Responding to a new-found sense of urgency, diplomats from around the world are engaged this year in an increasingly intense series of negotiations concerning the means to address climate change. In December, the 15th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will meet in Copenhagen to consider whether and how to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which is scheduled to lapse in 2012.
A critical focus of these negotiations will be how to slow the increase in global surface temperature in the future, in particular through new commitments to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that are believed to be its primary cause. However, the IFRC and its partners in the humanitarian community have been vocal in urging states to also address adaptation to the current and near-term impacts of climate change.
The importance of adaptation
“The International Federation has already witnessed the impacts of climate change on vulnerable people, particularly in times of disaster,” notes Madeleen Helmer, head of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre, “We must go beyond reducing emissions to pre-empt these impacts and we need to act now.”
“We are asking states to make sure that the Copenhagen agreement includes commitments and funding mechanisms to reduce the vulnerability of communities to disasters and to ensure an effective humanitarian response when it’s needed,” said Bhupinder Tomar, Senior Office for Disaster Preparedness at the IFRC. “There should also be a commitment to legal preparedness for disasters, per the IDRL Guidelines.”
The bumpy road ahead to Copenhagen
In light of the high sensitivity of the issues involved, it is not yet clear what kind of outcome will emerge from the Copenhagen conference, but many hope that it will be a new binding agreement. Drafting of such an agreement has already begun, and additional preconference negotiations will take place in August, September and November.
A chairman’s draft already includes an important focus on adaptation as well as very encouraging potential language on substantial new funding streams for risk reduction and preparedness measures. However, the many alternative provisions included in that draft, as well as separate proposals from various countries, show that there are still quite a lot of distance to cover before agreement will be reached.
With leadership from the IFRC, an inter-agency task force has been formed including UN, Red Cross/Red Crescent and NGO partners to jointly stress the humanitarian challenges of climate change and present solutions during these negotiations.
For more information see http://unfccc.int