Copenhagen and Beyond
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.
The 192 countries participating in the upcoming United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen launched this effort two years ago in Bali, Indonesia. Leading climate scientists are telling us we have run out of time. 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. It also must be ambitious enough to solve the problem, and sufficiently binding to ensure its effectiveness.
Last year, world leaders met in Poznan, Poland to prepare for drafting a global climate treaty to be signed this year in Copenhagen. The conference was overshadowed by the diplomatic efforts to bail out the global banks involved in the global financial crisis. This year, we cannot afford for Copenhagen to be anything but a success. For that to happen, world leaders must know that the world is ready for bold climate action.
Climate change is impacting our lives today, unleashing droughts and tropical storms that already kill hundreds of thousands each year and displace millions more. The Copenhagen conference represented our single greatest opportunity to prevent this harm from increasing exponentially and to build a better world - but despite its failure, the global climate movement is stronger than ever, and we are continuing to push for a climate deal while supporting a race to a low carbon future.
We're at a crisis moment
We are at a crisis moment, with two pathways before us. A fair, ambitious and binding treaty will open up a bright, green world of prosperity, health, and stability; a weak or failed one will lead us into a future of escalating climate impacts and tremendous uncertainty.
This is where you come in. TckTckTck is still assembling the largest collection of voices ever created, a deep and diverse group of people from all walks of life. If enough of us tell our leaders—loudly enough—that we want action, our governments will be forced to take it. This is our best shot. But it won't happen without you, and time is running out. Sign your name to our call for action today.
