From 7 to 18 December 2009, the leaders of the world's 180 countries -backed by a 20,000-strong army of officials, advisors, experts and journalists - will attend a United Nations meeting in Copenhagen to thrash out a new international deal to tackle climate change. Whatever is agreed at Copenhagen will come into force on 1st January 2013, and supersede the last attempt to save the environment, the Kyoto protocol.
In the long term, wealthy countries are under pressure to agree to emission cuts of greenhouse gases of up to 80 per cent by 2050 (Britain has already signed up to this) and limit global climate change to 2C.
Copenhagen must bring the USA on board. Its 250-million strong population (less than 5 per cent of the world total) gorges itself on energy producing up to 30 per cent of all emissions.
If we do nothing, scientists predict climate change will rise by 6C by the end of the century triggering a catastrophe including: extreme weather, sea level rise, water shortages, food shortages and the extinction of up to a third of known plant and animal species.
Summit in Copenhagen is one of the most important meetings in human history. It’s the best chance we’ve ever had to agree a deal to slash emissions and face down the threat of warming the planet, but the politicians seem determined to blow it.
We Malaysian also can do something IF we want! But how and when?
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