- Climate deal in Durban requires a strengthened focus on the people most vulnerable to climate change impacts, especially delivering on adaptation resources.
- Parties must agree on second commitment for Kyoto protocol and a framework for a long-term, legally binding climate change regime.
- Parties must agree and provide sources for new, additional, predictable and sustainable climate finance.
- Key to unlocking the talks is for big emitting countries to demonstrate leadership.
GENEVA, (November 24, 2011) – Ahead of this year’s UN climate change conference in Durban, South Africa, CARE International urges all negotiating parties to come prepared to tackle the growing climate crisis. “Although the global landscape for securing a new climate regime is constrained by a lack of commitment from some of the large emitting countries, the most vulnerable and poorest people require urgent action to address increasing climate impacts,” says Martha Chouchena-Rojas, CARE International’s Global Head of Advocacy. “Among those most affected are women and girls and we urge parties to put poor people at the centre of efforts to address the climate challenge.” CARE is calling for all parties in Durban to step up their ambition and agree to a second commitment period for the Kyoto protocol, a framework for a long-term, binding deal on reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and on providing new, predictable, sustainable and additional climate finance.
CARE recognizes that developed countries, which have historical responsibility for causing unprecedented climate change, and other big emitters have been stalling the negotiations and are in danger of causing a race to the bottom in terms of ambition. Countries such as the US, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and others have been blocking progress in the negotiations on mitigation, finance, and in some cases, even adaptation. “Large emitting countries have to show leadership and must stop blocking the negotiations. World leaders can’t keep gambling with the fate of the planet and postponing a climate deal year after year, because the risks are too high. What might look like wordplay in the negotiations is in reality betting with poor and vulnerable people’s lives. And the longer we wait for real climate action, the more costly are the impacts in lives and money,” says Kit Vaughan, CARE’s Climate Change Advocacy Coordinator. “Key countries, which have the power to deliver a global solution, must come to Durban prepared and committed to take decisive actions to address climate change and secure a sustainable future for the most vulnerable countries, communities and people.”
This year, some limited progress has been made toward implementing the key elements of the Cancun Agreements, including the design of the Adaptation Committee and Green Climate Fund, and the system for providing information on safeguards on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). However other critical elements required for a global deal must also be agreed, such as closing the gigatonne gap, identifying sources of new, additional, predictable and sustainable finance and a second commitment period on the Kyoto protocol.
Whilst some parties are still delaying on finding a solution to the climate crisis, 2011 has been the most economically expensive weather year on record, according to a newly released report by the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC). “We are in the midst of a severe drought and food crisis in the Horn of Africa, and have seen unprecedented flooding in Southeast Asia and Central America. These disasters are a glimpse into our future as climate change is exacerbating such types of impacts,” says Chouchena-Rojas. For example, in Borana, southern Ethiopia, local communities are telling CARE that droughts now occur every 1-2 years whereas they used to hit every 6-8 years in the past.
Today, developing countries are overwhelmingly bearing the brunt of human and economic costs of extreme weather events. More than 95 percent of all deaths caused by natural disasters occur in developing countries. Poor people are becoming more and more vulnerable due to climate change and they have limited means to protect themselves and adapt their livelihoods. “Already our current emissions pathways are in danger of putting global warming at well above three degrees and run the risk of triggering catastrophic climate change. We must act now as the chance for keeping the world below an acceptable two degree pathway is rapidly closing,” Vaughan says. “It’s now time to hold those parties most responsible for climate change accountable for their inaction.”
CARE recognizes that women’s rights and contributions are central to lasting solutions for development as well as for responding to the challenge of a changing climate. Yet, they are often absent from or under-represented in climate change related planning, despite their wealth of knowledge on vulnerabilities and traditional and innovative strategies to respond to climate change. “Our growing experience of working with vulnerable communities to address climate change in 34 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean demonstrates the key role local communities, and women, play in adapting and strengthening resilience to climate change impacts,” explains Chouchena-Rojas. “This is why an international climate change agreement must put vulnerable people, who are often poor women, at the center of efforts to address the climate challenge.”
At the climate change conference (COP17) in Durban (November 28 – December 9), parties once again have two weeks to work out differences and demonstrate commitment to fight catastrophic climate change and to helping the poorest and most vulnerable communities least responsible for climate change confront the climate crisis. “You can’t negotiate with the planet and its climate. World leaders must not fail to use this opportunity to show new levels of leadership and solidarity to work towards stronger emission reduction targets to tackle dangerous climate change and agree on a legally binding regime that holds governments accountable to these targets,” Vaughan urges. “Time is running out.”
Media Contact in Durban:
(Nov. 27-Dec 10): Sandra Bulling, Communications Officer, CARE International,
mobile + 41.792.056.951 [email protected]
Tamara Plush, Communications Coordinator, Poverty, Environment and Climate Change Network
Mobile +84 918 438 690, [email protected]
About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE has more than six decades of experience helping people prepare for disasters, providing lifesaving assistance when a crisis hits, and helping communities recover after the emergency has passed. CARE places special focus on women and children, who are often disproportionately affected by disasters. Last year, CARE worked in 87 countries around the world to assist more than 82 million people improve basic health and education, fight hunger, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity, confront climate change, and recover from disasters. To learn more, visit www.care-international.org or www.careclimatechange.org.