This is that NGOs and companies can play a vital role

Approach to the Copenhagen Summit and this is the best opportunity that we have never had to obtain a strong global agreement on climate at an issue unprecedented. In two weeks, negotiators from all countries will attempt to identify a common pathway to preserve a planet in danger. If the framework of the United Nations was preferred to the G20, which nevertheless represents 90 of world trade, it is that the magnitude of the danger imposes the presence and the accession of all, to send a strong signal to the peoples of the world. This signal will be even stronger - and that is that is the primary responsibility of the major countries such as the G20 - that specific goals will be set in terms of emission reductions that fundraising efforts. If the industrialized countries must move towards a "zero carbon" economy by 2050, developing countries must also to impose limits, to ensure fair competition. Quantified commitments advanced these days by China, the Brazil or the India (despite some reservations), are from this point of view of the extremely positive elements.

But this pulse will be insufficient if it is confined to the political sphere. Environmental issues are more complex and require knowledge ever more sophisticated on the part of each of the actors involved, although beyond a few gestures of everyday life already so difficult to impose. This is that NGOs and companies can play a vital role. Provided exceed the divisions, the suspicions and ideologies and of working together for the good of the greatest number.

Soon this almost 10 years that the WWF and the Lafarge Group decided to unite their efforts, aware of the need to overcome mutual distrust that so often characterizes the relationship between companies and NGOs. The yardstick of our experience, we can now say that this is a way for the future, in which we invite other players to follow us. It is not ideology, but common sense.

The cement sector, the Lafarge Group is the world number one, is one of the most important vectors of pollution, since it is responsible for 5 of global CO2 emissions. The collaboration between "expert-militants" of the WWF and professionals of the sector was from this point of view a big leap into the unknown. Lafarge teams had to accept work under the critical gaze of these experts, in total transparency. This first global partnership was successful: the Lafarge Group reduced its CO2 emissions per tonne of cement produced in the world to the level of 1990, thus taking a significant advance and reinforcing its global leadership of more than 18. A leadership which resulted in all of the competitors in the sector to follow in its efforts, under penalty of not to weigh in the global economic competition. A possible virtuous in any sector of economic activity subject to compliance with a few simple principles.

First, the momentum must be supported by business leaders. It is the Presidents the responsibility to convince the risk should not be understood as a first step and create some discontent. A partnership such as ours could flourish only through this will without fault.

Then, must be a global monitoring who also dates back to the highest level. This follow-up must be scheduled in the same way as financial reporting, to timely detect possible malfunctions.

Finally, we must at the same time let to grow local initiatives between the two partners in the countries where they work. To the Kenya, for example, the local collaboration of Lafarge and WWF teams to substantially reduce emissions through the use of biofioul in cement.

Beyond these principles, the partnership between NGOs and large global groups can be highly effective provided that exceeded the clichés and negative suspicions: that NGO activists accept the unavoidable economic realities by going closer to the ground. That women and men of company accept the critical review and transparency, which the Lafarge example shows that it is not prejudicial to the economic performance.

Each and the other, the Copenhagen Summit shows that he must now connect, talk and say: "Let us not fear."