Road To Copenhagen Climate Summit Starts Here

Today marks the beginning of the road to the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen in 76 days time, as 100 world leaders attend UN talks in New York.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for an urgent response to climate change, claiming current negotiations are moving too slowly.

Talking directly too 100 world leaders at the UN, Ban said “Your decisions will have momentous consequences. The fate of future generations, and the hopes and livelihoods of billions today rest literally with you.” He claimed failure at Copenhagen to take appropriate actions would be “morally inexcusable”.

China has shocked many at the UN, as President Hu Jintao announced to fellow world leaders that they will strive to cut emissions by a a “notable margin” by 2020. The UN has recommended at cut to developed nations of 25%-40% by 2020.

The Chinese president said his country’s cuts would be measured by unit of Gross Domestic Product. He echoed previous calls for developed nations to do more to fight climate change than developing nations, as they are more historically responsible for emissions. He also pledged to “vigorously develop” renewable and nuclear power. China’s motives may not be entirely selfless, as lets face it, the first country to crack cheap, easy and renewable energy will likely economically thrive over the coming decades.

“Developed countries should fulfill the task of emission reduction set in the Kyoto Protocol, continue to undertake substantial mid-term quantified emission reduction targets and support developing countries in countering climate change,” he said.