Climate Trackers in 2010: Please tell us what YOU think

Dear Climate Trackers,

Apologies for our radio silence over the past few weeks, while we haven’t been active blogging on here, we have been very busy trying to figure out the big post Copenhagen question: what next?

To help us along the way we would LOVE to hear from you. We’ve put together a brief survey asking your thoughts on our work to date and the “what next” question. Please do take the time to share your opinions with us via this short survey.

Since we posted our last wrap up blog from Copenhagen what’s happened in the climate world?

1. While Copenhagen was a big disappointment, the world has not stalled on climate action.

While Copenhagen did not deliver the fair, ambitious and binding global climate agreement that more than 15 million people around the world called for, it did deliver something – the Copenhagen Accord. While the Copenhagen Accord is no more than a high level political declaration it has provided some momentum for action.

A ‘soft’ deadline was set for January 31 for countries to formally submit their association with the Accord and to lodge what kind of actions they plan to take.

The Climate Action Network in the US has put together a really useful resource: “Who’s on Board with the Copenhagen Accord?” where you can easily see which countries have pledged to do what.

The Accord has facilitated pledges of emissions cuts and emission limitations by countries that together account for around 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, the pledged actions are nowhere near ambitious enough. It is estimated that the combined pledges would result in a global average temperature increase of over 3°C – not the “below two degrees” aspiration contained in the Accord itself. It's clear that a 3°C temperature increase would have a devestating impact on our world.

Australia, along with many of our developed country counterparts, submitted inadequate and incredibly disappointing targets which simply does not represent our fair share. According to Climate Action Tracker, it is developing countries who have submitted some of the best targets, including Brazil, Costa Rica and the Maldives, and who are taking the earliest and the deepest action.

2. We’ve seen a resurgence of climate sceptics getting a run for their money in the media.

Unless you’ve been on a remote island steadfastly ignoring all connection with the outside world, you’d be well aware of the continued attacks on the world’s peak reporting body on the causes and impacts of climate change, the Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and their Chairman Rajendra Pachauri. While the sceptics may be getting noisier, the case for strong action is only getting more urgent.

Check out Bill McKibben’s (of the 350.org movement) blog on ‘The Attack on Climate Change Science is the OJ Simpson moment of the 21^st Century' and Al Gore’s opinion piece published in the New York Times 'We can’t Wish Away Climate Change'

Then, if you feel inspired, check out our letter to the editor writing tips and next time you come across a factually wrong piece in your local paper, share your opinion through words!

Back to our initial question: what next?

Clearly with the (largely) unambitious actions out of the Copenhagen Accord and the resurgence of sceptics it is more important than ever before that we, as civil society, ensure that the call for urgent and strong climate action is kept atop national and international agendas. Here in Australia we are faced with a unique and challenging opportunity – we are entering a federal election year with a risk adverse Prime Minister who is avoiding even talking about climate change and a scare mongering campaign from the Opposition that action on climate change will simply be another tax. The challenge for us is to cut through this – to ensure that action on climate change is based on science, not politics.

While it is clear that large challenges still lie ahead of us, take a moment to reflect on what we did achieve in 2009. The climate movement is diverse, creative and strong. World leaders aren't done yet, and neither are we.

Thanks for your support so far, I hope you will keep building with us.

PS. Please do take the time to share your thoughts with us via this survey, it should take you less than 10 minutes!!