Tuesday, December 08, 2009

COP15



On Saturday, I will join tens of thousands of activists from Denmark, Europe and the world, who will mostly discuss, shout and march in the streets of Copenhagen. At the same time, our leaders might decide how seriously we should try to save the humans of the planet from unpleasant global climate change.

Carbon tax, cap-and-trade, carbon storage, green economy, windmills, bike subsidies or whatever other solution the world leaders, economists and scientists come up with: it seems likely that the Western world needs to get its act together and cut consumption big time.

If we look at a leaked climate change agreement draft cited by the UK's Guardian online newspaper, it seems like the key interpretation might be the one of the phrase "common but differentiated responsibility". In Copenhagen, I will mostly say and shout that the so-called developed countries should bear the main responsibility for a fair but most importantly effective climate deal. But history will most likely be rough on developing countries as well, should the world's presidents, kings, dictators, prime ministers and autocrats fail to reach a decent agreement.