SCIENTISTS URGE UN TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

A group of eminent scientists have delivered a cautionary message on climate change to diplomats at UN headquarters in New York, focusing on options for mitigation and adaptation. The new UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, also raised the issue for the first time since taking office, speaking to schoolchildren in early March.

Meanwhile, a group of global private sector companies and organisations agreed on the need for a "bold" framework for tackling climate change in the near future, while more than a hundred legislators from key developed and developing countries reached a non-binding agreement on tackling climate change, looking to implement emissions targets for all.

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, for his part, renewed a call for using the trade system to support climate goals by axing tariffs on low-emission technology.

CSD focuses on climate and energy

A scientific panel composed of 18 experts from 11 countries delivered a climate change report to the Preparatory Committee of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), which met from 26 February to 2 March in New York. Entitled "Confronting Climate Change: Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable," the report said immediate action is necessary to stabilise global temperatures at between 2 and 2.5 C above the current average -- a necessary goal in order to avoid dangerous changes.

The Scientific Expert Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development , which delivered the report, was created by the UN Foundation and Sigma Xi (the Scientific Research Society) two years ago. The expert group further concluded that global carbon dioxide emissions must to be brought down from their peaks in the period between 2015-2020, after which emissions should be reduced to one third of current levels by 2100. In order to reach these goals, existing and emerging technology has to be put to better use, including through transport and building efficiency improvements, and through the introduction of biofuels and carbon capture and storage techniques at a large scale. Countries would also need to take active steps to support adaptation to unavoidable climate change.

Peter H. Raven, one of the scientists, said "this report gives very clear recommendations for what the international community and nations themselves must do to mitigate and adapt to climate change. These steps will contribute to achievement of the UN's Millennium Development Goals; failing to do so will make those goals much harder, if not impossible to reach."

Rosina Bierbaum, another of the report authors, provided examples: "We can manage water better, bolster disaster preparedness, increase surveillance for emerging diseases, make cities more resilient, move vulnerable populations and prepare for environmental refugees, design more drought-tolerant crops, use natural resources more sustainably, and enhance local capacity to cope with a suite of expected changes."

"It is still possible to avoid an unmanageable degree of climate change, but the time for action is now," stressed John Holdren, another of the report authors. Run-away climate change would, among other, lead to surges in environmental refugees and conflict and unrest.

The 2006-2007 cycle of the CSD focuses on energy for sustainable development, industrial development, the atmosphere and air pollution, as well as climate change. CSD-15 will convene in New York from 30 April to 11 May.

Speaking at a separate event on 1 March, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon likened the impact of climate change to that of military conflict. "The majority of the United Nations work still focuses on preventing and ending conflict," he said. "But the danger posed by war to all of humanity and to our planet is at least matched by the climate crisis and global warming." He added that "In coming decades, changes in our environment and the resulting upheavals from droughts to inundated coastal areas to loss of arable land are likely to become a major driver of war and conflict."

Ban, UN Secretary-General since 1 January this year, said he would actively participate in G8 talks on climate change. There has been speculation that he would call a high-level meeting on the topic during the second half of 2007. However, UN sources indicate that he will look to the UNFCCC process to drive necessary action.

Private sector commitment to climate action

Meanwhile, over 100 leaders from companies including Allianz, Bayer, Citigroup, DuPont, General Electric, and Volvo, as well as other stakeholders met in a Global Roundtable on Climate Change hosted by Columbia University's Earth Institute. On 20 February, they adopted a joint statement that called for scientifically informed targets to stabilise the Earth's atmosphere; future climate action involving all countries, according to equity principles; the creation of a clear and efficient international carbon market; and support for energy efficiency, de-carbonisation and new low-emission technologies. The signatories stressed their commitment to doing their part of the job.

"Global businesses are assuming their just place as catalysts for action on climate change. But action by business alone is not enough," commented Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric. "While we believe that applying technology against problems will create positive business opportunities that can result in positive change, national, state and local governments, academia and other non-governmental organisations must step forward with equal force," he added.

Legislators lean in on G8 climate process

Parliamentarians from the G8 major industrialised countries 'plus 5' (China, India, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa) met at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., from 14-15 February at a "Legislators Forum on Climate Change" to discuss how best to reduce the global risks of severe climate change impacts and forge collaboration to stop to rise of atmospheric greenhouse gases.

The meeting served to provide input into G8 discussions on the issue. The 2007 G8 Summit, chaired by Germany, will be held midyear in Heiligendamm. It took place shortly after the release of a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -- the scientific body examining global climate research -- concluded that humans are to blame for climate change (BRIDGES Weekly, 7 February 2007, http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/07-02-07/story5.htm). The meeting concluded by adopting a "Washington Statement," in which the parliamentarians stressed that human induced climate change is now "beyond doubt". "Climate change is a global issue and there is an obligation on us all to take action, in line with our capabilities and historic responsibilities," they said. They urged, among other, the establishment of a global market to trade carbon dioxide emissions as this was "the most efficient and powerful way to stimulate investment" in new technologies. Intergovernmental, regional and private-public initiatives and partnerships would all be needed to spur innovation.

The legislators called for action on creating a global regime for binding emissions reduction post 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period expires. The next meeting in this process will take place in November this year in Bali, and the legislators expressed hope that the G8 summit could provide a strong political message to help deliver results there.

On the controversial issue of developing country commitments (which major emerging economies such as India and China strongly oppose), the Washington Statement proposed "appropriate targets" for developing countries.

Speaking at the time of the legislators forum in Washington, US senator Joe Lieberman forecast that the US Congress would enact a law on cutting emissions by the end of 2008 or early 2009. The Bush administration in US has refused to sign onto the Kyoto Protocol. Presidential candidate John McCain said, however, that he was "convinced that we have reached the tipping point and that the Congress of the US will act, with the agreement of the administration."

Abolish tariffs on green goods

In related news, Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson reiterated his call for global solutions to the twin challenges of climate change and energy security at a meeting on 9 February in Norway.

On climate change, he supported an agreement in the WTO Doha negotiations for the phase-in of zero tariffs for green goods to encourage a better functioning global market in green technologies and services (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 19 January 2007, http://www.ictsd.org/biores/07-01-19/story1.htm). He stressed "an important hidden imperative behind Kyoto - and the successor to Kyoto we now need to negotiate - is the creation of an open global market in environmental technologies and in investment in green industrial change."

Additional resources

The UN Foundation/ Sigma Xi report "Confronting Climate Change: Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable," is available at http://www.unfoundation.org/SEG/

The Path to Climate Sustainability: A Joint Statement by the Global Roundtable on Climate Change is available at http://www.earth.columbia.edu/grocc/grocc4_statement.html

The "Washington Statement" on climate cooperation by G8 + 5 parliamentarians is available at http://www.globeinternational.org/docs/content/washington_statement.pdf

ICTSD reporting; "Climate change as dangerous as war - UN chief Ban," REUTERS, 1 March 2007; "Science Panel Outlines Roadmap for Reducing Risks from Climate Change," UN FOUNDATION RELEASE, 27 February 2007; "Mandelson Renews Call For International Rules on Energy Trade and 0% Tariff on Green Goods", EUROPEAN COMMISSION, 9 February 2007; "G8 Climate Change Dialogue Moves to Washington", WORLD BANK, 14 February 2007; "Politicians Sign New Climate Pact", BBC NEWS, 16 February 2007; "New World Body May Help Cut CO2 Emissions, UN Told", PLANETARK, 19 February 2007; "AAAS Board Releases New Statement on Climate Change", AAAS, 18 February 2007.