Copenhagen: World leaders fail climate challenge
19 December 2009
Progressive countries like Scotland must continue to show leadership
Reacting to tonight’s climate deal at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland, said:
“Today the biggest working meeting of world leaders failed to rise to the climate challenge.
Copenhagen is quite simply the most important international meeting the world has ever had. After years of negotiations we have reached a declaration of will which currently binds no-one and fails to guarantee a safe climate for future generations. As it stands, this weak accord will not keep global warming below the danger level of 2 degrees.
"If the gaps between rhetoric and reality are not closed, this deal could cost millions of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars. If the EU had only responded with ambition earlier in the process and moved unilaterally to 30%, we could have been in a better position at this point.
"While today's declaration is deeply disappointing, industrialised countries have been given until February to commit to their emission reduction pledges. It is vital that they take this opportunity to increase ambition, and close the huge loopholes in the current targets - without more ambition, this deal is headed for dangerous levels of warming.
"Governments must also act urgently to set out a clear timetable for when a legally binding agreement will be reached - the world is still awaiting the leadership it needs.
“In the mean time we need to encourage more local action to reduce emissions. From the village level up to states like California, there is already tremendous work going on to cut carbon. If our global governments continue to fail us, we must act locally. It is particularly important that Scotland gets on and delivers on our 42 per cent target for 2020, reducing emissions, creating jobs and improving people’s lives.”
