Launch of the ACT! website & petition

ACT!- cooperatives Addressing the Climate Threat is pleased to announce the launch of its new website on Monday 21st September 2009. "The website and petition enable interested co-operatives and co-operators to unite in calling for a Fair, Ambitious and Binding Agreement to be signed at the Copenhagen Climate conference in December. A successful outcome at Copenhagen is essential if the seriously adverse effects of climate change are to be avoided.

Co-operators everywhere can now sign the co-operative petition, which will be sent to the UN as part of its global "Seal the Deal 2009" petition. It will also be sent to Heads of Government and to Members of the European Parliament, as well as to the global ICA. It is particularly important that co-operators in Europe sign quickly, to try to influence the important EU meetings taking place at the end of October, to discuss and decide what stance the overall EU will adopt at the Copenhagen conference.

Most of the current discussion is about carbon reduction targets for 2020 and 2050. These are important. But, it is also important that we all start to reduce our emissions as early as possible. For this reason, The ACT! co-operative website features and supports the 10:10 campaign (www.1010.coop), which asks organisations and individuals to cut their own emissions by 10% in 2010, as a step towards the emissions reductions that are necessary.

It is clear that the climate threat is of serious concern to many co-operatives and co-operators throughout the world. The www.actonclimate.coop website is an easy and effective way for co-operators to unite and address the effects of climate change. Co-operators can also use it to alert friends and colleagues to this important petition and as a reference source on climate information."

Published on 22 September 2009