We face a grim future if nothing is done to stop climate change

Published on Friday 26 June 2009 23:11

COPENHAGEN is not a big city. Fewer than two million people live there. But, in December this year it will become the most important place on Earth. The reason is climate change, writes Joan Ruddock.

Last week, the government published predictions of our future climate by the Met Office. For the first time their data is detailed enough to show us what the 2080s could be like in Scotland. The temperature on the hottest day of the year could rise between 1.5 and 5.6C above averages in the late 20th century, whereas rainfall in the summer could decrease by up to 9 per cent.

Living conditions for our grandchildren could be unbearable, with flooding, heatwaves and droughts.

That's if we do nothing, if we keep going about our lives wasting energy and pumping heat-trapping gases into the air.

This is where Copenhagen comes in. At the beginning of December, the UK will take its seat alongside the other 191 members of the United Nations to find a solution.

With less than six months to go, the UK government is today publishing The Road to Copenhagen. It sets out why we think an ambitious global deal is both necessary and achievable, what it might look like and why it's important for every UK citizen.

This is make or break and the UK is pushing for the most ambitious deal possible. The science tells us that if we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions and limit global temperature rise to no more than 2C, we can avoid the worst impacts.

So with no time to lose, let's look to Copenhagen: not just the capital of Denmark, but the focus of the planet: where the future of Scotland and the rest of the UK could be secured.

&#149 Joan Ruddock is the climate change minister.