DOHA: Sustained financial resources are an imperative for COP18/CMP8 conference as funding is urgently needed to enable vulnerable nations and communities to deal with extreme weather events, rising sea levels, droughts, and other environmental risks.
The initial $30bn pledge by developed countries made in Copenhagen in 2009 is expiring this December, and there have not been new pledges to sustain this vital financing, to meet the promise of mobilising $100bn per year by 2020, said Conservation International.
The Global Conservation group is asking for pledges of at least $60bn from 2013-2015, or double the so called “fast start” promise in Copenhagen, in addition to $10bn-$15bn for the Green Climate Fund.
“The debt problems facing several wealthy nations make it more challenging for them to put money on the table. But, if funding is not provided now, the future costs of inaction will be prohibitive in both financial and human terms.
“The $100bn figure must not be an empty promise nor the Green Climate Fund an empty bank account,” said Dr Fred Bolt, Senior Vice President for International Policy at Conservation International.
“In Doha countries must specify how much and when they will contribute.”
Conservation International also stressed the need for decisions that will enable countries to immediately scale up their efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. The organisation has deep expertise in the vital role of nature in fighting climate change, and therefore, will be paying close attention to developments in REDD+ — which aims to simultaneously reduce carbon emissions and stop deforestation — and the use of nature to help people cope with climate change, a process known as “ecosystem-based adaptation”.
Rebecca Chacko, Senior Director for Climate Policy at Conservation International, said: “Adaptation is now broadly recognised as a critical component of the international climate change regime. Decisions in Doha must begin to translate policy framework into real action on the ground. Recognising and supporting the role nature can play in helping people adapt to climate change by providing clean water, buffering storm surge and offering other vital environmental services is one of the most cost-effective ways we can move towards sustainable climate solutions. Failure to do so will put millions of lives and livelihoods at risk.”
Conservation International is calling on policymakers at Doha to allocate specific and adequate funds from industrialised and emerging economies for adaptation projects in the developing world; prioritise the protection of natural ecosystems for their vital role in disaster risk reduction and management; include approaches to adaptation that place a high priority on natural ecosystems and traditional knowledge and ensure the effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities.
With several negotiation streams scheduled to conclude this December and a new global treaty to be agreed in three years, Conservation International warned that all countries participating in the annual UN climate talks must take on a renewed sense of urgency if we are to avoid what scientists forecast will be irreversible damage to our planet’s natural life support systems and the vital services they provide to all humanity.
The Peninsula
