many people, organisations, businesses and countries are calling for.
Here are some of our grounds for hope:
- last week 11 countries at the Climate Vulnerable Forum in the Maldives underlined “the urgency of concluding an ambitious, fair and effective global legal agreement at COP15 in Copenhagen”
- other vulnerable countries, including African nations, the Alliance of Small Island States and the Least Developed Countries continue to call for a legally binding outcome in Copenhagen
- European heads of state stated in October that “the European Union is more than ever fully determined to play a leading role and contribute to reaching a global, ambitious and comprehensive agreement... The pace of the negotiations must be stepped up.”
- France and Brazil have proposed a common text to be agreed in Copenhagen, and aim to gather international support
- Brazil has also become the latest of the emerging economies to put forward voluntary targets for carbon reduction, saying that by 2020 it will reduce emissions by 36-39% below their projected rate of growth
- the lack of domestic climate legislation in the US is often claimed to be a key factor holding back progress. It looks unlikely the US Senate will pass emissions legislation ahead of Copenhagen, but our colleagues at WWF-US argue that tangible progress on the legislation can be made, with additional Senate action giving the US a stronger mandate to negotiate in Copenhagen.
Very strong political momentum has been built up around the Copenhagen summit, with scientists, businesses, NGOs, citizens and politicians all mobilising efforts to build a strong deal.
Thousands of journalists and tens of thousands of engaged citizens will be there, hoping to witness world leaders make the breakthrough they have promised on climate change. It’s crucial to make full use of this unique moment.
There is no reason to believe that delaying agreement will make it stronger. It will simply increase the costs of action: recent analysis by the International Energy Agency on the costs of inaction, presented in Bangkok, offers a powerful talking point: every year of delay will cost the world $500 billion.
When political ‘leaders’ downplay the potential of the Copenhagen summit, we must redouble our collective efforts and make it clear that only a fair, ambitious and binding deal in Copenhagen is good enough.
You can…
- come to the Wave, the UK’s biggest climate change march, on Saturday 5 December
- Vote Earth – sign our call for a fair, ambitious and binding global climate deal
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