Climate Change at Forefront of United Nations

	The Commission on Sustainable Development discusses recent developments. (Photo courtesy of the United Nations/ Devra Berkowitz)
	Kathleen Abdalla, Office-in-Charge, United Nation’s Division for Sustainable Development (Photo courtesy of the United Nations/Evan Schneider)

Several key meetings and a handful of smaller focus sessions have been held recently in an effort to bring the world’s leaders to a mutually acceptable plan of action by the 2009 UN Climate Conference, scheduled to be held in Copenhagen.

Global Climate Change Convention
Bangkok, April 2008
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) convened for a discussion in Bangkok, Thailand, to define potential emission reduction commitments from industrialized nations. “I am pleased to announce that a timetable has been agreed for the negotiating process leading up to a long-term international climate change agreement, to be concluded in Copenhagen in two years’ time,” said UNFCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer.

Last year’s Bali Climate Change meeting ended with the stated goal of reaching a workable, concrete, global plan of action by the upcoming Copenhagen Climate Change Conference slated for 2009. De Boer said the tasks set forth are a huge challenge, “one of the most complicated international agreements that history will ever see.

“There is much at stake from the viewpoint of divergent interests. We must examine to what extent developing countries can take real, measurable and verifiable action to combat climate change, providing that real, measurable and verifiable money is on the table. We must also focus on what adaptation measures need to be taken in the future.”

According to the UN, the Bangkok talks marked the beginning of a new negotiating phase, “drawing up a work program to craft a future international climate pact that will successfully halt the increase in global emissions within the next 10 to 15 years and dramatically reduce emissions by mid-century.”

The meetings also advanced important work under the Kyoto Protocol process.

“The world is waiting for a solution that is long term and economically viable,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said. “A solution based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities; a solution that strikes the delicate balance between globally inclusive action and the need to eradicate poverty; a solution that advances green economic growth, including in developing countries, and sufficiently funded, large-scale adaptation measures. I assure you that the United Nations family will gladly and willingly contribute to the negotiating process.”

The European Union has already indicated it would reduce its emissions by 20% by 2020 and by 30% if other industrialized nations participate. However, specific commitments are difficult to pin down “because rich-country engagement hinges on developing-country engagement,” de Boer said. “Challenges can only be successfully addressed if people feel their legitimate interests are respected.”

ESCAP
Bangkok, April 2008
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)’s 64th session addressed energy security and sustainable development, some of the most critical topics to emerge from the global debate on climate change.

Between 1990 and 2004, per capita energy consumption in the Asia-Pacific region more than doubled – a pace not seen anywhere in the world. This consumption has brought resulting carbon dioxide emissions that continue to increase, posing a serious addition to the world’s climate woes.

“The Asia-Pacific region must promote sustainable and efficient energy use,” Ban said. “The region is lagging behind in providing access to energy services. Some 1.7 billion people in the region are using traditional biomass fuels, and one billion people still lack access to electricity. And, the Asia-Pacific has the largest number of victims from indoor air pollution caused by burning biomass fuels.

“While soaring energy prices dominate news headlines, the human suffering of energy price hikes is often forgotten. The victims are very poor people who have no access to affordable and reliable energy supply to meet their daily subsistence requirements. They pay a much higher price, in terms of failing health; lost opportunities for education or employment, especially for girls and women; and environmental degradation.”

Asia-Pacific is home to nearly two-thirds of the world’s poorest people. ESCAP is the only regional intergovernmental forum in which all the countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region come together to discuss issues of common concern, build consensus and foster stronger partnerships, according to the UN.

Commission on Sustainable Development
New York, May 2008
The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) wrapped up its 16th session in New York laying the groundwork for next year’s eagerly anticipated policy-setting session. Hot on CSD-16’s agenda was the move to produce biofuel-grade agricultural products as well as a broad-based review of rural development, land, drought, desertification and the future impacts of global warming, especially on small island nations and in Africa, which has 25 of the world’s poorest countries.

The 53 member countries agreed more investment is needed to research and develop innovative and sustainable agricultural technologies and infrastructure in developing countries. High prices for food and basic staples are taking a toll on millions of poor people around the world. Climate change, unfair trade policies, poor land management and lack of roads in rural agricultural areas have contributed to the present situation, but population growth, unsustainable consumption and the shifting of crops for biofuels production are the main culprits in the food crisis, according to the commission.

“After a quarter century of relative neglect, agriculture is back on the international agenda - sadly with a vengeance,” Ban said. “The onset of the current food crisis has highlighted the fragility of our success in feeding the world’s growing population with the technologies of the first green revolution and subsequent agricultural improvements.”

Countries voiced concerns about the use of biofuels, but many delegations said biofuels can help overcome fossil fuel dependency, mitigate greenhouse gases (GHG) and provide employment opportunities if handled properly. Some countries indicated they are undertaking further study to explore ways to ensure biofuels usage contributes to sustainable development.

“We need to work together to develop a new generation of technologies and farming methods that make possible a second green revolution, one that permits sustainable yield improvements with minimal environmental damage and contributes to sustainable development goals,” Ban said.

Recent escalating prices have brought protests and riots in various regions worldwide. World food prices have risen almost two-fold in the past 15 months and speakers noted the World Bank predicts the food crisis will last until at least 2015.

Jairo Montoya of Colombia was one of several who argued that food security should be addressed in a comprehensive manner, taking into account such fundamental issues as the imbalance in the multilateral trade system, the increase in oil prices and growing demand for energy.

Ogunlade Davidson, dean of post-graduate studies at the University of Sierra Leone, pointed out that although roughly 9% to 10% of the world’s oil, natural gas and coal reserves are in Africa, the resource-rich continent consumes the least energy globally. Two-thirds of the energy Africa produces is exported, although the continent has a significant and urgent need for energy.

“Countries like the United States, China and India are keenly interested in Africa’s resources, and the need to manage those outside interests is becoming increasingly urgent,” he said.

“The political implications of the current food and commodity price crises must be taken seriously,” Argentina’s Jorge Arguello concurred. “The international community must avoid protectionist positions and work together to ensure that the crisis is resolved equitably to the benefit of people in both the developing and developed worlds.”

But Paolo Soprano of Italy said his country is strongly in favor of the sustainable production of biofuels, stating such production would be a major step forward in promoting food security and curbing the impact of global warming.

Kathleen Abdalla, office-in-charge of the UN’s Division for Sustainable Development, introduced the secretary-general’s report on Partnerships for Sustainable Development, noting that 95 registered partnerships with the 16th session have identified the commission’s thematic issues for the 2008-2009 cycle as the primary focus of their work. The report points out that while these initiatives vary significantly in terms of sustainable development issues addressed, management structures, number of partners and scope, certain factors are common to all registered partnerships.

“I’m doing my part as secretary-general to push governments to reach an agreement limiting greenhouse gas emissions,” Ban said. “That’s important, but it is not enough. We need people everywhere to conserve natural resources. We need a top-down approach, and we need a grass-roots effort if we are going to reverse environmental damage and preserve our planet for future generations.”

CSD-17, which will convene May 4-15, 2009 at the UN headquarters in New York, will negotiate policy recommendations based on CSD-16’s review of the issues.

United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
Germany, June 2008
The latest round of United Nations climate change negotiations focused on strengthening the international climate change deal to be clinched in Copenhagen by the end of next year.

The 28th sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation of the UNFCCC included special focus on adaptation, finance and technology. Talks on further commitments for parties to the Kyoto Protocol included helping ind-ustrialized countries achieve future emission reductions.

Substantial work was undertaken to address long-term cooperative action, enhanced mitigation of climate change, action on adaptation, technology development and transfer, and providing of financial resources and investment to further these goals up to 2012 and beyond.

De Boer said real progress was made toward implementing action on adaptation to climate change and expressed the hope that developed countries would announce voluntary contributions to the Kyoto Protocol’s Adaptation Fund at the Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, in December.

“The road ahead is daunting,” he said.

“It is crucial that the next meetings produce concrete negotiating texts.”

World Food Security and Challenges
of Climate Change and Bioenergy
Rome, June 2008
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is calling on the international community to increase assistance for developing countries most affected by soaring food prices.

More than 180 countries participated in the three-day UN FAO Food Summit, where foremost on the agenda was food security and poverty reduction in the face of climate change and energy security.

“There is an urgent need to help developing countries and countries in transition expand agriculture and food production, and to increase investment in agriculture, agribusiness and rural development, from both public and private sources,” the adopting declaration stated.

Donors and international financial institutions were urged to provide “budget support to food-importing, low-income countries. Other measures should be considered as necessary to improve the financial situation of the countries in need, including reviewing debt servicing as necessary,” according to the declaration.

Biofuels production sparked several heated debates. The United States and Brazil, two of the world’s largest ethanol producers, spoke out in defense of diverting food crops for fuel, although others argued grain crop ethanol has not lived up to its promise of replacing fossil fuels. The United States will use up to a quarter of its corn crop for ethanol production by 2022, and the European Union set a goal of obtaining 10% of its auto fuel from bioenergy by 2020.

Ultimately, the conference attendees agreed to insert a clause into the declaration, stating: “It is essential to address the challenges and opportunities posed by biofuels, in view of the world’s food security, energy and sustainable development needs. We are convinced that in-depth studies are necessary to ensure that production and use of biofuels is sustainable in accordance with the three pillars of sustainable development and take into account the need to achieve and maintain global food security. We call upon relevant inter-governmental organizations, to foster a coherent, effective and results-oriented international dialogue on biofuels in the context of food security and sustainable development needs.”

Kelly Gilleland is a technical writer based in Bastrop, Texas, who focuses on energy issues.