Port
of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago), 1 December
2009 - Commonwealth leaders representing
a third of the world's population have stressed
their "conviction that urgent and substantial
action to reduce global emissions is needed"
after a meeting in the Caribbean island
of Trinidad and Tobago.
The 49 countries at
the summit - including 34 represented by
their heads of state or government - approved
'fast track funding' focused on the most
vulnerable countries in a meeting that was
dominated by climate change just a week
before the key UN climate talks in Copenhagen,
Denmark.
The Copenhagen Launch
Fund would start in 2010 and build up to
US$10 billion per year by 2012, including
10 per cent dedicated to small island states.
The fund would support climate adaptation,
clean technology and reducing emissions
from deforestation and forest degradation.
"Science, and our
own experience, tells us that we only have
a few short years to address the threat
[of climate change]," the Commonwealth
leaders' declaration reads. "The average
global temperature has risen because of
the increase in carbon and other greenhouse
gas emissions. We must act now."
"We pledge our
continued support to the leaders-driven
process guided by the Danish Prime Minister
and his efforts to deliver a comprehensive,
substantial and operationally binding agreement
in Copenhagen leading towards a full legally
binding outcome no later than 2010,"
it adds.
The Copenhagen meeting
on 7-18 December, which will be attended
by 80 world leaders, will see governments
from around the world look at possible greenhouse
gas emission limits after the Kyoto Protocol
runs out at the end of 2012.
United Nations Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon told leaders at the meeting
that "we face a simple reality - if
we delay for perfection, we risk ending
up with nothing - no agreement at all".
He added that momentum
for a deal in Copenhagen is strong and continues
to grow: "The world has never before
witnessed this level of political engagement
on climate," he emphasized. "We
will not get a better chance any time soon."
UK Prime Minister Gordon
Brown added: "If a third of the world
can agree at the Commonwealth conference,
then perhaps the whole of the world can
agree at Copenhagen."
The Commonwealth People's
Festival, the civil society event held as
part of the summit, also saw strong support
for the Seal the Deal! campaign, with 600
people signing the Climate Petition during
the event. The UN-led initiative is mobilizing
communities around the world to encourage
governments to seal the deal on a fair,
balanced and effective climate agreement
when they meet in Copenhagen.
Philena Williams, who
set up a Seal the Deal! 'stamping station'
at the four-day event, said: "To my
great delight, I discovered through networking,
that the are other organizations in Trinidad
& Tobago doing the Seal the Deal! campaign."
Among the groups from
Trinidad and Tobago promoting support the
campaign, including gathering signatures
for the Climate Petition, were the Toco
Foundation, JCI, and Global Compact member
Trinidad Cement Limited.
