About the conference
The high-level conference „A Global Contract Based on Climate Justice – The Need for a New Approach Concerning International Relations“ was held in the European Parliament in Brussels on 11 November 2008. It was organised by the Ecosocial Forum Europe in cooperation with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), and hosted by the Members of the European Parliament Jens Holm, Othmar Karas, Jo Leinen, Caroline Lucas, Vittorio Prodi and Anders Wijkman.
Over 400 participants – politicians, scientists, experts, representatives of the economy and the civil society – and a range of internationally respected speakers attended the conference: Gunilla Carlsson, Stavros Dimas, Ottmar Edenhofer, Bo Ekman, Andre Faaij, Felix Finkbeiner, Franz Fischler, Wahu Kaara, Ashok Khosla, Peter Kruse, Vesile Kulaçoğlu, Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Gérard Onesta, Cédric Philibert, Franz Josef Radermacher, Johan Rockström, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber CBE, Lord Nicholas Stern und Pavan Sukhdev.
In the face of rapid climate change with dramatic consequences especially for developing countries and in view of the urgent need for a global consensus between the developing and the industrialised countries, the conference focused on the approach of a Global Contract based on the principle of climate justice. In view of a global post-2012 climate agreement, a broad and open discussion took place with the aim of reaching a common understanding of the necessary basic principles and central elements of a Global Contract which is environmentally effective, cost-efficient as well as just and equitable.
In view of the conference, a study was conducted by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, which prepared in a policy paper "A Global Contract on Climate Change" as scientific input and a basis for the discussion.
The conference followed a participatory approach and a newly developed online discussion tool was applied. Hereby, the participants could communicate with each other interactively, present their views, identify problems and search for common solutions. In this way, the participants also contributed to the Concluding Memorandum, which was elaborated as a follow up of the conference.
The memorandum reflects the common sense of the conference organisers and hosts, many of the speakers and participants and presents their common message for the ongoing international negotiations on a post-2012 climate agreement. With this message, we urge all parties attending and/or influencing the negotiations to take this strong and broad message into account in order to reach an ambitious and just Global Contract on climate protection with clear and far-reaching targets and a roadmap for its implementation.
