WWViews Results
Phoenix Metro citizens’ forum on climate change says
global cooperation for climate protection is highest priority
On Saturday, September 26, 2009, residents in 38 countries on six continents participated in the first-ever global citizen consultation on climate change, World Wide Views on Global Warming, including five locations in the United States. Arizona State University was one of those locations – along with California, Colorado, Georgia and Massachusetts – where participants deliberated and voted on 12 questions within four thematic areas: climate change and its consequences; long-term goals and urgency; handling CO2 emissions; and the economy of technology transfer and adaptation. They then proposed and prioritized action recommendations, with results showing that global cooperation for climate protection is highest priority. Worldwide, the message was clear: 90% of the citizens participating in World Wide Views globally found it urgent to make a global climate deal at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen. The Phoenix Metro forum at ASU was organized by ASU’s Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes.
The overall goal for the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference is to establish an ambitious global climate agreement for the period from 2012 when the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol expires. The main objective of World Wide Views is to give a broad sample of citizens from across the globe the opportunity to influence COP15 and thereby the future of global climate policy. Results from all of the global World Wide Views citizens’ forums will be provided to COP15 delegates and policymakers.
Arizona Recommendations (more results)
The top three recommendations made by the Phoenix Metro World Wide Views participants at Arizona State University are:
Global Cooperation for Climate Protection
• Make a commitment to act urgently to engage the public on climate change by rewarding compliance and technological innovation by a) implementing cap and trade; b) setting clear, binding standards; and c) taxing overconsumption.
End Fossil Fuel Incentives
• Remove all subsidies and incentives from fossil fuels. Let financial markets dictate technologies on alternate energy production and development.
Accelerating Technology Transfers
• Establish a global fund and mechanisms to accelerate the development and transfer of renewable technologies and conservation practices worldwide that will redirect economic growth in a sustainable way.
(more AZ results)
Global Results
The majority of participants in all countries, rich and poor as well as new growth economies, are in favor of a higher level of ambition regarding CO2 reductions than that in current political discussions. Currently, the political discussions aim for short-term CO2 reductions of less than 25%, but a significant majority of the citizen participants in rich countries and new growth economies say that they themselves should reduce emissions by 25-40% or more. The same tendency can be seen regarding how much the global temperature should be allowed to increase; political discussions revolve around setting the limit at a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). However, 52% of the citizens participating in World Wide Views around the world want to set the limit at a lower level. In the forthcoming weeks, the global results will be further analyzed and published in a report, which will be handed over to policymakers and politicians on November 19, 2009.
(complete global results)
