pdf download - Sustainia

34 About the convenerSummary reportWe cannot afford to seeCopenhagen failThe job is not done. Helping COP15 to become successful is – still- the mission of the Copenhagen Climate CouncilThe idea of convening more than 500 corporate leadersat the World Business Summit on Climate Change inCopenhagen, and showcasing powerful support for thepolitical decision makers meeting six months later inthe very same building, was simple and powerful. Fromthe onset, it was one of the main strategic pillars of thesmall group of men and women who decided to form theCopenhagen Climate Council (CCC) in 2007.At the same time, the Summit was a shining example ofthe uniqueness of the CCC: Bringing together stakeholdersacross borders and mindsets, creating collaborationbetween six of the world’s leading climate change/businessinitiatives – and staging an engaging and creativeevent.Now that the Summit is over, the members of the CCCwill spend the next six months making sure that themessage from Copenhagen in May is heard and understoodby those who make the decisions. The job is notdone until an ambitious, new, global treaty is agreed.Insisting that climate change is not only a risk, but alsoan opportunity for society, business, and the planet,the objective is still to support a successful UN ClimateChange Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen in December.When the Council was launched in 2007, Sir RichardBranson, CEO of Virgin and founding member of theCCC, stated with precision that “...we cannot afford tosee Copenhagen fail.” At the Summit, in May two yearslater, his words were echoed by the Danish Minister forClimate and Energy, Connie Hedegaard, when she said:“...the only growth we can afford is green growth.”Working closely with the host of COP15The Summit was convened with the full support of theDanish government, the host of COP15, and the CCC willcontinue to work in close collaboration with the government,assisting Connie Hedegaard and Prime MinisterLars Løkke Rasmussen in the decisive final six monthsleading up to COP15.In this final phase, the CCC will work to further developconcise and concrete recommendations and advise thegovernment on some of the key stumbling blocks in thenegotiations leading up to COP15. Through its membersoutstanding network of high level global leaders inbusiness, science, and policy, the CCC will identify keydecision makers around the world and make sure thatthey are familiar with the the Copenhagen Call and theweight behind it.During the UN Conference in December, the CCC willagain demonstrate its convening power and send a clearsignal to negotiators that business calls for action andpolitical leadership. At present, a COP15 event is beingprepared, based on the outcomes of the Summit in May.Parallel to this, the CCC will issue another five essays inits Thought Leadership Series, with the aim of creatinga new understanding of key issues in the low-carboneconomy. Future topics will be adaptation, carbon sequestration,energy systems in developing countries, andthe role of cities.Reaching outCommunication is a defining characteristic of theCouncil’s work, and in the second half of 2009, the CCCwill reach out to the broader public and future generationswith a new website, a book, and a film. The website– PlanetCall.org – is targeted at students, encouragingthem to support the call for action and to share ideas,insights, and solutions, through web communities andsocial networking sites. The book will support this bypainting a mosaic picture of how the world might lookin the near future if all parties collaborate to solve theclimate problem. Finally, a TV-documentary will takeviewers through the world of climate change, focusingboth on the impact and the solutions.In December, the members of the CCC hope to see agreementon a new and truly historic collaboration between192 governments on solving the planet’s biggest challenge.There is no more important task.As the chairman of the CCC, scientist and author TimFlannery, described in his opening speech at the Summit:“...we are not just contributing to yet another treaty buta treaty that is going to alter the composition of the veryair we breathe. It will, hopefully, by averting dangerousclimate change alter the future experience felt by all lifeon earth.”For more information please visit:www.copenhagenclimatecouncil.com