World leaders at the recently concluded UN Summit on Climate Change called for a sustainable climate deal to tackle the challenges posed by global warming. All the leaders who assembled at the summit were concerned over the consequences of global warming, and called for framing a comprehensive deal at Copenhagen in December this year.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said the summit is a testament to what Copenhagen can offer. He said that the leaders assembled in the summit have the power to decide for a better future. "The power to reduce the emissions that are causing climate change... to help the most vulnerable adapt to changes that are already under way... to catalyze a new era of global green growth."
"The world’s leading scientists warn that we have less than ten years to avoid the worst-case scenarios projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. Indeed those worst-case scenarios are becoming ever more likely. We must halt the rise in global emissions."
Referring to his recent visit to Arctic, he said he was alarmed by the rapid pace of change. The Arctic could be nearly ice-free by 2030. The consequences will be felt by people on every continent, Ban said.
He pointed out that all across Africa, the most vulnerable continent, climate change threatens to roll back years of development gains.
"Climate change is the pre-eminent geopolitical and economic issue of the 21st century. It rewrites the global equation for development, peace and prosperity...Some say tackling climate change is too expensive. They are wrong. The opposite is true. We will pay an unacceptable price if we do not act now," he said.
Talking about the need for success at Copenhagen, he stressed the importance of all countries working toward a common, long-term goal to limit global temperature rise to safe levels consistent with science.
"It will include ambitious emission reduction targets from industrialised countries by 2020."
He stressed that a successful deal must strengthen the world’s ability to cope with inevitable changes. "In particular, it must provide comprehensive support to the most vulnerable. They have contributed least to this crisis and are suffering first, and worst."
He said that Copenhagen deal must make available the full range of public and private resources, so developing countries can pursue low-emissions growth, as well as adapt. It must provide a framework that will unlock private investment, including through the carbon markets.
He added that success in Copenhagen will have positive ripple effects for global cooperation on trade, energy, security and health. And failure to reach broad agreement in Copenhagen would be "morally inexcusable, economically short-sighted and politically unwise."
US President Barack Obama said that the developed nations, including the US, that caused much of the damage to our climate over the last century still have a responsibility to lead. He said it is not possible to allow the old divisions that have characterised the climate debate for so many years to block our progress.
Detailing US's plans towards a greener planet, Obama said: "We are making our government's largest ever investment in renewable energy – an investment aimed at doubling the generating capacity from wind and other renewable resources in three years. We're investing billions to cut energy waste in our homes, our buildings, and appliances, helping American families save money on energy bills in the process."
"We've proposed the very first national policy aimed at both increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks – a standard that will also save consumers money and our nation oil. We're moving forward with our nation's first offshore wind energy projects. We're investing billions to capture carbon pollution so that we can clean up our coal plants. And just this week, we announced that for the first time ever, we'll begin tracking how much greenhouse gas pollution is being emitted throughout the country."
Attributing in part the recent drop in overall US emissions to steps taken to promote greater efficiency and greater use of renewable energy, Obama said his country has put climate at the top of diplomatic agenda while dealing with countries like China and India.
Obama, however, said that these rapidly growing developing nations that will produce nearly all the growth in global carbon emissions in the decades ahead must do their part to mitigate climate change. "We cannot meet this challenge unless all the largest emitters of greenhouse gas pollution act together. There's no other way."
He said rich countries should help poorest and most vulnerable nations adapt to the impacts of climate change and pursue low-carbon development, for these are the nations that are already living with the unfolding effects of a warming planet – famine, drought, disappearing coastal villages, and the conflicts that arise from scarce resources.
Warning signals
Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of the IPCC, who spoke on behalf of the scientific community, listed the salient points of the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report.
"Mitigation of emissions is essential, and the IPCC has assessed mitigation costs as
modest. To limit average temperature increase at 2.0 and 2.4 degrees C, the cost of
mitigation by 2030 would not exceed 3 per cent of the global GDP."
He attributed the drastic effects of global warming – melting glaciers, increasing temperature and rising sea level – to the increase in anthropogenic GHG concentrations.
"In Africa, by 2020, between 75 and 250 million people are projected to be exposed to water stress due to climate change. By the same year in some countries of Africa yields from rain-fed agriculture could be reduced by up to 50 per cent," he said, adding that the impacts of climate change would be disproportionately severe on some of the poorest regions and communities of the world.
"My own analysis suggests that at least 12 countries are likely to tend towards becoming failed states and communities in several other states would show potential for serious conflict due to scarcity of food, water stress and soil degradation."
He added that avoiding the impacts of climate change through mitigation of emissions would provide incalculable benefits including economic expansion and employment.
All the speakers were united in digging the reasons that lead to the destructive phenomenon. The developed world accepted its own lead responsibility in contributing towards climate change and at the same time called for action from the developing world because of the effects that they too would face.
The concerns and worries expressed by the leaders revealed their commitment towards a globally acceptable climate deal. All of them presented their own individual schemes of action to reach this goal.
Save forests
Calling for a quick action, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that France will make proposals with Brazil and the countries of the Congo basin on the issue of forest. "Twenty per cent of emissions come from forest destruction. We must help countries with the world's largest forests, which are reservoirs for the protection of the environment. The Amazon...The forest of the Congo Basin... the forest of Siberia. Forests are the property of mankind."
Expressing his concerns over the severe impact global warming can have on Africa, Rwanda President Paul Kagame said the lack of resources to tackle the challenge would increase its effect on the continent. He added that in this struggle for survival pointing fingers would only be counterproductive.
He called for a a shared responsibility for a mitigation and adaptation strategy that leaves no one behind "because we are all in this together."
Asserting that the current cap and trade process is a disincentive to developing
countries to adopt a low carbon dioxide emission pathway, he proposed an entirely
different mechanism that takes care of developing countries as well.
"Why not provide a country by country downward trajectory for all countries above, say, two tones carbon dioxide per person per year; and a constant trading trajectory for all those below? Then the developing countries below this threshold would have a financial incentive to maintain this status, by trading with the developed countries that exceed their quota."
This would create a large financial flow from the developed world sufficient to manage the developing world's needs for adaptation and mitigation.
Asserting that this not "solicitation for aid", Kagame said that this strategy guarantees the cap arid trade process -and would lead to the lowering of emissions since all countries will be incentivized to reduce them.
Let equity be the principle
Denmark Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said that the deal must be based on the principle of equity. It must support, not delay the fight against poverty. While calling for developed countries to commit finance overseas mitigation and adaptation efforts, Rasmussen stressed the need for international research in green technology - and facilitate its dissemination all over the world.
Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister of Sweden, pointed out the need to break the deadlock on the Copenhagen meeting. "Give clear political guidance to the negotiation process. Now is the time to rise to the challenge."
He added that developed countries should help developing countries on climate change. "Social and economic systems in developing countries are often more vulnerable. They need to adapt to the climate change they are already experiencing. And we need to help them".
Dr. Yukio Hatoyama, Prime Minister of Japan said his country has set a mid-term goal of reducing its emissions by 25 per cent by 2020. He added that this will include the introduction of a domestic emission trading mechanism and a feed-in tariff for renewable energy, as well as the consideration of a global warming tax.
He, however, said that Japan's efforts alone cannot halt climate change, even if it sets an ambitious reduction target. It is imperative to establish a fair and effective international framework in which all major economies participate.
He announced that Japan proposes to establish a framework to promote the transfer of low-carbon technologies which ensures the protection of intellectual property rights.
"With Japan having relatively strong potential for technological development as well as considerable financial capacity, the country is expected to take the lead in the international community in setting its own reduction target, and to achieve such target through the development of innovative technologies," he added.
Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Republic of Maldives, started his speech expressing discontent over the empty words of promise to help combat climate change. He stated that it has become a ritual for his state to be invited to speak at conferences on climate change for the last 20 years.
"We warn you that unless you act quickly and decisively, our homeland and others like it will disappear beneath the rising sea before the end of this century," he said, adding that in each meeting, assembled leaders of the world stand up and express solidarity, only to forget later.
"If developed countries do act decisively, we in the developing world must be ready to jump, by accepting binding emission reduction targets under the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, providing that the rich world gives us the tools to do so, namely the technology and finance to help us reform our economic base and pursue carbon-neutral development. While priority must be given to mitigation, the developed world must also provide new, additional and predictable adaptation financing," he said.
He announced that the Maldives, without waiting for the outcome of the Copenhagen Summit, has announced its intention to become carbon-neutral by 2020.
Dwelling at length on the devastating effects of global warming all over the world, Nobel Peace laureate Prof Mathaai said that even in her country Kenya, over ten million people are at risk of starvation, with falling crops, dying cattle.
"As a Goodwill Ambassador of the Congo forest, and especially the major tropical forests, which we refer to as the three lungs of the planet (the Amazon, the Congo and the forest complex in South East Asia around Indonesia and Borneo), I know that reducing deforestation and forest degradation is a viable piece of the puzzle. Even at personal level, we can all reduce, re-use and recycle, what is embraced as Mottainai in Japan, a concept that also calls us to express gratitude, to respect and to avoid wastage."
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said the summit is a testament to what Copenhagen can offer. He said that the leaders assembled in the summit have the power to decide for a better future. "The power to reduce the emissions that are causing climate change... to help the most vulnerable adapt to changes that are already under way... to catalyze a new era of global green growth."
"The world’s leading scientists warn that we have less than ten years to avoid the worst-case scenarios projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. Indeed those worst-case scenarios are becoming ever more likely. We must halt the rise in global emissions."
Referring to his recent visit to Arctic, he said he was alarmed by the rapid pace of change. The Arctic could be nearly ice-free by 2030. The consequences will be felt by people on every continent, Ban said.
He pointed out that all across Africa, the most vulnerable continent, climate change threatens to roll back years of development gains.
"Climate change is the pre-eminent geopolitical and economic issue of the 21st century. It rewrites the global equation for development, peace and prosperity...Some say tackling climate change is too expensive. They are wrong. The opposite is true. We will pay an unacceptable price if we do not act now," he said.
Talking about the need for success at Copenhagen, he stressed the importance of all countries working toward a common, long-term goal to limit global temperature rise to safe levels consistent with science.
"It will include ambitious emission reduction targets from industrialised countries by 2020."
He stressed that a successful deal must strengthen the world’s ability to cope with inevitable changes. "In particular, it must provide comprehensive support to the most vulnerable. They have contributed least to this crisis and are suffering first, and worst."
He said that Copenhagen deal must make available the full range of public and private resources, so developing countries can pursue low-emissions growth, as well as adapt. It must provide a framework that will unlock private investment, including through the carbon markets.
He added that success in Copenhagen will have positive ripple effects for global cooperation on trade, energy, security and health. And failure to reach broad agreement in Copenhagen would be "morally inexcusable, economically short-sighted and politically unwise."
US President Barack Obama said that the developed nations, including the US, that caused much of the damage to our climate over the last century still have a responsibility to lead. He said it is not possible to allow the old divisions that have characterised the climate debate for so many years to block our progress.
Detailing US's plans towards a greener planet, Obama said: "We are making our government's largest ever investment in renewable energy – an investment aimed at doubling the generating capacity from wind and other renewable resources in three years. We're investing billions to cut energy waste in our homes, our buildings, and appliances, helping American families save money on energy bills in the process."
"We've proposed the very first national policy aimed at both increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks – a standard that will also save consumers money and our nation oil. We're moving forward with our nation's first offshore wind energy projects. We're investing billions to capture carbon pollution so that we can clean up our coal plants. And just this week, we announced that for the first time ever, we'll begin tracking how much greenhouse gas pollution is being emitted throughout the country."
Attributing in part the recent drop in overall US emissions to steps taken to promote greater efficiency and greater use of renewable energy, Obama said his country has put climate at the top of diplomatic agenda while dealing with countries like China and India.
Obama, however, said that these rapidly growing developing nations that will produce nearly all the growth in global carbon emissions in the decades ahead must do their part to mitigate climate change. "We cannot meet this challenge unless all the largest emitters of greenhouse gas pollution act together. There's no other way."
He said rich countries should help poorest and most vulnerable nations adapt to the impacts of climate change and pursue low-carbon development, for these are the nations that are already living with the unfolding effects of a warming planet – famine, drought, disappearing coastal villages, and the conflicts that arise from scarce resources.
Warning signals
Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of the IPCC, who spoke on behalf of the scientific community, listed the salient points of the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report.
"Mitigation of emissions is essential, and the IPCC has assessed mitigation costs as
modest. To limit average temperature increase at 2.0 and 2.4 degrees C, the cost of
mitigation by 2030 would not exceed 3 per cent of the global GDP."
He attributed the drastic effects of global warming – melting glaciers, increasing temperature and rising sea level – to the increase in anthropogenic GHG concentrations.
"In Africa, by 2020, between 75 and 250 million people are projected to be exposed to water stress due to climate change. By the same year in some countries of Africa yields from rain-fed agriculture could be reduced by up to 50 per cent," he said, adding that the impacts of climate change would be disproportionately severe on some of the poorest regions and communities of the world.
"My own analysis suggests that at least 12 countries are likely to tend towards becoming failed states and communities in several other states would show potential for serious conflict due to scarcity of food, water stress and soil degradation."
He added that avoiding the impacts of climate change through mitigation of emissions would provide incalculable benefits including economic expansion and employment.
All the speakers were united in digging the reasons that lead to the destructive phenomenon. The developed world accepted its own lead responsibility in contributing towards climate change and at the same time called for action from the developing world because of the effects that they too would face.
The concerns and worries expressed by the leaders revealed their commitment towards a globally acceptable climate deal. All of them presented their own individual schemes of action to reach this goal.
Save forests
Calling for a quick action, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that France will make proposals with Brazil and the countries of the Congo basin on the issue of forest. "Twenty per cent of emissions come from forest destruction. We must help countries with the world's largest forests, which are reservoirs for the protection of the environment. The Amazon...The forest of the Congo Basin... the forest of Siberia. Forests are the property of mankind."
Expressing his concerns over the severe impact global warming can have on Africa, Rwanda President Paul Kagame said the lack of resources to tackle the challenge would increase its effect on the continent. He added that in this struggle for survival pointing fingers would only be counterproductive.
He called for a a shared responsibility for a mitigation and adaptation strategy that leaves no one behind "because we are all in this together."
Asserting that the current cap and trade process is a disincentive to developing
countries to adopt a low carbon dioxide emission pathway, he proposed an entirely
different mechanism that takes care of developing countries as well.
"Why not provide a country by country downward trajectory for all countries above, say, two tones carbon dioxide per person per year; and a constant trading trajectory for all those below? Then the developing countries below this threshold would have a financial incentive to maintain this status, by trading with the developed countries that exceed their quota."
This would create a large financial flow from the developed world sufficient to manage the developing world's needs for adaptation and mitigation.
Asserting that this not "solicitation for aid", Kagame said that this strategy guarantees the cap arid trade process -and would lead to the lowering of emissions since all countries will be incentivized to reduce them.
Let equity be the principle
Denmark Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said that the deal must be based on the principle of equity. It must support, not delay the fight against poverty. While calling for developed countries to commit finance overseas mitigation and adaptation efforts, Rasmussen stressed the need for international research in green technology - and facilitate its dissemination all over the world.
Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister of Sweden, pointed out the need to break the deadlock on the Copenhagen meeting. "Give clear political guidance to the negotiation process. Now is the time to rise to the challenge."
He added that developed countries should help developing countries on climate change. "Social and economic systems in developing countries are often more vulnerable. They need to adapt to the climate change they are already experiencing. And we need to help them".
Dr. Yukio Hatoyama, Prime Minister of Japan said his country has set a mid-term goal of reducing its emissions by 25 per cent by 2020. He added that this will include the introduction of a domestic emission trading mechanism and a feed-in tariff for renewable energy, as well as the consideration of a global warming tax.
He, however, said that Japan's efforts alone cannot halt climate change, even if it sets an ambitious reduction target. It is imperative to establish a fair and effective international framework in which all major economies participate.
He announced that Japan proposes to establish a framework to promote the transfer of low-carbon technologies which ensures the protection of intellectual property rights.
"With Japan having relatively strong potential for technological development as well as considerable financial capacity, the country is expected to take the lead in the international community in setting its own reduction target, and to achieve such target through the development of innovative technologies," he added.
Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Republic of Maldives, started his speech expressing discontent over the empty words of promise to help combat climate change. He stated that it has become a ritual for his state to be invited to speak at conferences on climate change for the last 20 years.
"We warn you that unless you act quickly and decisively, our homeland and others like it will disappear beneath the rising sea before the end of this century," he said, adding that in each meeting, assembled leaders of the world stand up and express solidarity, only to forget later.
"If developed countries do act decisively, we in the developing world must be ready to jump, by accepting binding emission reduction targets under the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, providing that the rich world gives us the tools to do so, namely the technology and finance to help us reform our economic base and pursue carbon-neutral development. While priority must be given to mitigation, the developed world must also provide new, additional and predictable adaptation financing," he said.
He announced that the Maldives, without waiting for the outcome of the Copenhagen Summit, has announced its intention to become carbon-neutral by 2020.
Dwelling at length on the devastating effects of global warming all over the world, Nobel Peace laureate Prof Mathaai said that even in her country Kenya, over ten million people are at risk of starvation, with falling crops, dying cattle.
"As a Goodwill Ambassador of the Congo forest, and especially the major tropical forests, which we refer to as the three lungs of the planet (the Amazon, the Congo and the forest complex in South East Asia around Indonesia and Borneo), I know that reducing deforestation and forest degradation is a viable piece of the puzzle. Even at personal level, we can all reduce, re-use and recycle, what is embraced as Mottainai in Japan, a concept that also calls us to express gratitude, to respect and to avoid wastage."
