Change is in the air
BAN Ki-Moon
Two weeks ago, I visited the Arctic. I saw the remains of a glacier
that just a few years ago was a majestic mass of ice. It had collapsed.
Not slowly melted collapsed. I travelled nine hours by ship from the
world's northernmost settlement to reach the Polar ice rim. In just a
few years, the same ship may be able to sail unimpeded all the way to
the North Pole. The Arctic could be virtually ice-free by 2030.
Scientists told me their sobering findings. The Arctic is our canary
in the coal mine for climate impacts that will affect us all. I was
alarmed by the rapid pace of change there. Worse still, changes in the
Arctic are now accelerating global warming. Thawing permafrost is
releasing methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon
dioxide. Melting ice in Greenland threatens to raise sea levels.
Meanwhile, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.
I am therefore all the more convinced we must act now.
BAN Ki-Moon |
To that end, I convened a special summit on climate change at the
United Nations for some 100 world leaders history's largest-ever such
gathering of Heads of State and Government. Their collective challenge:
transforming the climate crisis into an opportunity for safer, cleaner,
sustainable green growth for all.
The key was Copenhagen, where governments gathered to negotiate a new
global climate agreement in December. I have a simple message for
leaders: The world needs you to actively push for a fair, effective and
ambitious deal in Copenhagen. Fail to act, and we will count the cost
for generations to come.
Climate change is the pre-eminent geopolitical issue of our time. It
rewrites the global equation for development, peace and prosperity. It
threatens markets, economies and development gains. It can deplete food
and water supplies, provoke conflict and migration, destabilize fragile
societies and even topple governments.
Hyperbole? Not according to the world's best scientists. The
Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change says global greenhouse gas
emissions need to peak within 10 years if we are to avoid unleashing
powerful, natural forces that are now slipping out of our control.
Ten years is within the political lifetime of many attending the
summit. The climate crisis is occurring on their watch.
There is an alternative: sustainable growth based on green
technologies and policies that favour low emissions over current
carbon-intensive models. Many national stimulus packages devised in the
wake of the global economic downturn feature a strong green component
that creates jobs and positions countries to excel in the clean energy
economy of the 21st Century.
Change is in the air. The key lies in a global climate deal to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and limit global temperature rise to a
scientifically safe level. A deal to catalyze clean energy growth. Most
urgently, an agreement must protect and assist those who are most
vulnerable from inevitable climate impacts.
What is needed is political will at the highest levels - Presidents,
Premiers and Prime Ministers - that translates into rapid progress in
the negotiating room. It requires more trust among nations, more
imagination, ambition and cooperation.
I expect leaders to roll up their sleeves and speak with - not past -
each other. I expect them to intensify efforts to resolve the key
political issues that have so far slowed global negotiations to a
glacial pace. Ironically, that expression until recently connoted
slowness. But the glaciers I saw a few weeks ago in the Arctic are
melting faster than human progress to preserve them.
We must place the planet's long-term interests ahead of short-term
political expediency. National leaders need to be global leaders who
take the long view. Today's threats transcend borders. So, too, must our
thinking.
Melting glaciers. Reuters |
Copenhagen need not resolve all the details. But a successful global
climate deal must involve all countries, consistent with their
capabilities, working towards a common, long-term goal. Here are my
benchmarks for success.
First, every country must do its utmost to reduce emissions from all
major sources. Industrialized countries have to strengthen their
mitigation targets, which are currently nowhere close to what the IPCC
says is needed. Developing countries, too, must slow the rise in their
emissions and accelerate green growth as part of their strategies to
reduce poverty.
Second, a successful deal must help the most vulnerable to adapt to
the inevitable impacts of climate change. This is an ethical imperative
as well as a smart investment in a more stable, secure world.
Third, developing countries need funding and technology so they can
move more quickly towards low-emissions growth. A deal must also unlock
private investment, including through carbon markets. Fourth, resources
must be equitably managed and deployed in a way that all countries have
a voice.
We have a powerful opportunity to get on the right side of history.
It's an opportunity not only to avert disaster, but to launch a
fundamental transformation of the global economy.
Strong new political winds now fill our sails. Millions of citizens
are mobilized. Savvy businesses are charting a cleaner energy course. We
must seize this moment to act boldly on climate change. It may not come
again anytime soon. Change is in the air. Let's seal the deal on a
better future for us all.
The writer is the United Nations Secretary General |