Countdown to Copenhagen - the

call for action from European civil

society
• Why the spotlight on Copenhagen
• What action is necessary
• The role of civil society
• Key demands
• What can we expect to achieve
Why the spotlight on Copenhagen?
• We are losing precious time. We have a small, but diminishing
window in which to combat climate change.
• Evidence is clear. Warming of our climate system is now
unequivocal and evident from observations of increases in global
average air and ocean temperatures.
• IPPC, 2007: Most of the observed increase in global average
temperatures since the mid 20th century is very likely due to observed
increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations.
• Current levels of action are insufficient. An unprecedented scale of
international cooperation will be required so that we can secure an
environmentally, economically and socially stable future.
• In Copenhagen from 7-18 December, over 15,0000 people including
Government Ministers, officials and advisers from 192 nations, civil
society and media will come together at the United Nations
conference to agree a new international agreement to tackle climate
change.
• Copenhagen will decide what follows Kyoto after 2012. Or not.
What action is necessary?
• Europe has already committed itself to keeping an increase in global
temperatures well below 2° in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change
• Oxfam: "Warming of 2°C entails a devastating future for at least 600 million
people,"
• Requires a global peak in emissions by 2015 at the latest, followed by a sharp
decline, leading to 50-60% cuts below 1990 levels by 2050
• Levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere to be kept below 350ppm parts per
million – we have crossed the red line, levels at 390ppm – but the objective is
to return to safe levels
• Developing countries, esp the major emitters will have to be fundamentally
involved
• Decisions we take in the next 2-3 years will either lock us in to a high carbon
world that leaves our planet devastated and uninhabitable in many areas, or we
can seek the opportunities for a safer, cleaner and more prosperous world
without jeopardising growth or poverty reduction
• Action taken now is both manageable and affordable
• Copenhagen must set us, the global community on the right path
The role of European civil
society
• A broad church of
organisations
• An unprecedented level of
activity – many Governments
look to civil society to help
• Working in solidarity with
southern partners/groups
• Building public awareness,
engagement and pressure on
our Governments – keep
expectations high
• Contributing to the policy level
– helping to shape the key
elements of a global
agreement.
• Highly trusted contribution at
the climate talks
Examples of European civil
society
• Climate Action Network Europe
http://www.climnet.org/
• Tck Tck Tck
http://tcktcktck.org/
• 10:10uk.org
Cut 10% of your emissions by 2010
• 350.org
24 October day of action- 'World's most
widespread day of political action' last
Saturday, with 5245 actions in 181
countries
• Climate Justice Network
http://www.climate-justice-action.org/
• Friends of the Earth Europe
http://www.foeeurope.org/
http://www.foe.co.uk/climatetalks/
petition.html
What are our key demands?
• A fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement
• Binding targets for Annex 1 countries –
25% to 40% below 1990 levels by 2020
• EU to reflect their fair share and commit to 40%
• Climate finance from rich countries to support developing
countries to adapt to climate change and to help stabilise
their emissions
• EU Commission estimates €100bn is needed by 2020
• At least € 35bn from Europe
• Deforestation agreement – represents 25% of global
emissions
• Technology transfer
What can we expect to achieve?
• Final negotiation session before Copenhagen is concluding later
today in Barcelona
• Significant downgrading of Copenhagen’s original goal
• Scaling back of expectation levels by UN, leading Heads of
States – a (non binding) political declaration as all that is
possible
• Accusations of backsliding and stalling tactics
• Lack of political will rather than any technical obstacles
• Status of relations between developed and developing countries
• Expectations of particular countries: Europe, US
All is not lost!
• Time left to make a difference
• Continue the expectation, and
pressure that success in
Copenhagen is still possible
• Work with media to broaden our
outreach and to communicate key
messages
• In Copenhagen, combination of
hard political lobbying in the talks,
combined with creative actions,
either organised or ad hoc – that
are co-ordinated with actions
around the world
• A combination of warm words,
positive rhetoric and empty
agreements will not be enough
• The world will not wait for further
delays
Activities ahead
• Saturday, December 12, 2009
'Time to Sign' Global Day of
Action
In Athens in 2008 there was a
concert for the climate in
Syntagma Square with 1,000
attending
http://www.globalclimatecampaign
.org
• At the talks themselves, civil
society will be working closely
• Programme of daily press
conferences, fossil of the day
award, ECO newsletter.
• Ad hoc actions as required
Efharisto!

Catherine Pearce
Policy Officer on Climate
catherine.pearce@eeb.org