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I know this might sound strange after so many people have expressed so much anger and disappointment at the failure of our political leaders to make the necessary decisions – and that is how I felt immediately after the conference - but this might be how the history books record it.
There is no doubt that the result of Copenhagen was not what we wanted, and not what the planet needed. Rich countries once again failed to deliver what is needed and what they are obliged to, whilst poor countries were once again ignored even whilst their inhabitants spoke loudly and passionately about the horrific impacts they are already facing.
But many people question whether Copenhagen could ever have really got us the deal we needed. Whether this important, but highly cumbersome, international political process has the ability to negotiate its way successfully through the most complex – and in rich countries, largely invisible – crisis humanity has ever faced.
Whether politicians really had the mandate to make radical decisions that may affect the way of life their citizens have become used to. As rich governments rapidly lowered expectations of the Copenhagen summit in the lead up to the talks, it became clear that any deal would be a bad deal. Governments were simply not in a place to come with a radical agenda – it became about face-saving and delivering the platitudes and follow-up spin that gave governments more time to talk, even whilst millions suffer the daily horrors being wrought by the over-consuming lifestyles of the worlds richest people.
We don't need an international treaty just for the sake of having an international treaty. We need a solution to the climate crisis.
Can the international negotiations play a role in this? Sure they can – and they must. But critically they should not be the barometer of possibility. We, the people, must be that barometer by which governments are measured – both by their actions at a domestic level (praise the Maldives highly ambitious plans to become carbon-neutral) and by their actions at the international level (blame the US continued intransigence to be part of a comprehensive international plan to solve the crisis).
If it has done nothing else, Copenhagen has proved that politicians on their own will not do enough, quickly enough, to solve the climate crisis. It is down to us, the people of the world, to do what is necessary and to show what is possible through collaboration, through innovation, through compassion, and through our vision for a safe and fair planet today and for future generations. And in so doing we can also demonstrate to politicians that they have a mandate to act in our collective best interest.
So I am excited. I am excited by the 10:10 campaign that has started in the UK and is now becoming an international movement spearheaded by those ‘Never Say Never’ folks at the Age of Stupid. It encapsulates the, ‘They won’t do enough so it’s up to us’ attitude that we need.
I am excited that the communities that came together to call for 350 last year are not going away but are going to come back even bigger and stronger last year and create a genuine movement for change.
I am really excited that at TckTckTck, the global campaign I helped run last year, we have agreed that the unique collaboration that was built between development groups, environmentalists, human rights groups, youth networks, trade unions, and faith organizations will continue – not just until the next big climate meeting in Mexico in December – but for at least 5 years. Time to truly build trust, understanding, collaboration, movement – all those things that our politicians seem unable to do.
I hope you will keep building with us.
Now it is our time…
Yours
Ben
Ben Margolis is the outgoing campaigns director of TckTckTck, and led the campaign in 2009. He is taking time off in 2010 to slow down, grow his organic garden, and work on climate issues in his local community near Oxford, UK.
