Copenhagen - What Happened
What should have been the most important meeting of our lives happened in Copenhagen in December 2009. Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Premiers of over 150 nations came together for the first time to attempt to create a new global climate change deal. Despite high expectations and positive press releases, a strong climate treaty was not signed there.
A fair, ambitious, and binding climate treaty would not only reverse the march of dangerous climate change—it would also help us tackle the world’s largest challenges.
We still can create millions of green jobs, reduce healthcare costs, lift millions out of poverty, and put renewable energy into the hands of everyday citizens in the developing world. Leading climate scientists say we are out of time, the leaders say they believe the science, yet still some leaders say we can’t agree on a deal, after over three years of talks. Yet, the International Energy Agency tells us every year of delay costs us $500 billion dollars in climate destruction and locks us onto a pathway to irreversible climate change.
We no longer have the time to start over if we can’t build the political will for a treaty that is not only fair but also one on which countries can agree to. It also must be ambitious enough to solve the problem, and legally binding to ensure its effectiveness.
We all watched world leaders find trillions of dollars in bailout money in a matter of weeks in 2009 to help the economy, yet we can't find the money to save the planet or its most vulnerable people.
World leaders hear more from energy and "do nothing" lobbyists than they do from citizens who demand change. A climate deal is still possible, if world leaders believe citizens of the world are ready for it.