Rich countries have failed to breathe new life into the international climate change negotiations at the G8 and Major Economies Forum, refusing
to state by how much they will reduce carbon emissions by 2020, says ActionAid.
“Ask the 230 million hungry people in sub-Saharan Africa, who are already suffering the impact of
climate change if they can wait until 2050.
“Their declaration shows none of the urgency, ambition or action needed to get us on track,” says Angela Wauye, ActionAid’s
Food Rights Coordinator. “We need substantial cash on the table if we are to broker a deal this year.
“The declaration shows none of the urgency,
ambition or action needed to get us on track.
“The global target the G8 agreed to – a 50% cut in global emissions by 2050 – is too far away. The G8 need to
reduce their emissions by 40% by 2020 against 1990 levels.
“They have given another signal that the world is off track to reach a global deal to tackle climate change.
We are a long way from the kind of breakthrough needed this year by December in Copenhagen.“
Adverse weather conditions are affecting twenty of the 41 developing countries
identified by the FAO as in hunger crisis or vulnerable to production shortfalls. In Indonesia, Kenya, Jamaica, Bangladesh and Zambia, climate impacts have contributed to local food price
inflation.
“People are dying now from prolonged drought in Uganda. It’s time for leaders to act,” added Wauye.
It is estimated $182 billion is
needed to help developing countries to tackle climate change by 2020. In the immediate future rich countries should be giving $2 billion (pre-2012) for adaptation in Least Developed Countries, so they
can implement national plans for adaptation. This money should go through the Least Developed Countries Fund (a UNFCCC fund run by the GEF).
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Leaders leave a news conference on the environment at the G8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy, July 9, 2009. Leaders of the Group of Eight major industrial nations and the main developing ...
