As the historic climate change conference opened in Copenhagen and optimism of a successful outcome continued to build, Britain's leading newspapers used their final leader columns to urge the world’s governments to make the meeting a success.

 

The Guardian used the whole its front page on Monday 7 December to carry a joint editorial being shared by 56 newspapers in 45 countries across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

 

It warned that unless the 190-plus countries represented in Copenhagen combine to take decisive action, climate change will 'ravage our planet, and with it our prosperity and security'.

 

It concluded: 'The politicians in Copenhagen have the power to shape history's judgment on this generation: one that saw a challenge and rose to it, or one so stupid that we saw calamity coming but did nothing to avert it. We implore them to make the right choice.'

 

The Financial Times said hopes were increasing for a credible climate deal in the wake of the decision by US President Barack Obama to attend the final stages of the two-week conference.

 

In its editorial, it said that the world cannot risk a failure in the Danish capital. 'As the biggest environmental meeting in history opens in Copenhagen, the scientific case for a global agreement to fight man-made climate change remains overwhelming,' it says.

 

'The conference must achieve a spirit of genuine progress – over and above the inevitable horse-trading and political fudging – which will convince not only politicians but also billions of individuals around the world that the fight against global warming is worth joining.'

 

The Independent urged the world to 'wake up' to the scale of the challenge in tackling global warming, describing Copenhagen as 'hugely important'.

 

'There are indeed mountains to climb,' it concluded. 'The scale of what is being asked of all of us is, frankly, dizzy-making and amounts to nothing less than a revolutionary change in all of our lifestyles. It calls for Churchillian reserves of nerve and will power.'

 

The Times pointed out that even if Copenhagen yielded the best possible outcome, it would be 'but the beginning of the rocky road'. 'An agreement to cut emissions is not the same as doing so. But that does not mean a deal should be met with cynicism,' it said.

 

This theme of that a deal on tackling climate change is do-able in Copenhagen flowed over from the weekend newspaper editorials.

 

In its main editorial, the Independent on Sunday urged ministers to 'keep an eye on the long view' by solidifying the consensus and concentrate on moving towards a legally binding treaty.

 

'The Copenhagen summit is a hugely important moment in the history of global co-operation to meet a common threat,' it said. 'The fact that it is taking place at all is reason for celebration; the priority now is to turn a common purpose into practical action.'

 

In its leader column, The Observer said that Copenhagen must be the last round of climate change negotiations conducted in an atmosphere of public debate where 'science is still fighting a rearguard action against nonsense' from climate science deniers.

 

'The scientific case for action is irrefutable. So is the economic case. That just leaves the politics, where courage is the deficient commodity. The prenuptial talks have gone on too long already. The time has come to exchange the necessary vows,' it said.

 

Under the headline 'A time for ingenuity and political leadership', the Daily Telegraph said on 5 December that most governments in the world now accepted the scientific consensus around man-made climate change.

 

'This is a rare moment in history when political leadership of the highest order will be required,' it said. 'People want to see hard-headed pragmatism and are fed up being hectored or scared to death by visions of an apocalypse that they feel powerless to prevent. We all have a stake in this.'

 

The Sunday Times, meanwhile, said in its leader that pre-commitments ahead of Copenhagen by the United States, China and India to cut carbon emissions were welcome.

 

'Scepticism about climate change should not make us reject sensible actions. Even doubters will admit to a risk that potentially devastating global warming could occur over the course of this century. Taking out some insurance against that risk makes sense.'

 

In the main editorial in its 3 December weekly edition, The Economist urged leaders gathering in Copenhagen to come an agreement 'even if it is not a very good one.'

 

'But that will only be the start. The national policies used to implement cuts need to be more efficient than the ones that are so far in place. That requires leadership from the politicians, and support from the voters. The world is, in the end, in their hands.'

 

Related links

Copenhagen climate change conference: 'Fourteen days to seal history's judgment on this generation', Guardian 07 December 2009

Hopes increase for a credible climate deal, Financial Times 06 December 2009

Copenhagen: we can't risk failure, Financial Times 06 December 2009

Leading article: Will the world finally wake up to the scale of the challenge?, The Independent 07 December 2009

Leading Articles, Times Online 07 December 2009

Leading article: One world, one agenda, The Independent 06 December 2009

The truth about climate: Copenhagen isn't enough, The Observer 06 December 2009

Copenhagen climate summit: A time for ingenuity and political leadership, Telegraph 04 December 2009

Copenhagen's hot air may help cool the planet, Times Online 06 December 2009

Stopping climate change, The Economist 03 December 2009