Where will the Copenhagen summit take us?

Hundreds and thousands of people will descend on the city of Copenhagen in early December this year to participate in the United Nations climate change summit. Alison Prout looks at what the summit might lead to, and how Quakers can play our part in responding to climate change.

Plenty of grand statements will be thrown around before and during the summit – the proverbial ‘last chance saloon’. A host of negotiators, faith groups, politicians, experts, campaigners and the media will all be helping to make it a global event.

It is clear that climate change and its potential for catastrophe is well and truly upon us. The Copenhagen summit in December could well be the last possible opportunity to agree a global deal on climate change.

We are learning that the impact of global warming is faster and more severe than was previously expected and that we need dramatic and rapid reductions in harmful gas emissions to have any hope of limiting the damage of climate change.

It is hard to see how this can be possible without a global political agreement. The current agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, was adopted in 1997 and is due to expire in 2012.

Organising a major summit takes years of preparation and pre-negotiation, making 2009 the last opportunity to put anything in place to follow the Kyoto Protocol. So in that respect Copenhagen will be a historic event in human history and fully merits the hyperbole.

Whatever deal is reached at Copenhagen, we will all have to overhaul our way of life and take a more sustainable path if we are to have any hope of limiting the damaging consequences of climate change.

A strong and fair deal at Copenhagen is vitally important, but the real stuff will come afterwards; it won’t all be over on 18 December. The best possible deal can only give us a political framework to reduce harmful emissions. It is important that Friends and others don’t get caught up in the frenzy of the build up to Copenhagen and in the process lose sight of the social transformation that such a deal would represent.

The inclusion of ‘sustainability’ as one of the strategic priorities in the Framework for Action is the latest milestone in the historic Quaker interest in sustainable living. It is important that Friends are active this year: demonstrating, engaging, learning, reflecting and holding our decision makers to account.

Perhaps though, it is most important to be getting on with our own process of change, supporting each other as we find our way forward into a more sustainable future.

Climate change has the potential to ‘undo’ many of the human development gains of the last few decades, as well as contributing to existing sources of tension that can fuel violent conflict. Whilst we may be beginning to feel some small consequences of this warming here in the UK, it is already more visible elsewhere.

It will be those in developing countries who have done the least to contribute to climate change who will be hit the hardest by its consequences.

There is firm scientific evidence that the human generation of harmful gasses is causing Earth’s atmosphere to warm up. Agricultural production is predicted to drop, freshwater shortages will affect millions, malarial areas are likely to dramatically increase, coastal communities are under threat from sea level rises and biodiversity will suffer. Poor countries will find it hard to respond to these additional challenges. 

QPSW is encouraging Friends who want to get more involved in campaigning on climate change in the run up to Copenhagen and beyond to engage with their decision makers and emphasise the need for a strong and just deal at Copenhagen. QPSW is working with the Bangladeshi organisation GUP to gather the experience of Bangladeshis affected by climate change. GUP is a grassroots peace and development organisation which has maintained links with Quakers since its founding in the 1970s. We hope that Friends will be able to use this information, as well as other resources, to learn more about climate change, their lifestyles and in particular how climate change is impacting some of the poorest people in the world and take this understanding to their MP/MEP.

More information available from www.quaker.org.uk/copenhagen or Alison Prout (alisonp@quaker.org.uk, 020 7663 1035)