Copenhagen Climate Summit

SCIAF believes the weak Copenhagen climate deal could spell disaster for millions of the world’s poorest people.

A team of SCIAF staff travelled to the Danish capital in December for the UN climate change summit.

We took part in a 100,000 strong climate change march through the streets of Copenhagen, attended a candle lit vigil led by South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu, highlighted Scotland’s world-leading example to international delegates and put pressure on politicians to come up with a fair and binding deal.

Leaders from over 100 countries around the world gathered in the city to decide on the best way to tackle the problem of climate change but they could not agree on a clear plan of action.

This could leave some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people – who are already dealing with the effects of global warming – struggling for their very survival.

In negotiations, many developing countries had called for richer countries – which have contributed most to climate change over the years – to commit to cuts in their greenhouse gas emissions of at least 40% (on 1990 levels) by 2020.

They also wanted wealthy nations to provide billions of pounds in funding to help poorer countries develop green technologies and protect themselves from the worst impacts of climate change.

But although Scotland is committed to emissions cuts of 42%, other rich countries refused to follow our example.

Speaking from Copenhagen, SCIAF Policy Analyst, Rowan Popplewell said:

“World leaders can call this deal an historical accord, a declaration, or whatever they like. The reality is that they have failed to deliver anything concrete. This hollow and meaningless outcome will leave millions of people in developing countries fighting to keep their heads above water.

“The Copenhagen Accord is an unambitious, non-binding agreement which allows countries to set their own individual targets based on what is considered economically and politically viable rather than what is required by science and justice. The situation today is not much different to the situation when the summit started.

“We only have a short window of opportunity in which to act but it is clear that many wealthy nations still do not accept their historical responsibility for climate change and are unwilling to address the problem with sufficient sincerity and urgency.

“Leaders must set a firm deadline for agreeing a comprehensive and binding deal in the coming months. They may be lagging behind, but the level of commitment demonstrated by people in Scotland, and around the world, in the run up to Copenhagen has shown unequivocally that the public is resolutely behind a strong climate change deal.”

SCIAF believes the world must accept nothing less than a fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement which sees other developed countries follow Scotland’s lead and commit to emissions cuts of more than 40% by 2020. We also need to see wealthy nations provide $195 billion in funding by 2020 – on top of existing aid commitments - to help developing countries adapt and survive.

Despite disappointment in Copenhagen, decisions have essentially been postponed until 2010. So we are still fighting for a fair and binding climate change deal which protects the world’s poorest people, and we need your continued support - watch this space!