Watch and listen to parts of the Tällberg Conversation "Africa and Copenhagen - the solutions we need."
“Africa and Copenhagen - the solutions we need”
A Tällberg Conversation in Cape Town, South Africa
21-22 February, 2009
Outside Cape Town in South Africa, a Tällberg Conversation was held 21-22 February, 2009.The meeting gathered a group of forty leaders from politics, business, civil society, science and culture for two days of conversations around the topic of ”Africa and Copenhagen - the solutions we need”.
The meeting took place in the beautiful Mont Fleur estate, with the stunning surroundings of vineyards and the unique fynbos habitat - that had experienced some of the most thorough forest fires only a week earlier.
The purpose of this highly interactive conversation was to provide new perspectives to the policy, business and leadership challenges that we are facing as a result of the deepening global planetary crisis, with a specific focus on the climate negotiations leading up to the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.
The environmental crises and global warming was put into the context of the present destabilization of geopolitical and economic realities – and the livelihood and health challenges of millions of people in the developing world. The strong correlations between economic growth – as we know it – and climate change became explicit and the conversation explored the deep shaking up of trust in the political and financial systems – which is now transported into the real economy and development. The unfolding drama of a global financial meltdown, with the threat this brings to the entire global economy, was an integral part of the conversation. It added to the sense of urgency and called for a systems approach to these problems and for yet unknown shifts in policy – in contrast to the prevailing focus solely on the threat to the market.
The conversation was greatly enriched by perspectives from the South, the North, the East. African contributions came from, among others, Cormac Cullinan, South African Environmental Lawyer and Author, David Lesolle, chief negotiator for Botswana, Langa Zita, member of the South African parliament, and Rosemary Olive Mbone Enie, Cameroonian Geologist and Gender Ambassador. From outside the region were, among others, Anders Wijkman, Swedish member of the European Parliament, Christine Loh, head of the Hong Kong think-tank Civic Exchange, and Bo Ekman, founder and chairman of the Tällberg Foundation.
The conversation combined plenary presentations and panel conversations involving all participants. In smaller group conversations, three key challenges were explored in further detail; How can the local realities reach the global negotiations, How can environment, development and finance be integrated in policies and strategies, and How can values and behaviour be changed.
This conversation was made in partnership with:
