Anne Gramtorp is a student of New Communication, which is part of MS ActionAid Denmark's Global Change studies on climate and campaigns
At the Copenhagen Climate Forum December 10th the author and activist Naomi Klein spoke about the concept of climate debt, which not long ago had been met with a blank and uncomprehending look - ”But now we have the Climate Debt Agents on the street”, Naomi Klein said.
With the message: “Rich Countries Pay Your Climate Debt” The Climate Debt Agents have been on the streets to talk to people, at the Bella Center to encourage the politicians, at Hopenhagen to inform the interested, at workshops to mobilize the youth and lots of other places all over the city during COP15. The media coverage of the serious red agents has been massive and broad. Working hard and making the campaign appeal to the media have put “climate debt” on the public agenda.
Debt on the Agenda
However, how much has the climate debt issue been present in the articles about the agents? Not trying to make a scientific analysis I want to take a short look at ten articles about the agents and the use of the phrase “Climate Debt” before and during COP15.
(Occurences of the phrase ”Climate Debt” in ten articles.)
The articles in Ulands-nyt, Information and Demotix take the prize for referring the most to the climate debt. The notable red suits and the plain massage has definitely helped putting the climate debt on the agenda. Still we don't know to what extent the delegates have adopted the phrase “Climate Debt” and put it to action in the negotiations. So far the output of COP15 looks unambitious, but let us still hope for the best and encourage the politicians to pay the climate debt.