advance MEDIA ADVISORY
29 March 2007
Friends of the Earth International
CLIMATE CHANGE SET TO OVERWHELM THE
WORLD'S POOR
BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) 29 March, 2007 -- On
2nd -5th April, the world's leading
scientific experts are to gather in Brussels,
Belgium, to launch the second volume from the
United Nation's Fourth Assessment Report,
which addresses climate impacts, adaptation
and vulnerability. [1]
The report is expected to portray a bleak
future for the world's poorest countries,
which have done least to pollute the
atmosphere. Despite the negligible historical
emissions of greenhouse gases by the least
developed countries, their people will suffer
most from climate change, as they are the
most vulnerable to the impacts and least able
to adapt.
The second volume of the Fourth Assessment
Report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC), Working Group II
provides the starkest warning yet on the
threat of global climate change and predicts
the severe consequences the planet will face
unless world leaders take urgent action to
cut emissions of greenhouse gases.
Friends of the Earth International's
Climate Campaigner, Catherine Pearce, said:
"The scientific findings are stronger than
ever. This report is likely to confirm that
not only are we seeing the impacts of climate
change around us already, but worse is yet to
come and the world's poorest people are being
hardest hit.
"The industrialised world, including the
USA, must lead the way by making significant
cuts in their greenhouse gas emissions and
helping less developed countries to develop
sustainable, low-carbon economies.
"Current efforts on adaptation, including
available funds, are clearly inadequate to
meet the scale of what is required. Urgent
assistance is needed for those developing
countries, which have done nothing to
contribute to the current threat of climate
change and are already facing the devastating
effects."
"In Bali this December, industrialised
countries must also agree a more effective
and stronger second round to the Kyoto
agreement on climate change which starts in
2013.”
The UN report - the second of a series
based on the latest scientific literature -
analyses how climate change is affecting
natural and human systems, what the impacts
will be and how far adaptation and mitigation
can reduce the impacts.
The report, which has taken six years to
compile, draws on research by 2,500
scientists from over 130 countries and should
shock the world into taking urgent action to
reduce global emissions.
Government delegates from more than 100
countries are expected to agree that hundreds
of millions of people are vulnerable to
flooding due to sea level rise, especially in
densely populated and low-lying settlements
which already face other challenges, such as
tropical storms.
The UN report is also expected to warn
that projected climate change is likely to
affect millions of people through increases
in malnutrition, deaths, disease and injury
due to heat waves, floods, storms, fires and
droughts.
Worryingly, scientists are also expected
to state that over the next half-century it
is very likely that climate change will
impede the achievement of the U.N. Millennium
Development Goals. [2]
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
A set of testimonies is pasted below.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Catherine Pearce, Friends of the Earth
International Climate campaigner, will be In
Brussels from Tues 3 to Fri 6 April. Mobile
+44 7811 283 641
Friends of the Earth International media
line: +31 20 622 1369 or +31-6-51005630
(mobile, 5-6 April only)
Rosemary Hall, Friends of the Earth Europe
communications officer. Office: +32-2-5426105
or +32-485 930515 (mobile), email:
rosemary.hall@foeeurope.org
Roger Higman, Friends of the Earth
England, Wales and Northern Ireland, will be
in London until 4 April, then in Brussels on
5-6 April. Mobile +44 7780 661807
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] The IPCC official website is
http://www.ipcc.ch
[2] For more information on the Millennium
Development Goals see
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
A series of short articles on climate
change available online at:
http://www.foei.org/climate/pacific.html
TESTIMONIES:
FROM NIGERIA:
"Climate Change in Nigeria is a ticking
time bomb as there is little or no action
aimed at mitigating its impacts," according
to Nnimmo Bassey of ERA/Friends of the Earth
Nigeria. For more information: Tel: +234
8037274395 (Nigeria)
FROM GHANA:
"A devastating sea erosion is taking place
along the Ada coast in Ghana and is
under-reported by the media. Over 5,000
metres of land had been submerged and there
is a serious risk that the whole Ada land
would be submerged in the short term. Coastal
dwellers claim that the very existence of
about 50 communities is under threat. It is
absolutely essential to have a legally
binding and effective global adaptation fund
to address the urgent adaptation needs in
less developed countries and small island
states," according to Erasmus Aborley in
Ghana. For more information: Tel:
+233-21-286123 and +233-21-512312 (Ghana)
FROM HAITI:
"One of the major impacts of climate
change on small island states is the loss of
biodiversity and its benefits. These nations
have very limited resources, and
climate-change related catastrophes
negatively affect their capacity to limit
damages, prevent epidemics and rebuilt
infrastructure, economies and communities in
the long term," according to Aldrin Calixte
of Friends of the Earth Haiti. For more
information: Tel: +509-4019684 or
+509-7337377 (Haiti)
FROM PERU:
"Glaciers in Peru are melting fast,
bringing floods and destruction locally but
also negatively affecting energy generation
and water resources nationally. In Peru, 60%
of the population and 70% of the productive
activities are located on the coast, a desert
strip whose water provision depends almost
entirely on the mountain area. In addition,
70% of the electricity supply comes from that
area. It is estimated that in next the 10
years all the glaciers below 5500m will
disappear, meaning not only the disappearance
of the water supply for human consumption,
but also strong negative impacts on the
national energy situation, nd the economy, "
according to María Teresa Colque Pinelo of
Friends of the Earth Perú. For more
information: Tel: + 511 2616515 (Peru)
FROM MAURITIUS:
"Small island developing states (SIDS) are
ecologically the most fragile and vulnerable
to the impacts of climate change and natural
disasters. These countries are particularly
fragile to climate variability and climate
change is having profound effects on the
economic and social conditions of coastal
populations. Cyclones and climate change are
taking a direct toll on the economy of these
countries and negatively impact particularly
subsistence farmers and artisanal fishermen
(hence increasing poverty), creating food and
water shortages and health problems. Due to
their small size, islands like Mauritius are
particularly exposed to climate change and
have no defense against this phenomenon,"
according to Rajen Awotar, Executive Chairman
of Friends of the Earth Mauritius / MAUDESCO.
For more information: Tel: + 230 425-2417
(Mauritius)
FROM AUSTRALIA:
"Australia is the hottest and most water
scarce continent in the world. Drought and
bushfires have been part of our history.
Climate change is making Australia hotter and
drier. It is clear to anyone who is paying
attention to the issue of global warming that
there is a historical liability by the
developed nations. Having created a
disproportionate amount of greenhouse gases
for many decades, which has allowed us to
develop our economy, it would be extremely
mean spirited for Australia not to commit to
deep cuts in emissions as a way of
acknowledging our historic and contemporary
carbon debt. The developed world has
benefited from our use of fossil fuels; the
onus is now on us to make deep cuts while
also helping other nations to do the same,"
according to Cam Walker for Friends of the
Earth Australia. For more information: +61-
419 338 047 (Australia)
FROM CANADA:
"Canadians are clearly living with impacts
of climate chaos and can expect more - milder
winters are responsible for the ravages of
western forests from the pine beetle and
melting permafrost. Severe and extreme
weather is already linked with premature
death, illness and violence in our big
cities. Vulnerable Canadians including senior
citizens and those living with fixed income,
low incomes or job loss are least able to
cope with the increasing impacts we can
expect from the warming climate. The upcoming
IPCC report should be a clarion call to
action by public health officials," said
Beatrice Olivastri, Chief Executive Officer,
Friends of the Earth Canada. For more
information: Tel: + 1 613 241-0085 Ext. 26
(Canada).
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