Thousands of delegates from over 190 countries are gathered in Copenhagen from inside the Bella Center for the largest climate summit in history, known as COP15. Over the next two weeks, 100 world leaders are expected to attend the UN conference that has been described by some scientists as the most important the world has ever seen.

To stress the significance of the summit, fifty-six newspapers in forty-five countries are taking the unprecedented step of publishing the same editorial today. The editorial reads, quote, “Unless we combine to take decisive action, climate change will ravage our planet, and with it our prosperity and security…Climate change has been caused over centuries, has consequences that will endure for all time and our prospects of taming it will be determined in the next 14 days.”

Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, spoke at a cnews conference, where he stressed the urgency of combating global warming.

“Time is up. Over the next two weeks, governments have to deliver a strong and long-term response to the challenge of climate change.

And in doing so, I see them delivering on three layers of action: first of all, fast and effective implementation right away, without delay, on adaptation, on technology, on capacity building in developing countries; secondly, ambitious commitments to cut or limit emissions, as well as startup financing for developing countries and a long-term funding commitment; and third, a long-term shared vision on a low emission future for all. It’s on those three levels that governments must deliver an ambitious response to climate change over the next two weeks.

I believe that negotiators now have the clearest signal ever from world leaders to craft a solid set of proposals to implement rapid action. And never in the seventeen years of climate change negotiations have so many different nations made so many firm pledges together. Almost every day now, countries announce new targets or plans of action to cut emissions. It’s simply unprecedented. I know two things for sure: first, there will be many more steps on the road to a safe climate future, but also few turning points; and Copenhagen must be such a turning point.”