To Be or Not to Be

Shakespeare is having some influence in Copenhagen. International actress Cate Blanchett – who has played Elizabeth I in two highly acclaimed films – is appealing to global citizens to participate in a climate campaign, while Hamlet’s Kronborg Castle is where the Copenhagen Climate Council will bring togeteher world business leaders on 12 December to help kick-start the low-carbon revolution.

News from Copenhagen:

Failure or success at COP15 will require the private sector to help guide the economy onto a sustainable path. On December 12, the Copenhagen Climate Council will bring together business leaders from around the world at Hamlet’s Kronborg Castle to help kick-start the low-carbon revolution.

Actress Cate Blanchett and Copenhagen Climate Council Chairman Tim Flannery have launched an eleventh-hour appeal to global citizens to join them in pushing for the strongest possible outcome at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, which opens in less than two weeks.

The Copenhagen Climate Council (CCC) announced last week a momentous eleventh-hour effort to mobilize the strongest possible public mandate for an ambitious and binding agreement at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP15, in Copenhagen this December. By launching i speak earth, the CCC is encouraging citizens worldwide to take action against climate change and to share the call for action with family and friends through social media.

The i speak earth initiative lives at — the focal point, an animated video voiced by actress and environmental advocate Cate Blanchett. Compelling and direct, Ms. Blanchett warns of the dangerous, irreversible changes that could face the planet if appropriate action is not taken at COP15.

“This meeting is about the future of our Earth and must establish actionable, sustainable plans to reduce carbon emissions,” says Tim Flannery, chairman of the Copenhagen Climate Council. “There’s been talk but little action concerning melting icecaps and rising sea levels. Now it is time for global leaders and businesses to act decisively to create a solution.”

i speak earth is a simple declaration that reflects a serious concern for the future of the planet. By sharing the i speak earth video and critical messages about the risks of an unstable climate, the voice of the global online democracy has the power to reach worldwide political and business leaders.

Whether through signing the PlanetCall Declaration, Facebook status updates, tweets, e-mails, and/or instant messages, global citizens can ensure that negotiations in Copenhagen reflect a new beginning in the effort to protect a habitable planet.

COP15 has been called the most important meeting of the century, and is, in fact, of great global significance as it will define the role of governments and businesses worldwide in guiding the economy onto a sustainable path. The complexity of global climate policy often leaves people confused and disengaged; however, i speak earth has the power to unite citizens worldwide and help them influence the change they seek.

Climate change is an issue that does and will affect every citizen on Earth. World leaders at COP15 must establish a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol – which expires in 2012 and is not structured to solve the dire climate change problem – that will reduce emissions over the next 10 to 15 years. If not, the opportunity to prevent global warming will be lost and the door to uncertainty will be open.

Failure or success at COP15 will require the private sector to help guide the economy onto a sustainable path. On December 12, the Copenhagen Climate Council will bring together business leaders from around the world at Hamlet’s Kronborg Castle to help kick-start the low-carbon revolution.

The Copenhagen Climate Council is a global collaboration between business and science founded by the leading independent think tank in Scandinavia, Monday Morning, based in Copenhagen. The members of the Copenhagen Climate Council have come together to create global awareness of the importance of the U.N. Climate Change Conference, COP15, in Copenhagen, in December 2009, and to ensure support and assistance to global decision-makers when agreeing on a new climate treaty.

On December 12, at Hamlet’s Kronborg Castle, in Helsingør, just north of Copenhagen, the Copenhagen Climate Council establishes the basis for success at the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP15) – and presents business leadership visions beyond 2009.

Success at COP15 is crucial to kick-start the low-carbon revolution. In the lead-up to COP15, the private sector has demonstrated true leadership. How will business leaders maintain this positive momentum into the future? And, if Copenhagen fails, how can we fill the leadership void and guide the economy onto a sustainable path? How can we engage not only CEOs, but also consumers, employees, and value chains?

In addition, all participants in the event will also receive a copy of Heroes of the Green Age: A new book focusing on the stories of men and women around the globe and their work with ideas shaping our low carbon future – and why we cannot afford to let them down.

Take part in designing the new leadership for a sustainable economy.

Source: www.planetcall.org, www.to-be-or-not-to-be.eventbrite.com, www.ispeakearth.com and www.copenhagenclimatecouncil.com