At the end of 2007, leaders of the world’s nations agreed to launch new negotiations on a global agreement to address climate change. They hope to conclude the agreement the 2009 Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen on December 6-18, 2009. To reach that goal, they set up an accelerated schedule for negotiations. But paving the way for constructive negotiations have proven extraordinarily complex. Countries have now reached a point where political direction from the highest level is needed.

To facilitate a consensus leading to the Copenhagen Conference, United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is convening a Summit on Climate Change today to focus political attention on the highest level on the need for accelerated action on climate change. The summit is expected to enable national leaders to provide clear political impetus to official negotiators so they can make rapid and significant progress before Copenhagen.

The summit is premised on the notion that with sufficient political will, countries can reach an agreement
in Copenhagen that is fair, comprehensive, equitable, and satisfies the scientific bottomline for an effective response.

The summit will serve as a forum where world leaders can talk directly to one another. There will be no formal outcome, such as a declaration or communique at the conclusion of the summit. The Secretary-General will issue a Chair’s Summary on the ideas presented during the discussions and in the statements of summit participants, which will represent the political will of leaders to reach a successful outcome at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.