Climate Change Prompts Call for 'Urgent' Action Beyond Emissions Cuts

Monday, Nov. 9, 2009 Posted: 3:00:19AM HKT

Some of the world’s leading humanitarian organizations have issued a joint statement pressing for urgent action amid changing climate conditions, saying that unless such action is taken, it will not be possible to ensure the food security of the growing world population.

But, unlike many groups, signers of the statement are not pressing industrial countries to cut carbon emissions to keep the rises in global temperature within two degrees centigrade.

Instead, the groups – which include the International Federation of the Red Cross, Oxfam, World Vision International, CARE, Caritas, Save the Children, as well as U.N. food and health agencies WFP, FAO, and the WHO – are urging the world to “urgently” move toward embracing a two-fold approach.

That approach includes investing in and supporting the development of more efficient, sustainable and resilient food production systems; as well as improving access to adequate food and nutrition by the most vulnerable and at risk populations and communities.

“Only if we succeed in making significant advances on all fronts – increasing food availability, enhancing access to food, and strengthening resilience and development – we will reduce the risk of dramatic increases in the number of hungry people among the poorest countries in the most vulnerable regions of the world,” the groups expressed in their joint statement, titled “Climate Change, Food Insecurity and Hunger.”

Presently, the humanitarian organizations say climate change is undermining current efforts to end the suffering of over one billion people already affected by hunger and malnutrition. Furthermore, climate change will increase the risk of hunger and malnutrition by an “unprecedented” scale within the next decades, they say.

“Climate change poses an unprecedented challenge to the aim of eradicating hunger and poverty,” the groups stated.

But the groups’ focus is notably different from many other groups, which have been eying the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen next month.

From Dec. 7 to Dec. 18, national government delegations who agreed to shape an ambitious international response to climate change in 2007 will be meeting to agree on a post-2012 climate agreement that will replace the current Kyoto Protocol.

According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 2009 is a crucial year in the international effort to address climate change as some scientists say industrialized nations must cut emissions by 25 to 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2020 to prevent climate disasters, such as coastal flooding from rising sea levels, severe weather events, and variations in rainfall and temperatures that will affect agriculture and wipe out species of plants and animals.

Under the current deal, 37 industrial countries are required to cut emissions a total 5 percent from 1990 by 2012. Based on the current declarations from wealthy countries, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature estimates the total emissions cut will amount to 10 percent by 2020.

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Eric Young
Christian Post Reporter