Eyes Wide Open But Still Out Of Focus

I have mixed feelings about the result of a week-long, but really years-long, climate summit just concluded in Copenhagen.

On the one hand the mere fact the world’s leaders turn up to such a gathering shows that humanity is making progress towards recognition of climate change as the most enormous issue of our species’ existence. Further, the fact that expectations leading up the summit and discussions during the summit were so widely and intensely followed by the world’s media proves that these existential issues are categorically in the mainstream consciousness of people everywhere. These are the necessary conditions to unraveling the political and commercial complexity that bridles our response to the accepted knowledge that the ‘life-conducive’ environment we live in is under threat. Until people force politicians to correctly prioritize the restoration of our ecological systems, a multi-lateral universal action plan will continue to elude us.

Government’s role here is to lead. Lead by showing us the high road that individuals and businesses in one country or another either don’t know exists or are too scared to take. It’s true that no one segment of society can fix our problems in isolation. Ultimately it requires business, households and government to work in unison globally, which is why meetings such as we have just witnessed are the only way forward.

The universal grip of global capitalism is alive and well. Whether you are a developing nation or a developed nation, I believe the key to this seemingly impossible problem of global warming lies in making ‘being clean or green’ profitable. Capitalism is the only ‘other’ thing that is global. Ironically, the pursuit (sometimes reckless at points in our history) of economic progress that got us into this mess, will be the very same driving force that will get us out of it. Our only two truly universal dependencies locked in a mutual live-saving dance across the decades.

The failure to achieve binding consensus on any road map for the future in Copenhagen will be judged by history in a kinder context than the abject disappointment felt now. History will show that this week was an important stepping stone in a much longer conquest to address our most complex issue ever. When triumphant agreements are forged in the years ahead, on reflection we will agree they weren’t possible without the participation, dialogue and learning provided this week in Copenhagen.