The atmosphere has changed in Copenhagen

As the talks started at the beginning of this week I noticed the atmosphere had changed. Up until then I had felt the mood was too gloomy: then it felt too optimistic, with people assuming because some of the key countries have put numbers on the table, success had somehow become inevitable.

That feeling didn’t last long, when there was a leak of a text that appeared to cause uproar. Old hands, who are familiar with these processes, pointed out this was inevitable and there could well be more such leaks and more such outrage. There will certainly be more disagreement. And the dynamics are hard to predict as further texts and “non-papers” are issued and scrutinised.

What is needed is momentum. Europe today has the chance to inject that. In Brussels at the European Council Gordon Brown will be pushing for greater EU ambition on both emissions cuts and immediate finance, and also continue to argue for a global commitment to long term finance with Europe playing its part.

As ministers join me here in Copenhagen over the weekend we should make the most of any progress made in Brussels.

Having arrived in a city besieged by people and paper, I am already clear about one thing, Copenhagen is not just another international negotiation. It is a crucial moment of choice for all of us. I am determined that we will make the right choice.

Whether these talks succeed or fail, the world will be transformed by the middle of this century. Our choice is how. We can choose a future we want for ourselves and our children or we can let events choose a less positive future for us.

Our guest writer is Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

• For regular updates on progress at Copenhagen and to back the bid for an ambitious deal, sign up to Ed’s pledge

• And stay tuned for an exclusive Left Foot Forward poll on Sunday covering public attitudes and Copenhagen.

UPDATE 08.59

Left Foot Forward understands that the Prime Minister will say in his press conference with President Sarkozy this morning in Brussels:

“I believe Europe will today make an offer to push forward the Copenhagen talks. Europe will pay its share of a $10 billion fast track finance fund. Europe will also offer to pay its fair share of the $100 billion long-term finance required annually by 2020.”

20 Responses to “The atmosphere has changed in Copenhagen”

  1. Will Straw

    Ed Miliband writes exclusively for @leftfootfwd on his 1st morning in Copenhagen: "Atmosphere has changed" http://bit.ly/4GO2pD

  2. diana smith

    RT @leftfootfwd: Ed Miliband: Atmosphere has changed in Copenhagen http://bit.ly/4GO2pD

  3. David Wearing

    Although the G77 group of the world’s poorest nations was clearly angry about the leaked text, I don’t think anyone was actually surprised. It was only to be expected that the wealthy nations, for all their fine words, would try and stitch up a deal to minimise their contribution, maximise their control, and to push as much of the burden as possible onto the world’s poorest.

    The good thing about the text having leaked early is that it mobilises opposition amongst the poorer countries, and their supporters in the NGO/activist community, to fight back and get a proper deal together.

    This was always going to be about the wealthy nations against the poor. It usually is, as Doha shows. Better to have this clarified early on so those interested in stopping climate change can proceed on a realistic basis.

    I understand Labour is trying to shore up its core vote ahead of the election. It would be very sensible from that point of view for the government to take a progressive stance in Copenhagen, and certainly not to underestimate the ability of people to distinguish between fine words and intentions and proper action. Taxes on bank bonuses and labelling of Israeli settlement goods etc are all fine. But climate change is a different order of magnitude altogether. If Labour fell short of what is necessary in Copenhagen – and we all know what precise numbers we need to see – I doubt that progressive voters will ever forgive them.

  4. Rupert Read

    This post sounds nice, but where’s the meat? The real danger is that Copenhagen will either come up with nothing, or something worse than nothing:
    See http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2009/12/07/copenhagen-does-not-go-far-enough
    or https://www.leftfootforward.org/2009/12/rupert-reads-guardian-letter/
    What is actually needed is something along the lines that Tuvalu has proposed, and is now winning backing for:
    https://www.leftfootforward.org/2009/12/copenhagen-day-four-tuvalu-shows-the-way-as-g77china-group-starts-to-fracture/
    But Britain is at present among those standing directly in the way of this!
    OK, so here is how Ed Milliband could REALLY change the game at Copenhagen. Come back onto LFF, and break the news that Britain’s line is going to change radically: we are going to BACK the Tuvalu proposal.
    THAT would be news. THAT would be real progress. THAT would give us all hope that our future isn’t doomed.
    THAT would be courage…

  5. Politics Summary: Friday, December 11th | Left Foot Forward

    […] day in Copenhagen, ahead of the formal ministerial part of the negotiations, Ed Miliband writes exclusively for Left Foot Forward and outlines how the atmosphere has changed. Elsewhere at the summit, the […]

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