Mr. President,Climate Change is a top priority of the Swedish Government, both nationally and internationally. Sweden has for a long time made substantial efforts in reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases and in assisting developing countries in coping with climate change. We share the sense of urgency that permeated yesterday’s discussion. Sweden fully aligns itself with the statement delivered by Slovenia yesterday, speaking on behalf of the European Union.
The message brought forward in the fourth IPCC assessment is simple and precise: In order to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level which does not entail far reaching and dangerous consequences global emissions of GHG have to be reduced by 50-85 percent by 2050. Developed countries would have to reduce their emissions by 25-40 percent by 2020. Actions have to be taken now.
That is a challenge in itself. And yet it is only half of the equation. The other half is that climate change is already upon us. All countries have to plan and initiate actions to adapt to unavoidable climate change. The poor countries of the world and the poor people in general are the most vulnerable to climate change and those who will suffer the most.
These are some important starting points for the new round of negotiations under the Bali action plan leading up to a comprehensive post-2012 agreement for fighting climate change. Allow me to emphasize three issues that the UN and decision makers at all levels may wish to consider as we prepare ourselves for the Copenhagen agreement in less that two years’ time.
Firstly, it is possible to combine reductions of greenhouse gas emissions with economic growth. The latest figures for Swedish greenhouse gas emissions show a reduction of 8,7 percent in 2006 compared to 1990. At the same time the Swedish GNP has increased by 44 percent. The reasons for this achievement are several. One important measure is the Swedish carbon dioxide tax that was introduced in 1990. Energy efficiency and savings and the use of renewables have further contributed.
It is our strong belief that it is necessary to put a price on carbon. And the wider the group involved in carbon trading, the more cost-efficient the emission reductions.The diverse expertise of the UN system should be drawn upon to promote international sharing of good practices, the building of domestic capacity for policy formulation and implementation, and the development of equitable international sector-specific standards.
Secondly, climate change must be addressed globally in the context of the UN Millennium Development Goals. Efficient actions to adapt to climate change and investments in sustainable energy systems have to be undertaken. All development and poverty reduction strategies would have to take climate change into account.
The Swedish government has established an international commission on “climate proofing” development assistance. The Commission should be seen as a complement to our national efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. It is an attempt to meet our commitments to help developing countries to work preventively and to cope with the consequences of climate change. Furthermore, it is intended to contribute to UN system-wide efforts.
The Commission constitutes a forum where a group of prominent experts and policy-makers can discuss freely and identify a direction for how to design ODA that takes into account climate change and disaster risk reduction. But it will also come up with concrete proposals on how to “climate-proof” development assistance by introducing risk reduction and adaptation to climate change into the development and poverty reduction plans of poor countries.
The Commission consists of 13 members, including the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation, Gunilla Carlsson, as its chair. The members make up a broad geographical and institutional representation. With its wide field of expertise, experience from different parts of the world and its diversified institutional background, the Commission is unique.
The Commission will focus on four areas in particular: One is the role and importance of ecosystems in disaster prevention. Another focus will be on urban slum areas. It will also look into slow-onset disasters such as prolonged droughts and chronic instability stemming from water scarcity. Last – but not least – the Commission will focus on risk management mechanisms in the insurance industry. This is quite a new area where some interesting initiatives are underway.
Mr. President,The scale and nature of climate change may sometimes imply a dominant scientific approach to the problem. However, I believe that the human dimension must always be in focus. This will also be reflected in the Commission’s work through some guiding principles. There will be a clear poverty and rights perspective, and the dimension of gender equality shall be explored.
The Commission will meet for the first time in Stockholm the day after tomorrow. Throughout its mandate of one year, it will convene three to four times. It will engage actively in relevant processes such as the climate negotiations and the work carried out by, for instance, the United Nations, the World Bank and the European Union. A final report will be presented in spring 2009. The intention is for the results to be reflected in relevant processes and contribute to a post-2012 agreement in Copenhagen.
The third and final issue that I wish to stress is that climate change calls for an integrated approach to environment, development and security. Climate change is already affecting human security and aggravating conditions in many parts of the world relating to fresh water availability, soil erosion, energy supply, crops and fish stocks. In the future, losses of land areas due to rising sea level and shortage of fresh water because of melting mountain glaciers will make matters even worse. Millions of people could become climate change refugees, having to move to other areas, thus creating serious migration problems in many areas.
Weak governments and countries in regions particularly affected by climate change would be exposed to risks of instability and unrest because of deteriorating conditions. On the other hand, shared management of crucial natural resources like water could contribute to stability and peace. We call on relevant parts of the UN system to collectively address these challenges in the nexus between sustainable development and security.
Mr. President, The UN system has a critical role to play in dealing with climate change effectively. No doubt the basic elements of the Bali Action Plan set the course for any future strategy to cope with climate change. We welcome the Secretary-General’s proposal to strengthen mechanisms for collaboration on the basis of these common goals and objectives. Existing structures should be used to get the work done.
Mitigation and adaptation have to be addressed jointly even if strategies and actions to deal with them at country level may differ. At the end of the day, future progress depends more than anything on the outcome of the negotiations within the UNFCCC and its Kyoto protocol. An effective and equitable post-2012 agreement must therefore be the foremost priority over the next two years for the UN system’s work on climate change.Thank you.