World leaders "face a defining moment in history", UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said as the Copenhagen conference formally entered its high-level stage yesterday.
As heads of state from across the globe began arriving in Copenhagen today, it was yesterday that Ban Ki-moon, opened the final high level stage of COP15.
"We know what we must do. We know what the world expects. Our job here and now is to seal the deal, a deal in our common interest," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said according to AFP, while adding that the world's leaders face "a defining moment in history".
The Secretary-General also said that "three years of effort have come down to three days of action. Let us not falter in the home stretch. No one will get everything they want in this negotiation".
According to Reuters, Ban Ki-moon labeled the negotiations lying ahead over the next three days as "the most complex and ambitious ever to be undertaken by the world community".
The possibility of complete failure is real and the reality is that there is no hope of any deal that will respect the most up to date science. The targets are too low and developed nations such as the US, appear to want to move away from the Kyoto Protocol towards a none legally binding agreement, one which would see countries work towards targets not based on scientific evidence, purely out the goodness of their heart.
While the politics of climate change are being battled inside the Bella Centre, we must take a moment to appreciate the protestors in their thousands that have flocked to the cold city, in an attempt to place pressure on governments. The march on Saturday, in Copenhagen was one of the largest most diverse protests to ever occur. People from every corner of the world, representing an array of different organisations, groups and businesses stood in the freezing cold of Denmark to make their voices heard. Reports have shown unrest and subsequent, if not slightly heavy handed police action this week, in response to protests, that were on the whole peaceful, except for a very small minority of individuals.
Many co-operatives across the globe have had a long history of protesting and standing up for what is right, over issues such as working rights, civil rights and environmental issues that engage with the movement's values and principles. The many individual protestors in Copenhagen, like co-operatives around the world, cannot ensure a deal is signed on Friday; however we should not underestimate the longer term effect that both groups can potentially have. Climate skeptics and in particular climate skeptic businesses, currently far outnumber those calling for action. However an organisation the size of the co-operative movement and the integrity of the co-operative movement can, if united, offer hope. It may still be a minority group of individuals across the globe calling for climate action but it is growing and will only get bigger. Co-operatives are in a unique position to stand up and represent this voice and to act together on climate change. The Rochdale Pioneers started out as a small set of individuals that protested against issues such as working conditions and unfair supply, issues that at the time would have been unthinkable to overcome. All great revolutions have begun with small groups of people uniting, until politicians are forced to act, you only need to look at the civil rights movement in America and the fact that a black President (although regrettably not a green one) will be representing the US in Copenhagen on Friday.
CECHODAS are represented in Copenhagen offering clear ways in which we can achieve emission reductions in line with current science. Consumer co-operatives in the UK made up part of a 50,000 strong climate march in London on the 5th December. The agricultural sector has proposed ways in which it can play a major part in global emission cuts. Co-operative banks can and in many cases do play a key role in financing new green technologies. Co-operatives across all sectors have the answers and the member mandate to lead the way on climate change. ACT! hope that by uniting together, co-operatives will receive a just level of recognition for their work and create a universal brand that stands out from other business models. Our time is now.