President Mohamed Nasheed has warned against undermining the importance of reducing atmospheric carbon concentration to 350 parts per million in the climate debate.
Addressing 350.org “Survival Treaty / Suicide Pact” Event at Klimaforum 09 in Copenhagen, President Nasheed noted that one of the laws of physics was that we cannot negotiate with the laws of physics.
He said “physics isn’t politics. On climate change, there are things on which we cannot negotiate. There are scientific bottom lines that we have to respect.”
Speaking to a chanting crowd of more than a thousand environmental enthusiasts, the President said he had three words to say to the “doubters and deniers” of climate change.
He said, “Three – Five – Oh”, were the three words with which to win the battle against climate change, while the crowd repeated “Three – Five – Oh” after the President.
350.org is a civil society movement founded by American environmentalist Bill McKibben. The group organised the “International Day of Climate Action” on 24 October to bring to the attention of world leaders, the need to bring the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration level down to 350ppm. There has been increasing support for 350ppm amongst countries, scientists, and civil society groups in UN Climate Talks.
In his address, the President said that the important task was to put 350ppm target in the agenda of political negotiations in the Summit.
President Nasheed said, “the Maldives team is fighting to keep Three – Five – Oh in the negotiating text”.
He further said, the Maldives was “a part of a growing bloc of nations, all committed to keeping Three – Five – Oh as the central guiding goal of our global survival plan.”
Furthermore, he called for continued peaceful civil action to pressure politicians to act to achieve 350ppm target. The President said that politicians would not act until their electorates act first. Recalling his own and the Maldivian’s long struggle for democracy through protests and civil actions, he demonstrated how politicians could be forced into action.
The President called for continued civil action to rally politicians’ support for 350ppm target.
“My message to you is to continue the protests. Continue after Copenhagen. Continue despite the odds. And eventually, together, we will reach that crucial number”, said the President.
Klimaforum 09 is organised by a broad coalition of Danish and international environmental movements and civil society organisations concurrently with the COP15 in Copenhagen. Klimaforum 09 is the biggest climate event in Copenhagen besides UN Climate Talks.
