(Credit: Brazilian Ministry of Environment)

One of the most contentious issues on the table at COP15 will be financing climate change.

Experts from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Finance Initiative estimate that investments of around $500 billion a year will be needed to help the countries in the developing world tackle the causes of climate change while stimulating low carbon growth.

Getting to the very heart of this issue, New York Times columnist and green advocate Thomas Friedman proposes that: “To save an ecosystem of nature, you need an ecosystem of markets and governance.”

In his column filed on November 11 from the Tapajós National Forest in Brazil, Friedman argues that fighting deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon – and tropical forests in Indonesia and the Congo – is an essential part of a global plan to reduce carbon emissions.

“…We could eliminate 17 percent of all global emissions if we could halt the cutting and burning of tropical forests. But to do that requires putting in place a whole new system of economic development — one that makes it more profitable for the poorer, forest-rich nations to preserve and manage their trees rather than to chop them down to make furniture or plant soybeans.”

This is interesting because it is written on the sidelines of one of the most successful sustainable forest management programs that the world has seen to date.

Through our work with the Brazilian government, Fleishman-Hillard has had the unique opportunity to become familiar with the domestic and global climate change initiatives being led by Brazil as they unfold. The Ambé Project is one that really stands out.

The Ambé Project in Brazil’s Tapajós National Forest is an industrial-scale community initiative for sustainable, low-impact forest management. Launched in 2005 with support from the federal government, the Brazilian Environment Institute, and international financing, it has helped families in 29 forest communities embrace sustainable and marketable timber and non-timber forest production techniques in order to quell deforestation and help improve the economic wellbeing of the forest residents. In 2009, the Ambé project grossed over US $ 2 million by auctioning their timber to local companies.

As the column states, Brazil already has national programs in place that set aside 43 percent of the Amazon rainforest for conservation and for indigenous peoples – but the big question is what will happen to the other 38 percent.

The more we get the Brazilian system to work, the more of that 38 percent will be preserved and the less carbon reductions the whole world would have to make. But it takes money… money to expand into more markets, money to maintain police monitoring and enforcement and money to improve the productivity of farming on already degraded lands so people won’t eat up more rainforest.

I think it’s important to see the proposed financing as global support for an issue of global concern, not a handout. Brazil offers a great opportunity to move the dial on climate change: there is already strong political will to fight deforestation, a diversified renewable energy market, wide social awareness and acceptance of green efforts, and successful models in place that have already made a tangible difference in the fight against deforestation.

In fact, data released at the end of last week by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) indicates that Amazon deforestation had dropped 45% year-on-year by August 2009 to just 7,008 square kilometers (2,706 square miles) – the lowest figure since Brazil began monitoring deforestation in 1988.

The challenge now is for the world to unite on a global agreement to ensure that this progress continues.

As Friedman writes: “Your grandchildren will thank you.”

Another busy week has passed us by. FHers in the United States are preparing for next week’s Thanksgiving festivities, while also gearing up with the world for the home stretch to COP15. Doesn’t look like the hard work will be slowing down soon. Speaking of hard work, here’s what our sister blogs were discussing this week…

FH Innovation asks: “Is recovery right around the corner?” The signals seem to be mixed. What are you seeing where you work? They also encouraged organizations not to fear a loss of control and embrace digital.

Meanwhile, FH Out Front explored the exciting phenomena of “flash mobs” to raise awareness of social issues. They also took a look at the role schools can play in elevating discussion and education of LGBT issues.

Have a great weekend. See you on Twitter!

There is significant hope that the COP15 Conference in Copenhagen this December will put an end to the recent two-year international negotiation process over the commitment of industrialized and developing nations to lower carbon emissions. The goal of COP15 is to establish a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Officials now say that such an agreement is unlikely to be nailed down at the December 2009 Conference. However, the world may not have to wait a full 12 months in order for conversations and decisions to resume. Some officials are talking about picking discussions back up as early as the spring of 2010 if an agreement can’t be reached in a few short weeks. That is because climate change is urgent and also because the UN is looking to the U.S. Congress pass national legislation – and soon.

According to the News Section of the United Nations Climate Change Web site, “Short of a clear picture on which commitments the world’s second largest emitter is likely to take, a number of other key players will most likely hide their cards. This situation may have changed by spring 2010, but then one can’t be certain right now, which is why the UN has not decided yet if it will recommend a spring conference.”

My hope is that COP15 (and a half) – should it happen – be a “more half full” event rather than “half empty.” In other words, that it leads as fast as possible to an effective set of decisions that can be implemented by all participating nations.

When it comes to COP15, would you say that you too are optimistic? Is your view of the conference half full or half empty? Please post your comments here.

PS: If you are interested in learning more about COP15, you can visit the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference Web site. This site provides up-to-date news, information and views on all matters pertaining to this important global event.

As the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen approaches, the pressure to organize legislation is felt in most all of the world’s countries. This pressure comes from a need to end an ongoing two-year negotiation process over the commitment of industrial and developing nations to lowering carbon emissions. The main goal – establishment of a replacement for Kyoto Treaty.

However, only a few weeks from the beginning of conference, December 7^th2009, the countries are still struggling with little to no success to come up with a permanent legislation that would be represented at the conference. “It is physically impossible to finalize all the details of a treaty in Copenhagen” said the secretary-general of the UN climate change secretariat Yvo de Boer in the article UN climate chief: No final, global warming treaty in 2009, “but the principles of a deal must be settled.”

De Boer states that, given the current lack of political and financial agreement in countries, the new goal of the conference is to reach an agreement on, what he calls, the Four Political Essentials:

1. How much are the industrialized countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases?

2. How much are major developing countries such as China and India willing to do to limit the growth of their emissions?

3. How is the help needed by developing countries to engage in reducing their emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change going to be financed?

4. How is that money going to be managed?

These four essentials are meant to bring, what the article calls, ‘clarity’ on the climate issues, especially to the financially struggling business world.

“If Copenhagen can deliver on those four points,” says Yvo de Boer in the above mentioned article, “I’d be happy”.

So perhaps this December will not bring us much anticipated new treaty, but clarity might be what is most needed at this time… Clarity to truly understand the key role that we, as individuals or nations, play in the future of our planet.

And it only gets better from there.

Copenhagen, Denmark (Credit: Flickr user jimg944)

This time we are not talking about emission targets or other key topics on the table of the negotiators… From 7 to 18 December, thousands of people around the world will be looking at the Copenhagen summit waiting to hear what comes next after the Kyoto Protocol. But people that will actually go to Copenhagen will have the opportunity not only to follow very closely days of intense political negotiations, but also to attend a series of side events organised by business associations, countries, NGOs, and academia. These events will deal with various aspects of climate change and will present different answers to the battle against it. They will certainly be a great occasion to exchange views with relevant stakeholders and to possibly meet some delegates of the U.N Conference and key opinion leaders in the field of sustainability.

For the lucky ones that will manage to be there (note that it’s impossible now to get a room in a hotel in the city), below there is a list of possible suggestions.

Klimaforum09, Peoples Climate Summit
Organized by Klimaforum09, a network of Danish and environmental movements and civil society groups
7-18 December, DGI-byen

The idea behind Klimaforum09 is to create an open space, where people, movements and organisations can gather and develop constructive solutions to the climate crisis.

Copenhagen Business Day
Organized by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)

11 December, Confederation of Danish Industry Headquarter
The Copenhagen Business Day will be a day for business leaders to explore, share and project their vision and commitment to implement climate solutions now and for the next four decades.

Bright Green
Organized by the Confederation of Danish Industry
12-13 December, FORUM

Bright Green will give participants the opportunity to showcase with a stand the business response to the climate challenge, in particular to present the solutions and technologies developed by different sectors to tackle climate change.

In the Eye of Climate Change
Organized by the Greenlandic Authority
12-20 December, North Atlantic House

Greenland businesses, organisations and authorities join forces to paint a portrait of modern Greenland: its new forms of energy, Arctic technology, research and the future prospects for tourism, oil extraction and agriculture.

Earth Journalism Awards
Organized by the Earth Journalism Network (EJN)
14 December, Danish Radio Hall

In the past months professional journalists and citizen journalists from around the world were invited to submit their climate change reports in any media. The Earth Journalism Awards will honor the world’s best climate change report and creative work in the lead up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Urban Climate Solutions Tour
Organized by Ramboll
14 December, Ørestad Station

This three hour Urban Climate Solutions Tour on Ørestad, Copenhagen, will give participants the opportunity to discover the Danish unique energy model and some of the innovative climate adaptation initiatives.