Here we go: Update from the head of the WWF International climate team

Yes, two years have passed since the 2007 conference in Bali, where the world agreed to start this marathon that we’ve been through. On the road, countries have been discontent and disappointed with each other, they have been bogging themselves down into bureaucratic arguments, they have walked out of the negotiations – and walked back in again – and from time to time, they have even been talking to each other about what they are willing to do to cut emissions, and how they want to organize the global effort to tackle climate change. It’s been a long ride and a rough ride, but now they have to seal the deal – it’s high time.

So will day zero of the countdown to Copenhagen also be day one on the road to a zero carbon future? The chance is there, but nothing is given, and we may also end up in with a deal which does too little too late, and which will not deliver any realistic chance to stay well below a 2 degrees temperature rise.

Certainly a lot of hard work lies ahead of the negotiators, many important questions remain unanswered, and overall ambition levels need a serious boost. But all of this can definitely be resolved, if leaders bring the political will to do so.

The inner city of my native Copenhagen feels a bit like a climate theme park, rising sea levels are painted on buses and trains, you see campaign posters with messages of hope and pressure, and green solution examples offer a glimpse of a wonderful new world. The vision is rolled out right in front of us. Now we have to be bold and make it happen.

The world can seize an unprecedented opportunity here and embark on a journey that ends on a better planet, where political will and economic signals unleashes innovation and development enabling access to clean energy for all, also the poor, where we can reach WWFs mission of living in harmony with nature and prosper in zero carbon societies, benefitting from the green jobs of a new industrial revolution. No doubt, over the next two weeks we can write history here.

But leaders gathering and putting on serious faces when signing an important document in ceremonial atmosphere doesn’t automatically mean they’re writing history. What counts is the content of the document, and its legal format is going to be equally important. So never forget: we need a fair, ambitious and binding deal – not just any deal.

A lot has been said about what is fair and ambitious, but from WWF’s perspective we ultimately need something that keeps us below dangerous levels of global warming. Immediate action must lead to a peak and decline of global emissions in the period between 2013 and 2017.

This demands leadership by developed countries, who need to get on a path to cutting emissions by 40% below 1990 levels in 2020, and much deeper cuts beyond that.

Such leadership by industrialized countries would have to be matched with substantial deviations from business as usual emission levels in developing countries: 30% by 2020 are needed for a start. A number of these countries have already pledged strong action and say that they’ll do more – if developed countries commit to deep cuts and provide funding support.

We also have to make the deal legally binding, so that we can trust that countries will live up to their promises, and can be held accountable in case they don’t. Therefore a non-committing, non-binding political declaration won’t do. We need a legally binding treaty in Copenhagen.

So let Copenhagen deliver such targets and the necessary financial support to meet them, plus action programs to foster cooperation on technology and adaptation, and a strong mechanism to tackle deforestation, and we’ll get what we need so urgently and what people around the world demand: an agreement that would be truly historic.

Over the last few days a powerful team of WWF experts and campaigners from around the world has arrived in Copenhagen to fight for this. The weekend was dedicated to coordination with partner NGOs and internal preparation, exchanging the latest updates from key countries and on hot topics in the negotiations. We are ready now.

Tomorrow morning, we’ll start our work at the Bella Center, amongst a massive crowd of 30,000 accredited negotiators, observers and journalists. The WWF team will do all it can to push for progress, and ultimately for a breakthrough. It will be challenging, and it will be exhausting, but the momentum for real change has never been bigger.

On 18 December, we want to leave the Bella Center with a fair, ambitious and binding deal. We know that we are speaking on behalf of millions of people all over the world. We hope the negotiators coming to Copenhagen in the first week also want it! And the ministers coming in the second week! And the more than 100 Heads of States and Governments coming at the end!

We enter two weeks of incredibly important negotiations with fear of the consequences for people and nature if these two weeks go wrong. But also with optimism, and in confidence that a solution is possible – if leaders show the political will that has been missing so far. Copenhagen is about the biggest challenge of our lifetime. We can master this challenge. We must.

On behalf of the team in Copenhagen: thanks to all of you out there for your great support!

Kim Carstensen
Leader, Global Climate Initiative
WWF International