GetUp is an independent, grass-roots community advocacy organisation giving everyday Australians opportunities to get involved and hold politicians accountable on important issues.
Whether it is sending an email to a member of parliament, engaging with the media, attending an event or helping to get a television ad on the air, GetUp members take targeted, coordinated and strategic action. And as we move into the most important international negotiations in our history, our team are on the ground giving you the must knows from Copenhagen.
You’re not alone if you don’t know your UNFCCC’s from your COP15’s: the important thing is we care about climate change, and we expect world leaders to rise to the challenge to meet it.
But if citizens look the other way while world leaders meet to decide our fates, they’ll talk green in public but do dirty deals behind closed doors. And this is what we’ve got to stop.
Every day climate NGO’s from around the world will be meeting to discuss the most strategic way for the world’s citizens to make an impact, be that by emailing our politicians, turning out for a snap action or any number of other creative, impactful asks. We’ll bring you these actions at strategic moments throughout proceedings. Think of this as your one stop climate shop!
So stay tuned as we bring you updates from Copenhagen and share your thoughts with us as we make the journey into a safe climate future.
CHECK OUT OUR COP15 FACTSHEET (or download it here)
COPENHAGEN CLIMATE SUMMIT
Why? “The science demands it, the economics support it, future generations require it.” – Yvo de Boer, Head of the UNFCCC (the guy in charge of the conference)
Global problems require global solutions – but that’s easier said than done. It’s hard enough to get politicians within a country to agree, let alone 192 different governments. Enter the ‘United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen’ (COP15).
What is the Copenhagen Climate Summit (COP15)?
From the 7th of December this year, heads of state and their governments will gather in Copenhagen to determine a global response to climate change.
Remember the 1992 ‘Earth Summit’ in Rio? It established a treaty to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions, and gave birth to the ‘United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC – get ready for a lot of acronyms!). Since then, everyone’s met several times for ‘Conferences of the Parties’ (COPs – ie. ‘Kyoto’ was the Third COP). Copenhagen is COP number 15.
But why is this one so important?
Well, other than the obvious need to make this planet liveable for future generations, COP15 is so important because the commitments made at Kyoto are about to run out.
When the first phase of the Kyoto treaty expires in 2012, we’ll be left without a binding and unified plan to combat climate change. This summit must forge a successor to this treaty and set new targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions[i].
Yvo de Boer, the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, believes this conference marks a turning point in the fight against dangerous climate change. Likened by many politicians to the global agreements reached in the aftermath of WWII, the decisions made during these negotiations will shape the future of our planet. The treaty needs to allow us to make the transition to a greener and more sustainable form of growth.[ii]
GetUp will join over 15,000 advisers, campaigners and dignitaries such as Barack Obama, Wen Jiabao, Gordon Brown, and Kevin Rudd for these crucial negotiations.
What are the main issues that will be discussed?
This summit will try to answer four essential questions:[iii]
- How much are industrialised countries like Australia and the US willing to cut their emissions?
- What are developing countries, such as China and India, willing to do to limit their greenhouse emissions?
- How much money is industrialised nations willing to give developing countries to help them adapt to climate change?
- How is this money going to be governed?
What would a good outcome look like? What should we look for?
A good outcome will be FAB – Fair, Ambitious and Binding. A legally Binding treaty will commit countries to specific emissions cuts. But to avoid dangerous climate change we need these cuts to be Ambitious. Developing countries, however, need a Fair treaty to help them adapt to the affects of climate change (which was caused by industrialised countries!) and find a way to develop their economies cleanly.
Here are some of the things to look for, which would be needed for a good outcome:[iv]
- A commitment to limit global warming to less than 2ºC above pre-industrial levels and to ensure that global emissions peak and begin to decline by 2020
- Getting developed countries to sign up to binding emissions reduction targets
- Getting developing countries to restrain their growth in emissions
- At least $150bn a year for developing countries to adapt to climate change
- Locking in a process to see a ratifiable treaty completed in the first half of 2010
- Agreement on how to reduce emissions from deforestation
- Agreement on binding targets to reduce emissions from shipping and aviation
But how likely is all that?
That’s where you come in. Things aren’t shaping up too well – lots needed to be agreed on before this meeting that hasn’t been – but that just means we, as citizens of Australia and the world, need to redouble our efforts to hold our leaders to account. This is our shot at setting the world on a course for a safe climate future.
We’re not asking for a miracle at Copenhagen, but leaders need to snap out of their climate daze and seriously change the urgency and scope of their thinking. The only way they’ll do that is if there is enough global outcry to shake them from their slumber.
How can I do that, I’m only one person?!
You are a member of an international community of millions with just the same concerns and passion to get their leaders to rise to the challenge before them.
GetUp will have a team on the ground in Copenhagen feeding back all the inside scoop from inside the negotiations, and letting you know what the most important actions you can be taking at home are. Click here to sign up for special updates.
We’ll be joining a network of hundreds of organisations from around Australia and the world who have been working hard to make sure governments aren’t let off the hook, and GetUp will be working with them all to make sure your efforts are targeted in the best way possible to influence the outcome of the climate negotiations.
What can Australians do? Aren’t we just a small player?
Australia will be directly affected by the decisions made in Copenhagen. As both a potential source of renewable energy and the highest per capita emitters of greenhouse gasses in the world, we have a large part to play.[v]
Without a plan to combat this climate change, our environment, economy and culture will be devastated. The Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu and our ski slopes will all be lost – along with the jobs that depend on them. Then there are the extreme weather events: droughts, tropical cyclones, heat waves, and extreme precipitation. Australia will be one of the countries hardest hit by climate change.[vi]
But few people also realise the important role Australia plays in international climate negotiations. Historically, we’ve used that influence to be a roadblock to action.
Hopefully, we can buck that trend at Copenhagen – Kevin Rudd, along with the UN Secretary-General and Mexican President, has been appointed as the lead negotiator to secure international agreement on the key points before the conference. The Danish Prime Minister has named him as the ‘Friend of the Chair’.[vii]
During the negotiations, we take on an even more important role. Countries form blocs to negotiate – the EU; developing countries; small island states, etc. The countries not in those categories have formed the ‘Umbrella Group’, including us, the US, Russia, Japan, Canada – and guess what? Australia is the permanent chair of the group.
How can I keep up with what’s going on?
We’re glad you asked! We’ve set up a special site that our team in Copenhagen and Australia will be keeping up to date with special videos and articles, and devising the most effective actions for Australians to have their voices heard where it counts:
Want even more up to date information? Sign up to follow us on:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Getup
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/GetUp/13527056454
And if you’ve read this far, we reckon you’ll want to sign up to receive more regular Copenhagen updates by becoming a ‘Climate Cop’ at COP15:
http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/Copenhagen&id=843
See you in Copenhagen!
[i] The Guardian, 10/11/2009, http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/10/copenhagen-climate-change-summit
[ii] http://unfccc.int/2860.php ; Penny Wong, 21/9/2009, http://www.climatechange.gov.au/minister/wong/2009/major-speeches/September/sp20090921.aspx
http://unfccc.int/press/fact_sheets/items/4976.php
[iii] United Nations Climate Chief, Yvo de Boer, http://en.cop15.dk/blogs/view+blog?blogid=992
[iv] Find out more here: http://www.climateinstitute.org.au/images/reports/copenhagenchecklist.pdf
[v] ABC News, 11/9/2009, http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/11/2683439.htm
[vi] CSIRO, Climate change impacts on Australia and benefits of early action to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, available at: http://www.csiro.au/resources/pfbg.html
[vii] Sydney Morning Herald, 28/10/2009 http://www.smh.com.au/national/copenhagen-role-puts-more-pressure-on-pm-20091027-hj2t.html
