PRE-Road to Copenhagen

For the upcoming 15th Session of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP15), Worldview Impact and The Environment Council arranged an informal roundtable discussion to discuss youth expectations and perspectives.

The objective of the meeting was to brainstorm expectations from COP15, discuss key issues of concern in relation to the negotiations including any critical topics that need to be addressed. This was an opportunity for young environmentalists to start thinking about a lots of joint activities to coordinate before and beyond Copenhagen.

Following informative presentations led by Bremley Lyngdoh, CEO of Worldview Impact and Winsome MacLaurin, CEO of The Environment Council, participants worked in pairs to discuss expectations from COP15. Respectively, I was paired with Winsome herself, and voiced my opinion on how corporations who do no comply with environmental regulations to meet target emissions should have financial repercussions.

The discussion was lively and open in the approach of COP15 despite the short time we had. This is the outcome in the plenary session:

• There must be stronger financial repercussions for companies’ environmental impact.
  
  
• The bigger picture should be looked at, and biodiversity, population growth and the use of resources should not be forgotten.
  
  
• Everyone has to be ambitious in regards to setting targets in order to make a significant change to the planet.
  
  
• The US must join in to make a considerable difference.
  
  
• It is the responsibility of rich/developed countries to do more, including tackling increasing consumption.
  
  
• There must be some funding for adaptation and mitigation of climate change in poorer countries.
  
  
• Rainforests must be included in the talks as they represent huge carbon sinks and it is recommended that they stay where and the way they are.
  
  
• An agreement for forestry leading to a fair and beneficial deal to communities should be ratified.
  
  
• Adequate methodologies for calculating emissions and achievements are crucial to ensure governments and organisations are given meaningful measurements that would highly impact on the priority given to climate change.
  
  
• Making a convincing case for climate change is hence crucial, supported by sound scientific methodologies as mentioned above.
  
  
• COP15 will be a place where people from all over the world will be meeting, thus raising awareness of local issues, sharing ideas and actions taken to combat climate change. Replicating successful stories to each other’s local community/country (e.g. water and temperature rise) will be a great source of inspiration.

I am scheduled to attend the COP15 negotiations in Copenhagen between 10th-15th December 2009 as an observer, therefore will be bringing news of what was discussed and whether any defining agreements have been made. To what I have speculated, no legal agreements may be made at the actual conference followed by a 6-12 month delay. Nonetheless, leadership from over-developed countries, namely the US, is required to push developing and vulnerable states in making a decision based on scientific facts of climate change.

Watch this space!