You have all probably heard about the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, but some of you may not really know what’s going on. I do not really know myself, but it is something that worries me, this climate change and the way we are damaging our mother Earth.

During the last centuries, there was a thought that the world was overpopulated, which is true in some way, and it was thought this was a risk for our planet and its resources. Now this problem is somehow being solved, population growth is already slowing almost as fast as it naturally could. Maybe it is not really being solved, although it may not be the major problem for our planets health. CO2 is the problem. The big problem now is the pollution we create on the rich countries, and moreover, poor fast growing countries follow the economic trajectories of those in the rich world (as may be the case of China, which is an enormous danger, due to its large population).

In average, each person in the world emits 5,5 tones of CO2 per year. Twice of what we should in order to keep our planet’s climate out of danger. However there are immense differences between different countries. In most of the developed countries, people contribute more to climate change by watching TV, than the total emission in developing countries. In Europe, for example, the emissions are more than 10,5 tones when in most of the developing countries it’s around 2 tones. On the year 2000, the whole continent of Africa, emitted less CO2 than in Germany all alone. The poorest Africans or Asians produce 0.1 tonnes of CO2 each year, compared with 20 tonnes for each American. To have an idea of what represents 1 ton of CO2: in a flight from Madrid to London, the emissions of CO2 per person are around 1 ton (with return trip). When going in car, 1 ton of CO2 is emitted for every 5000 km.

Growth is helping hundred of millions to escape grinding poverty but if the poor copy the pattern of wealth creation that made Europe and American rich, they will eat up as many resources, with severe consequences for the planet. What’s more the parts of the world where populations are growing fastest are also those most vulnerable to climate change and a rising population will exacerbate the consequences of global warming – water shortages, mass migration, declining food yields.

Science is clear – to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, global average temperatures must peak well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and return far below 1.5°C thereafter. This requires cutting emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 80 percent by 2050. This is needed to ensure the survival of the world’s most vulnerable nations and ecosystems and, ultimately, all humanity.


There are 3 ways of limiting human environmental damage: through population policy, technology and governance. If population policy can do little more to lessen environmental damage, then we will have to rely on technology and governance. Mankind needs to develop more and cheaper technologies that can enable people to enjoy the fruits of economic growth without destroying the planet’s natural capital. That’s not going to happen unless governments both use carbon pricing and other policies to encourage investment in those technologies and constrain damage that economic development does to biodiversity.

Yvo de Boer (Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) said an accord has been reached that has significant elements, but that is not legally binding.
He described the accord as “politically important,” demonstrating a willingness to move forward. It brings together a diversity of countries that have put in place a letter of intent with the ingredients of architecture for a response to climate change.

The key points of the accord include the objective to keep the maximum temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius; the commitment to list developed country emission reduction targets and mitigation action by developing countries for 2020; USD 30 billion short-term funding for immediate action till 2012 and USD 100 billion annually by 2020 in long-term financing, as well as mechanisms to support technology transfer and forestry. The challenge now is to turn what is agreed into something that is legally binding in Mexico one year from the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.

Remember that apart of all this changes that are being planned by governments and organisations, you can do a lot to help. It’s very important that you inform yourself of how you can help, how not to damage your environment, of how to lessen your negative contribution. We are the future and we need to make a big change in our ways of live. Come on then, what are you waiting for, go and plant a tree, buy ecological, think ecological, use public transport, don’t litter, recycle, don’t waste so much energy (please don’t abuse of those useless Christmas lights).