U.N. Conference on Climate Change

Grassroots: Last 30 years of fossil fuels
Unlike at the UN conference, no accreditation is needed at the People’s Climate Summit in Copenhagen. Some 10,000 participants are preparing their recommendations for the world’s leaders.
Morten Andersen
09/12/2009 22:05
Use of fossil fuels should be completely stopped within the next 30 years, and carbon dioxide emissions should come down to not more than one ton per capita in each single country by 2025.

These are likely to become the key recommendations at the People’s Climate Summit taking place at a sports facility in Central Copenhagen – not far from the venue of the UN conference, but in a rather less formal atmosphere.

At the event “Amazon Indians, Malawi farmers, Tibetan monks and Inuits from Greenland exchanged ideas Wednesday on how to combat global warming at a boisterous alternative forum in Copenhagen on the sidelines of UN climate talks” as seen by AFP’s correspondent.

Sponsored by the Danish government, the summit hosts some 10,000 participants. The initiative came from a range of Danish environmental organizations including the national branch of the Friends of the Earth.

The main purpose of the event is to convene cooperation between NGOs and individuals from all over the world. However, the alternative summit is also working its way through a text – much like the COP15 participants do. Only the document is entitled “A People’s Declaration”. Once finally adopted by the NGO summit, the declaration is intended to be presented to the world leaders gathering in Copenhagen next week. (Photo: Adrian Dennis/Scanpix)