Bendigo Sustainability Group vice-president Ian McBurney said the summit had marked a dramatic shift in the climate change debate.

Mr McBurney said climate change was for the first time being widely debated as a social justice and environmental issue.

“There will be a lot of shame-faced politicians going back to their countries if they can’t reach an agreement,” he said.

“The main thing that is coming out for me is that this is the moment in history where climate change and social justice have come together.

“No matter what happens it’s pretty clear the whole world wants to do something about it, the leaders are just arguing about process and form.”

Mr McBurney said climate change scientists had forecast the need for a minimum 40 per cent cut to 1990 emissions by 2020, and a 80-100 per cent cut to 1990 emissions by 2050.

He said it was discouraging world leaders had not discussed targets even close to these marks.

“It’s an emergency really, the 40 per cent is the bare minimum.

“The science they’re talking about at the conference is two and a half years old and incredibly out of date.”

Mr McBurney said he would take solace from the rise in people power regardless of the result of the summit.

He said there were more than two million community groups across the world fighting climate change.

“The people movement has almost carried this,” he said.

“We’re well on the way to creating a sustainable future.

“Even if it doesn’t happen now, it will happen, there’s no doubt about that.”