1000 people, but so many more voices
So here we are - the start of the UN summit on climate change in Copenhagen. This is what we've all been working for at Debatewise. Months of planning, thousands of emails, texts, phone calls, casting into networks and pushing the edges of communications technology.The UN summit has turned into the party nobody wants to miss: 15,000 delegates from 192 countries, and 100 world leaders. There have also been an unprecedented number of pledges in advance of the start of the summit. Most recently South Africa announced its first quantifiable target on emissions-reduction. The announcement came two weeks after China announced its first ever firm target for reducing its 'carbon intensity'. Yvo de Boer, the UN's chief climate change negotiator has said: 'Never in 17 years of climate negotiations have so many different countries made so many pledges.'
But we've all learnt to be cynical. And why shouldn't we be? We've seen the machinations of global businesses and protectionist politics who don't want to upset their shareholders or voters. Can we do any more than simply hope, that the keywords of the summit are climate change, deforestation, rising sea-levels, global warming, carbon emissions, greenhouse gases, reduction, recycling, sustainability' and the like, rather than terms such as profitability, carbon trading and shareholder perception?
Who will have the loudest voice at this global party? Those with the most money and therefore the most power? Or those who will be most affected by the pledges, decisions and commitments that will emerge as the summit progresses?
These are just some of the reasons we decided to run the Debatewise Global Youth Panel debates alongside the summit. We wanted as many people as possible to hear the voices of those who will be affected most by climate change. Those with the most to lose in terms of home, family and future, rather than share prices and poll-ratings.
It's been hard work, but we have 1000 people from more than 100 countries ready to be heard. But we have more than 1000 voices, because every person that has signed up to our Global Youth Panel is speaking for others, whether it's just their immediate family, a group of like-minded friends, or for the concern of their generation.
We have voices from those who have survived by picking a living out of mountains of rotting rubbish, and voices from comfortable homes in leafy suburbs. We have voices from Israel and Palestine, North Korea and South Korea, USA and Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. What they have in common is that they all know the biggest issue is more important than any other concern.
Will the conference be a success? The answer to this is not a simple yes or no. Successful for whom? Successful for those set to become 'environmental migrants', as the climate affects their homes, livelihoods and families?
That's why we've chosen to kick of our series of debates with: 'Will the conference be a success?' The debate starts this morning, 7 December and will go on for 24 hours. We'll bring you summary of the outcomes and best arguments later in the week.
And finally, let's hope that those involved in the sharp end of the summit have the sense to understand that it's not what they can take away from the conference that matters as much as what they can give to it.