The Copenhagen Process

Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 6:16 pm

In December 2009, leaders from 192 nations met in Copenhagen to negotiate climate legislation. They were surrounded by thousands of scientists, business leaders, and representatives of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), including religious organizations and student groups. The purpose was to craft an agreement to reduce the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The political leaders were unable to reach a consensus on a procedure at the talks.

A last-minute “Copenhagen Accord” was negotiated by the leaders of the United States, China, Brazil, India, and South Africa, and it attracted support from the European Union and most other world leaders. The countries were, however, only willing to indicate that they had “taken note” of this agreement, and none of the commitments made were politically or legally binding. Though the accord encompassed all of the significant measures that most nations said were needed to respond to climate change, it did not include some steps that many climate scientists and diplomats consider necessary to keep the increase in global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius, a generally agreed upon threshold for forestalling the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

In particular, the developing nations have different needs than the industrialized ones and are mistrusting of verbal commitments from the United States and China which are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases.

The Earth’s climate has always been varied, but recently the droughts are more widespread and longer, the storms more frequent and severe, and glaciers and ice caps are melting at an unprecedented rate. Climate change is already having devastating effects around the world, as presented by some of the most vulnerable countries at the Copenhagen conference. A consensus among many of the world’s leading climate scientists tells us that we have little time to turn the trend around for soon it will no longer be possible. This would have immense consequences for the planet and all its inhabitants.

Although the Copenhagen conference (known as COP 15 in the United Nations system) did not produce a binding agreement among nations, it nonetheless inspired a new sense of urgency and seriousness about the climate crisis. The talks were an awakening of sorts. An unprecedented number of leaders from all over the world participated, conveying the overriding message that they understand the implications of climate change and want to take action to arrest it. Hundreds of thousands of nongovernmental organizations worldwide, including many religious, spiritual, and indigenous organizations, showed overwhelming support for emissions reductions.

There is also a growing recognition that the costs of doing nothing to mitigate climate change will be far greater than the costs of acting now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Now that the “cards are on the table” and the world is aware of the planet in peril, we enter a new age of action. We have seen that the political leaders of the world want to save their people and countries from climate disasters, but are unable to find agreement on how to do it. This lays a pathway for religious and spiritual leaders and grassroots members to engage even more actively. The moral responsibility called for in declarations by mainstream religions, indigenous and spiritual communities, and interfaith organizations must be proclaimed and acted upon. The Copenhagen conference prepared the way for people of faith worldwide to be a decisive force in the movement for change.
Last Updated ( Monday, 22 February 2010 )

Climate Change Statement