Céline Tougeron (Brussels)- This article aims to provide information about the civil society’s communication and actions before and during the United Nations Climate Change Conference that took place in December 2009 in the Danish capital of Copenhagen. It will not deal with their participation in working groups before the summit or during the negotiation phase, but only with those actions led by environmental NGOs to increase public awareness.
On the way to Copenhagen
Loyal to the motto "Unity is strength", scores of environmental NGOs forgot their diverging opinions and joined their forces using a large panel of tools or slogans. Many of us probably received Facebook invitations to participate in events or to support various causes as they launched a large amount of campaigns via social networks, online votes and petitions.
Strategic names were used in order to increase their visibility (for instance, the French Ultimatum coalition chose www.copenhague-2009.com as web address so that they went on the top of search engines). A large video mobilization mainly via Youtube was launched, involving political personalities, scientists, actors and even children to simplify the message. Some examples are the Tck Tck Tck campaign launched by Kofi Annan during the Global Humanitarian Forum; the cover version of Midnight Oil Beds are burning sang by 60 artists which was a hit in Copenhagen with its simple lyrics; satirical campaigns such as the Who pays the bill? German video; the WWF campaign and the Act Now video. They also used more common instruments such as concerts, strikes or flashmobs in main cities around the world and led actions like Greenpeace’s intrusion into the French Assemblée Nationale or the European Council.
Even if it is difficult to assess the real impact of these campaigns, the large amount of material provided gave a chance to reach and sensitize many citizens with the issue at stake: Global Warming. The media coverage of this last action was finally emphasized by chartering a train from Tokyo to Copenhagen where passengers attended conferences and had a chance to network.
And once there?
No less than 15,000 members of NGOs, 5,000 journalists or 500 bloggers were counted in the city, which really lived to the beat of the conference. All over the place, exhibitions, demonstrations and marches proliferated… almost to the point asphyxiation.
No less than 15,000 members of NGOs, 5,000 journalists or 500 bloggers were counted in the city, which really lived to the beat of the conference. All over the place, exhibitions, demonstrations and marches proliferated… almost to the point asphyxiation.
A global civil society counterpart to the UN conference called Klimaforum 2009 was also organized in the city center [1]. The concept initially launched by 4 young people from Copenhagen was attended by about 50,000 people (citizens, environmental NGOs, grassroots movements and organizations from all over the world).
Equating a base camp for numerous participants who tried to stand up and be counted, its organization was notable: no registration process, no security checks and still high level debates or conferences led alternatively by Nobel Prices such as Wangari Maathai (a Kenyan environmental and political activist), experts (such as Vandana Shiva about the green revolution in India), political personalities and NGOs. Its diversity a simplicity contrasted with the official summit outside the city!
Among various demonstrations organized in Copenhagen, a large march on December 12th calling for a global agreement on climate gathered between 30,000 and 100,000 people from all around the world walking from the Klimatforum place to the Bella Center. I was really impressed by the good mood and the energy exhibited during that cold Danish afternoon.
Despite expectations that the Copenhagen summit would produce a legally binding treaty, the Copenhagen Accord reached at the end is not legally enforceable. After December's euphoria, the challenge for these NGOs is now to keep the public (not only those already convinced) sensitive to the issue of climate change and to prepare the following meetings in Bonn and Mexico in 2010.
Despite expectations that the Copenhagen summit would produce a legally binding treaty, the Copenhagen Accord reached at the end is not legally enforceable. After December's euphoria, the challenge for these NGOs is now to keep the public (not only those already convinced) sensitive to the issue of climate change and to prepare the following meetings in Bonn and Mexico in 2010.
Notes:
Images: Entrance to the underground in the center of Copenhagen (up), demonstration on the morning of saturday 12th (middle) and arrival at the Bella Centre (down) (Céline Tougeron).
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