First
published in the New York Times on September
17, 2009
Two weeks ago, I visited the Arctic. I saw
the remains of a glacier that just a few
years ago was a majestic mass of ice. It
had collapsed. Not slowly melted - collapsed.
I traveled nine hours by ship from the world's
northernmost settlement to reach the polar
ice rim. In just a few years, the same ship
may be able to sail unimpeded all the way
to the North Pole. The Arctic could be virtually
ice-free by 2030.
Scientists told me their
sobering findings. The Arctic is our canary
in the coal mine for climate impacts that
will affect us all.
I was alarmed by the
rapid pace of change there. Worse still,
changes in the Arctic are now accelerating
global warming. Thawing permafrost is releasing
methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more
powerful than carbon dioxide. Melting ice
in Greenland threatens to raise sea levels.
Meanwhile, global greenhouse
gas emissions continue to rise.
I am therefore all the
more convinced we must act - now.
To that end, on Sept.
22 I am convening a special summit on climate
change at the United Nations for some 100
world leaders - history's largest-ever such
gathering of heads of state and government.
Their collective challenge: transform the
climate crisis into an opportunity for safer,
cleaner, sustainable green growth for all.
The key is Copenhagen,
where governments will gather to negotiate
a new global climate agreement in December.
I will have a simple
message to convey to leaders: The world
needs you to actively push for a fair, effective
and ambitious deal in Copenhagen. Fail to
act, and we will count the cost for generations
to come.
Climate change is the
preeminent geopolitical issue of our time.
It rewrites the global equation for development,
peace and prosperity. It threatens markets,
economies and development gains. It can
deplete food and water supplies, provoke
conflict and migration, destabilize fragile
societies and even topple governments.
Hyperbole? Not according
to the world's best scientists. The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change says global greenhouse
gas emissions need to peak within 10 years
if we are to avoid unleashing powerful,
natural forces that are now slipping out
of our control.
Ten years is within
the political lifetime of many attending
the summit. The climate crisis is occurring
on their watch.
There is an alternative:
sustainable growth based on green technologies
and policies that favor low emissions over
current carbon-intensive models. Many national
stimulus packages devised in the wake of
the global economic downturn feature a strong
green component that creates jobs and positions
countries to excel in the clean energy economy
of the 21st century.
Change is in the air.
The key lies in a global climate deal to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit
global temperature rise to a scientifically
safe level. A deal to catalyze clean energy
growth. Most urgently, an agreement must
protect and assist those who are most vulnerable
from inevitable climate impacts.
What is needed is political
will at the highest levels - presidents
and prime ministers - that translates into
rapid progress in the negotiating room.
It requires more trust among nations, more
imagination, ambition and cooperation.
I expect leaders to
roll up their sleeves and speak with - not
past - each other. I expect them to intensify
efforts to resolve the key political issues
that have so far slowed global negotiations
to a glacial pace. Ironically, that expression
- until recently - connoted slowness. But
the glaciers I saw a few weeks ago in the
Arctic are melting faster than human progress
to preserve them.
We must place the planet's
long-term interests ahead of short-term
political expediency. National leaders need
to be global leaders who take the long view.
Today's threats transcend borders. So, too,
must our thinking.
Copenhagen need not
resolve all the details. But a successful
global climate deal must involve all countries,
consistent with their capabilities, working
toward a common, long-term goal. Here are
my benchmarks for success.
First, every country
must do its utmost to reduce emissions from
all major sources. Industrialized countries
have to strengthen their mitigation targets,
which are currently nowhere close to what
the IPCC says is needed. Developing countries,
too, must slow the rise in their emissions
and accelerate green growth as part of their
strategies to reduce poverty.
Second, a successful
deal must help the most vulnerable to adapt
to the inevitable impacts of climate change.
This is an ethical imperative as well as
a smart investment in a more stable, secure
world.
Third, developing countries
need funding and technology so they can
move more quickly toward low-emissions growth.
A deal must also unlock private investment,
including through carbon markets.
Fourth, resources must
be equitably managed and deployed in a way
that all countries have a voice.
This year at Copenhagen,
we have a powerful opportunity to get on
the right side of history. It's an opportunity
not only to avert disaster, but to launch
a fundamental transformation of the global
economy.
Strong new political
winds now fill our sails. Millions of citizens
are mobilized. Savvy businesses are charting
a cleaner energy course. We must seize this
moment to act boldly on climate change.
Ban Ki-moon is secretary
general of the United Nations.
