CONTRACTION & CONVERGENCE: The Global Solution to Climate Change

by Aubrey Meyer

Published by Green Books on behalf of The Schumacher Society.

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The global climate is now visibly changing because of human pollution of the atmosphere. According to eminent scientists and businesspeople, its 'devastating trends' are the greatest challenge ever to face humanity.

This Briefing describes the global policy framework of 'Contraction & Convergence' (C&C), developed by a small organisation called the Global Commons Institute (GCI) to avert these trends. The C&C framework, which has been pioneered and advocated by GCI at the United Nations over the past decade, is based on the thesis of 'Equity and Survival'. It seeks to ensure future prosperity and choice by applying the global rationale of precaution, equity and efficiency in that order.

"Many leaders from government, business and environmental organisations now support C&C as a realistic framework within which the international community can take the necessary action to solve the critical problem of climate change.
"Man-made climate change is probably the most serious environmental threat we face. This book offers useful and interesting ideas exploring the concept of Contraction & Convergence as one way to address the global climate challenge." -Michael Meacher, UK Environment Minister, October 2000

"The GLOBE Equity Protocol-Contraction & Convergence-and its mechanism for financing sustainable development is the only proposal so far which is global, equitable and growth-oriented."-John Porter, US Congressman, Chair, GLOBE USA

In 1998 he won the Andrew Lees Memorial Award for this and in 2000 the Schumacher Award. C&C was described as, "destined to become one of the most important principles governing international relations in the twenty-first century. It is a powerful ethic that incorporates global justice and sustainability."

In February 2005 he was cited by the City of London as, ". . . the individual from the worlds of business, academia, politics & activism who has made the greatest contribution to the understanding and combating of climate change, leading strategic debate on policy formation. We recognise an outstanding personal contribution to combating climate change at an international level through his efforts to enhance the understanding and adoption of the principle of "Contraction and Convergence'."