Two years ago in Bali, parties to the UN Climate Convention agreed that their meeting taking place in December 2009 in Copenhagen would be the time and place where a follow-on to the Kyoto Protocol would be agreed. Hundreds of millions of people have shown their support for a strong, legally binding outcome, through actions in person and online. Numerous politicians and governments have argued for the same.

Recently, however, the tone has shifted among some politicians. Expectations, running so high for so many, are being downplayed. Newspaper headlines indicate the lack of clarity around what this means – legally binding but not fully complete; politically binding (whatever that might mean); or an outright delay.

Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark, the host of the Copenhagen meeting, has been chief among the back-peddlers, worried his showcase event might go sour and reflect poorly on his leadership. His plans are ambiguous to say the least, and his mantra of not getting a legally binding outcome out of Copenhagen causes the most negative players to grasp the opportunity and try to make the situation worse.

This is why it is now important to refocus on what is needed from Copenhagen, keeping our demands high, and not letting politicians add grease to the slippery slope towards an inadequate outcome. Despite what may have been reported about delay, Copenhagen is where the deal needs to be made – perhaps not all Is will be dotted and Ts crossed, but the breakthroughs need to take place there, in a legally binding form, so that what comes afterwards is unhindered by the need for major decisions.

Ambition is particularly important for the EU to maintain. Europe had a crucial role in the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol and has always maintained the need for a strong legally binding follow-on, including in its October council conclusions. The EU needs to muster all of its political weight to ensure a successful Copenhagen agreement.

Fortunately, there are four main reasons for optimism.

Political engagement is at the highest level – partly a result of years of campaigning by organisations like WWF. Heads of state and government, and a whole range of ministers, are directly involved.

All issues are still on the table and have their advocates. Crucial wins on emission reduction targets and on finance for developing countries are wide open. Even voices of those who lower expectations on a legally binding outcome remain focused on substantial delivery of these two aspects.

Many governments support strong action, and are unusually firm. German Chancellor Merkel’s speech to the US Congress compared the importance of the climate treaty with the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago. The African Group’s unprecedented walk-out in protest over slow progress in the Barcelona negotiations showed new and more vigorous resolve. And a large number of developing countries made it unequivocally clear that they would ONLY accept a legally binding outcome from Copenhagen.

Finally, science and concrete impacts show us how the planet is already changing. Also evident are the enormous differences between rich and poor, and the gap in ability to deal with this problem widens every day. Climate change cannot be underestimated – and it will shortly overcome and envelop all other planetary problems. These facts have been much better realised by politicians in the past couple of years.

WWF has identified ten key points needed for a treaty adequate to address the climate crisis:

1. A legally binding framework with an amended Kyoto Protocol and a new Copenhagen Protocol, which secures the survival of countries, cultures and ecosystems and clears the way to the low carbon economy.

2. Global emissions peak before 2017, keeping overall warming well below the 2°C danger threshold, going down to below 1.5°C as soon as possible.

3. Industrialised countries commit to reduce their emissions by 40% by 2020, compared to 1990 levels.

4. Developing countries agree to undertake significant action making emissions at least 30% lower than business-as-usual by 2020.

5. Emissions from forest destruction are reduced by three-quarters (75%) by 2020, taking into account indigenous people’s and local communities’ rights.

6. A framework for immediate adaptation action is set in place, especially for vulnerable countries and ecosystems, including the provision of insurance and compensation.

7. Public finance in the order of US$160 billion per year is provided to developing countries for adaptation and mitigation through innovative sources of finance.

8. A mechanism is set up to strengthen technology cooperation on research, development and dissemination of low-carbon and climate-resilient technologies.

9. A new institutional set-up under the UNFCCC allows for coordination, implementation and funding allocation, in a transparent and democratic way, and incentivises compliance.

10. Parties agree transparent and comparable standards for carbon markets, forests and land use, mitigation efforts and inventories, and ways to limit international aviation and shipping emissions.

With the backing of the public around the world, we can demonstrate to politicians that delay and backsliding are not acceptable.

(*) Jason Anderson is head of EU climate change and energy policy at WWF’s European Policy Office