NGO’s write benchmark Copenhagen climate treaty!

Dear friends,

A proposal for a Copenhagen Agreement has been drafted by global NGO’s IndyAct, David Suzuki Foundation, German Watch, WWF and Greenpeace.

Drafted as a proposal and vision for what the Copenhagen Agreement to be reached in December of this year could look like, the draft agreement is intended to provide a holistic and coherent model treaty but also to initiate discussion. To view a pocket guide to the agreement or full text, visit WWF, or download a copy here.

The agreement opens with a strong message about the fact that our window of opportunity for limiting climate change is closing and therefore ‘unprecedented international cooperation and commitment is required.’ The proposed treaty brings together the need for ambitious and urgent action on adaptation and emissions reductions with the transformation of technology, the preservation of forests and the acceleration of sustainable development. All of these driven by both science and equity.

“This is the first time in history that a coalition of civil society groups has taken such a step. Together we have produced the most coherent legal document to date showing balanced and credible climate solutions based on equity and science” said Kim Carstensen of WWF International.

The NGO Proposal moves beyond pointing out to developed nations that they have a responsibility to agree to a global deal that is fair to simply point out exactly what such a deal between 192 countries would look like. All that is needed is for all parties to put aside their selfish agendas, keep an open mind and show real dedication to concluding a just, effective, science-based agreement so that we have some chance of keeping global temperature rise well below 2 degrees celcius.

The Copenhagen Climate Treaty includes:

• The annual global carbon budget in 2020 from all sources of greenhouse gases (not counting those controlled by the Montréal Protocol) would be no higher than 36.1 Gt CO2e, bringing emissions down to roughly1990 levels and would need to be reduced to 7.2 Gt CO2e in 2050, in other words by 80 % below 1990 levels.
• A design proposal for a new institution – the Copenhagen Climate Facility – to manage the processes for emissions cuts, adaptation and forest protection under the new global treaty.
• A recipe for long-term action plans for both developed countries (Zero Carbon Action Plans – ZCAPs) and developing countries (Low Carbon Action Plans – LCAPs).
• Binding targets for Newly Industrialized Countries (NIC’s) like Singapore, South Korea and Saudi Arabia in line with the Convention principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

Failure to agree in Copenhagen will only serve to accelerate all the consequences of runaway climate change that Scientific knowledge so clearly shows us. A deal in Copenhagen is a small step for governments, but a big step for humanity.

WWF press release, 8th June 2009.

Alistar

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