March 2010

"Fulfilling our mission requires shrewd policymaking and smart conservation to save the places we hold most dear."

Since the 1997 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Kyoto, climate change has emerged as a galvanizing political, economic and environmental issue binding the fates of nations together. Consider the numbers. Only two heads of state (from Japan and Nauru) attended the Kyoto meeting. In 2009, 117 heads of state came to the U.N. meeting in Copenhagen and played active roles in negotiating and drafting agreements.

Conflicting reports emerged on the disappointing results from Copenhagen. To be sure, negotiations failed to deliver the ultimate prize—a binding international agreement with specific emissions targets. But thanks to the pressure of the lead-up to Copenhagen, for the first time we now have emissions targets from all of the major developed and developing countries. And at the meeting the U.S. joined other countries in committing serious financial support—$10 billion a year, increasing to $100 billion a year—for adaptation and clean technology in the developing world. Important agreements were also made on accountability and reporting.

Moving forward all eyes are on the U.S. As the world's largest economy and largest historic emitter of greenhouse gasses, we play a pivotal role in determining the fate of future negotiations, including the next U.N. conference, to be held in Mexico later this year. While individual states and the EPA have enacted regulations to address climate change, placing a price on carbon and committing to reduce our emissions on a national level must remain priorities. That is why WWF continues working with other environmental groups for the passage of climate legislation in Congress.

There is also no substitute for conserving the places that motivate our work in the first place.

I returned recently from exploring the reefs of the Coral Triangle with WWF Board members, local partners and Dr. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, the world's leading expert on coral reefs and climate change. He reminded us that just as the healthiest humans are most resilient to disease, so too are the healthiest coral reefs most likely to withstand the ravages of climate change—including sea level rise, ocean warming and acidification.

Which is why any of our efforts in policy settings like Copenhagen and Congress cannot come at the expense of our deeper investments in the field—for example, in conserving reefs through marine protected areas, improved community governance, and fisheries management. Fulfilling our mission requires shrewd policymaking and smart conservation to save the places we hold most dear. We are invested heavily in both, and must proceed with the urgency each deserves.

- Carter S. Roberts