Hopenhagen? Perhaps not… It has already been nicknamed
‘Hopenhagen’, but for some, the UN Climate Change Conference,
which begins in Copenhagen next week and runs from December 7 to
18, could be more of a political fiasco than a symbol of hope.
Copenhagen is considered the last major opportunity the world
has to decide on a concrete and binding plan to reduce carbon
emissions before the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. Tens of
thousands of people, including journalists, activists and heads
of state, will attend the conference, which aims to limit future
carbon emissions and minimise the effects of climate change,
whilst fuelling and funding the transition to a sustainable but
worldwide green economy. “Copenhagen is trying, formally, to
achieve five things,” says Andy Atkins, executive director of
Friends of the Earth. “Agreement internationally on steep cuts
on greenhouse gas emissions, on helping developing countries
adapt to climate change, on transferring technology to them to
help them go green, on cutting