While I've been involved in climate negotiations since Kyoto, yesterday's start in Copenhagen felt different.  First, the urgency is greater. This decade has seen eight of the ten warmest years on record, and countries are already grappling with how they can adapt to rapid climate change.  Second, the high-level commitment to this meeting is unprecedented.  President Barack Obama is just one of 110 heads of state attending next week, yet his presence as the leader of the world's largest historical emitting country sends a signal to the international community that the United States is now taking this seriously.

With expectations this high, what can really be accomplished in two weeks? Today at a press conference I laid out the following [five things] that the World Resources Institute believes should and can happen in Copenhagen.  If we see these things happen, we'll know we are making real progress:  

1. Targets, Timetables and Actions
Developed countries should agree on ambitious collective greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for 2020 (25-40% cuts on 1990 levels) and 2050 (80% cuts) and set national 2020 emission reduction targets. Developing countries should agree to pursue significant actions, including reducing deforestation, to reduce their emissions.

2. Funding for Global Climate Action
Countries should agree on a climate finance mechanism to provide "fast start" funds of $10-$15bn per year to developing countries in 2010 to 2012 as well as longer term predictable funding for climate adaptation and emissions reductions- including forestry and technology support.

3. Common Standards
To enable "apples to apples" comparisons, countries should agree to establish common international methodologies to track greenhouse gas emissions and common international standards to account for, and report on, emission reduction measures.

4. Peer Review
Countries should agree on a robust mechanism to measure, report and verify (MRV) the implementation of national commitments and actions agreed at Copenhagen.

5. Declaration on a Legal Climate Agreement
Countries should decide that a final post-2012 climate agreement, built on these foundations, will be legally binding. Negotiations could then be completed in 2010.

To accomplish these goals, countries will need to step up their commitments, and be ready to make concessions to come to an agreement.  But I believe it can happen, and I'm excited to see what will unfold in the coming days, when negotiators will be focusing on narrowing down the text on key issues such as adaptation and finance.