Commission on Sustainable Development

Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting

5^th & 6^th Meetings (AM & PM)

Expert panels at preparatory meeting for sustainable development commission

focus debate on air pollution, climate change policy options

With human health and the Earth’s ailing environment at risk of further deterioration from toxic atmospheric pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, the Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development today convened two panel discussions on ways of improving air quality and curbing climate change through innovative policies and programmes.

Citing critical links between lasting socio-economic development, poverty alleviation and atmospheric changes, as well as related impacts on human health and ecosystems, participants in both dialogues called urgently for a range of actions -- from increased investment in research on processes affecting and being affected by the atmosphere, to the adoption of real-world solutions in areas such as agriculture, waste management, urban and transport planning, using cutting-edge technology, cost-benefit analyses and market forces.

Air pollution/atmosphere and climate change are two of the priority themes the Intergovernmental Meeting is considering -- along with energy for development, industrial development and cross-cutting concerns -- ahead of the fifteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which will begin on 30 April and run through 11 May.  The Preparatory Meeting is expected to forward to the Commission concrete policy options and possible actions to equip Governments with better tools to address that cluster of issues.

Opening the dialogue on air pollution, Hilal Raza, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Hydrocarbon Development Institute in Pakistan, noted that road transport emissions were also major contributors to pollution in developing countries, especially in major cities where vehicle concentration was rising sharply because of affluence and development.  Poor fuel quality, ageing vehicles and traffic congestion exacerbated the problem.  Natural gas was a practical solution to reduce urban air pollution and to meet road transport fuel needs in a sustainable manner in countries where natural gas supplies were available.

He said that compressed natural gas (CNG), a lead-free fuel with negligible sulphur and particulate emissions, emitted 70 per cent less carbon monoxide and 87 per cent less oxides of nitrogen than gasoline.  It produced 25 per cent lower carbon dioxide emissions, as compared to petrol and diesel oil.   Pakistan was a success story in the promotion of CNG through market-based policy initiatives developed by the Institute.  He said that users and private investors had been enthusiastic, and the private sector had invested $500 million -- mostly by small and medium enterprises –- to set up the infrastructure for refuelling, conversion and manufacturing, creating about 28,000 jobs.

Panellist Brian Doll, who represents Exxon/Mobil in the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA), and is Chairman of the Association’s Fuel Group, also touched on fuel and vehicle issues, including lead phase-out options and sulphur reduction, and also discussed control of marine emissions from ships and potential biofuel sustainability concerns.  He highlighted the United Nations Environment Programme-led Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV), which in 2006 declared a victory over leaded gasoline in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The time is right for a major diplomatic initiative at the highest level of the United Nations”, towards the complete removal of lead from the fuel supply chain in countries that had not done so, he said.  He added that, while lead was an undesirable air pollutant in its own right, its elimination from gasoline enabled the use of vehicles with catalytic converters, which could reduce pollutant emissions by more than 90 per cent compared to vehicles without them.  He called for cooperation among vehicle manufacturers and various fuel producers and end-users, declaring that major benefits could be achieved when cleaner vehicles were introduced that could make use of cleaner fuels -- not from cleaner fuels alone.

General consensus emerged during the dialogue that respiratory diseases and other health concerns in both developed and developing countries could be attributed to man-made pollution from ozone-depleting particulates and carbon emissions.  But, with close to 3 billion people lacking access to modern energy for cooking and heating, many speakers said that poverty had condemned much of the developing world to rely on solid fuels such as wood, dung and crop wastes, as well as coal and even tyres, for their most basic energy needs.  The enormous health impacts of exposure to indoor air pollution should be a central focus of research, development aid and policymaking, they said.

Another recurring concern was the impact of transboundary air pollution -- smog, acid rain, forest fires and haze –- and pollution caused by transboundary traffic, including maritime and air traffic.  Many speakers stressed the importance, in that regard, of international and regional cooperation and of cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).  Some also called for regional transboundary air pollution agreements.  Speakers from countries with large arid regions expressed concern over the fact that the most problematic air pollution -- increased sand storms and flying sand -- disrupted daily life in cities and village located in desert areas and hampered developmental activities.  Transfer of technology, ground-based monitoring networks, satellite monitoring systems, as well as an early warning system were crucial to tackling the problem.

The day’s second panel, on climate change, generated a lively discussion.  Many speakers drew attention to the troubling findings in the report recently released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which expressed its greatest confidence yet that global warming was being caused largely by the accumulation of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.  Without urgent action, the report said, global temperatures could rise as much as 11 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100.

The discussions also follow the release yesterday of a sweeping plan to combat climate change, sponsored by the private United Nations Foundation (UNF) and the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society.  Panellist Richard Moss, Senior Director of the Foundation’s Climate Change Programme was on hand to highlight key recommendations from the report Confronting Climate Change:  Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable.  He said the results of the two-year study were not meant to be a comprehensive review, but a “road map” of measures with strong co-benefits, particularly in the Commission’s areas of concern -- economic development, social development and environmental protection.

He said that the report conveyed a sense of urgency, but also suggested that there was still an opportunity to stave off the worst consequences of global warming if the international community coordinated on implementation now, rather than waited for Governments to reach agreements on a timetable for action to address the phenomenon.  The report stressed that aggressively responding to climate change could advance the Millennium Development Goals through such strategies as domestic production of bio-energy on a sustainable and decentralized basis, which could generate jobs, among other benefits.  He said that it was time to move beyond “information exchange” and start to take action at all levels.

Panellist José Domingo Miguez, Chair, Executive Board, Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol, said that, as of 1 February, there were 1,597 CDM projects in 55 countries.  Taking into account that the Kyoto Protocol had been in force for just two years, it was a great achievement that, in such a short period, an impressive number of projects were being implemented in developing countries.  They would result in greenhouse gas emission reductions of 2.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent during the seven years of the initial crediting period of those projects.

He said CDM was leveraging new investments in new types of projects in developing countries that would never have occurred in the absence of the Kyoto Protocol, he said.  It had increased the institutional capacity in developing countries to deal with climate change and had built capacity in terms of human resources in all countries participating in CDM.  The projects had achieved important innovation though the development of new technologies and processes and had resulted in additional benefits, such as job generation, less environmental impact, less local pollution, less consumption of energy and improved energy efficiency.

When delegations took the floor, the representative of a group of developing countries said that perhaps the most formidable challenges in addressing climate change included the failure to fulfil the commitments in the Kyoto Protocol; inadequacy of financial resources for adaptation efforts; degradation of natural resources; weak or absent systems of climate observation; and inadequate insurance markets and arrangements to deal with extreme weather events associated with climate change.  Those challenges called for the design of effective mitigation and adaptation policies.

Those policies should include:  reduction in carbon emissions; promotion of technological innovation; financial incentives to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide; and promotion of the use of renewable energy resources.  Other speakers from developing countries stressed that, to address the adverse impacts of climate change, internationally agreed principles enshrined in the Rio Declaration should apply, including those of:  common but differentiated responsibilities; corporate social and environmental responsibility and accountability; sustainable patterns of production and consumption; as well as that of the polluter pays.

Many speakers representing small island developing States took part in the debate.  Despite their negligible contribution to climate change, its adverse effects -- sea-level rise, increase in frequency and intensity of hurricanes, cyclones and other weather events -- threatened the sustainable development and existence of the small island nations, one speaker said.  There was now scientific certainty that the opportunity to avoid irreversible and unimaginable damage to the climate system would be lost if urgent and ambitious action was not taken.  So, the international community must support small islands in the development and implementation of national climate change plans through the provision of additional resources, technical assistance and capacity-building.

The Commission will reconvene at 10 a.m. Thursday, 1 March, to conclude its discussion on climate change and begin its consideration of interlinkages among its thematic issues:  air pollution/atmosphere, climate change, energy for development and industrial development.

Background

The Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the fifteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development met today to hold interactive discussions on policy options to expedite implementation of development goals regarding air pollution/atmosphere and climate change.  The Secretary-General’s reports before the meeting -- documents E/CN.17/2007/4 and 5, respectively -- were summarized in Press Release ENV/DEV/909.

Introduction on Air Pollution/Atmosphere by Panellists

HILAL RAZA, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Hydrocarbon Development Institute, Pakistan, said road transport emissions were major contributors to air pollution in developing countries, especially in major cities where the concentration of vehicles was steeply rising because of affluence and development.  Poor fuel quality, ageing vehicles and traffic congestion exacerbated the problem.  Natural gas had been used as a vehicle fuel for many decades.  About 6 million vehicles were now running on compressed natural gas (CNG) in some 70 countries.  After Argentina and Brazil, Pakistan was the third leading country in the usage of CNG.  CNG constituted 10 per cent of all road transport fuel; gasoline was 14 per cent and diesel oil 76 per cent.

He said fuel switching from liquid hydrocarbons to natural gas strongly improved ambient air, as well as the atmosphere. CNG, a lead-free fuel with negligible sulphur and particulate emissions, emitted 70 per cent less carbon monoxide and 87 per cent less oxides of nitrogen than gasoline.  It produced 25 per cent lower carbon dioxide emissions as compared to petrol and diesel oil.  CNG engines even produced lower noise pollution.  CNG vehicles were a bridge between the liquid fuel vehicles of today and zero emission vehicles of the future.

Pakistan was a success story of promoting CNG through market-based policy initiatives developed by its Hydrocarbon Development Institute, he said.  Both users and private investors had been quite enthusiastic and responsive.  The private sector had invested $500 million -- mostly by small and medium enterprises -– to establish the infrastructure for refuelling, conversion and manufacturing, creating about 28,000 jobs.  The development had been driven by consumer choice -- higher gasoline prices -- and Government policy instruments such as deregulation of the price of CNG, liberal licensing and tax and duty exemption on conversion kits and equipment.  As a result, the industry had grown nearly 50 per cent per annum.  The Government had also designed a package of incentives for replacing urban and intra-city diesel buses.

He said natural gas was a practical solution to reduce urban air pollution and to meet road transport fuel needs in a sustainable manner in countries where natural gas supplies were available.  Many developing countries could learn from Pakistan’s success story, but should realize that each country had a different operational environment, requiring a holistic view of the situation.  First of all, an optimistic vision and patience were required.  A synergy should be created between economic and environmental benefits.  It was also necessary to create a reliable domestic capacity for planning, administering and regulating the programme, with strict enforcement of safety regulations.  Making the correct choices of technology for ensuring economy, efficiency and public acceptance were also important.

Panellist BRIAN DOLL, who represents Exxon/Mobil in the International petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA), and is Chairman of the Association’s Fuel Group, said the IPIECA represented oil and gas companies and associations from around the world on environmental and social issues.  He began his presentation with an overview of fuel and vehicle issues, including lead phase-out options and sulphur reduction, and also touched on control of marine emissions from ships and potential biofuel sustainability concerns.  To that end, he said the IPIECA wholeheartedly endorsed the United Nations Environment Programme-led Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles, which aimed to complete its task of eliminating leaded gas worldwide and reducing the sulphur content of vehicle fuels.

He said the Association had been a founding member of the Partnership, and prior to its involvement in that initiative, had been working with the World Bank in the field.  The early focus had been on Sub-Saharan Africa, and in 2006, the UNEP-led Partnership, along with a coalition of oil, gas and non-governmental organization partners, declared a victory over leaded gasoline in that region.  UNEP now estimated that there were only 21 countries still using leaded gasoline.  The State participated in most of those countries’ fuel supply infrastructure, and while there might be minor technical or resource barriers to overcome, the IPIECA believed the major obstacle was lack of political will.

“The time is right for a major diplomatic initiative at the highest level of the United Nations to focus attention on completely removing lead from the fuel supply chain in countries that have not yet done so,” he declared, adding that, while lead was an undesirable air pollutant in its own right, its elimination from gasoline enabled the use of vehicles with catalytic converters, which could reduce pollutant emissions by more than 90 per cent compared to vehicles without them.  He added that a systems approach between both vehicle manufacturers and various fuel producers and end users was required to deal with the issue effectively.  That was to say that major benefits could be achieved when cleaner vehicles were introduced that could make use of cleaner fuels -- not from cleaner fuels alone.

Turning next to air pollution from ships, he said that timely discussions on that important issue were under way at the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO), and that the Association continued to participate in the talks for its “sound science” perspective.  At the same time, he was concerned that the proposals being considered had not been thoroughly thought out, particularly those recommendations for a major shift to distillate fuels, such as diesel fuels, for ships.  Such proposals did not take into account the climate change implications of the additional carbon dioxide that would be released from the additional refinery processing that would be required.  That could jeopardize the ability of some refining countries to achieve their agreed greenhouse gas reduction targets.  He added that, while the industry accepted that changes to the global marine fuels regime would eventually be required, those changes must be based on sound scientific data, and environmental sustainability.

Finally, turning from “traditional” fuels to biofuels, he said that, while IPIECA’s membership included some of the world’s largest biofuel marketers and the Association noted the Commission’s consideration of biofuels as a possible route to cleaner air, some real concerns were emerging that the recent exponential growth in biofuels brought new challenges along with benefits.  IPIECA was particularly concerned not with emerging biofuel technologies, but with the so called “unintended consequences” that might follow from the increased use of the fuels themselves.

For example, the Association had already seen disturbing media reports of large scale cultivation in developing countries of palm oil and jatropha to manufacture biodiesel, and the cultivation of cassava to manufacture bio-ethanol for export to the West, he said.  While the Association could readily agree that, if done properly, some biofuels could contribute to reducing certain types of atmospheric pollution on a “tank to wheels” basis, it was not clear that, in practice, when viewed on a “crop to wheels” basis, it was sustainable.  What was required now was a single standard on biofuel sustainability schemes, he said, calling for a concerted international effort to bring together all the schemes being discussed by UNEP, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and others, in order to come up with a set of scientifically sound, globally accepted and applicable rules.

Interactive Discussion

Speakers stressed that air and atmospheric pollution was a major challenge that had an impact on the pursuit of sustained growth and sustainable development, as well as a major threat to human health and the environment, affecting social welfare and economies worldwide.

Speaking on behalf of a group of developing countries, one delegate said that decisions concerning air and atmospheric pollution should be guided by the understanding that economic and social development, as well as environmental protection, were interdependent and mutually reinforcing components of sustainable development.  He reiterated, in that regard, the continuing relevance and importance of all the Rio principles, in particular the one on common but differentiated responsibilities.

He called for enhanced international cooperation that should enable developing countries to implement national plans and strategies through a variety of measures, including:  modernization of thermal electric power plants; fuel switching; expanded utilization of renewable energies; transfer of affordable, efficient and environmentally sound technologies on favourable terms; promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns; enforcing international control over illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances; supporting existing regional agreements for improved air quality and control of transboundary air pollution; and development of early warning systems and other cooperative mechanisms.

At the national level, he said Governments should be encouraged to consider, among other things:  improving data compilation and monitoring of air quality, improving policies that reduce environmental hazards; encouraging policy coordination and involvement of all stakeholders; promoting clean public transport alternatives; addressing burning of garbage, as well as outlawing incineration of garbage emitting toxic fumes; and increasing controls on pollution emissions for transportation vehicles and industry.

A speaker on behalf of a group of developed and middle-income countries said that, worldwide, cities faced common but regionally different environmental problems, such as poor air quality, high traffic levels and generations of waste.  Sustainable urban planning should start with improving the environmental performance of all modes of transport, shifting from private road vehicles to rail, water and collective transport.

As for indoor air pollution, speakers said targeting access to energy, supporting education programmes and addressing gender aspects were priorities.  Increased investments in basic energy infrastructure, including clean and efficient cooking energy, were needed to reduce health threats.  The major contributor to indoor pollution in developing countries was the use of traditional biomass for heating and cooking.  Indoor air pollution led to respiratory diseases and the death of approximately 1.6 million people per year, mostly from the vulnerable group of women and young children.  The only solution was to replace traditional biomass with clean, renewable energy sources.  The dissemination of information and education were important, in that regard.

Many speakers addressed the issue of transboundary air pollution, such as smog and acid rain, through transboundary traffic, including maritime and air traffic, and stressed the importance, in that regard, of international and regional cooperation and of cooperation with UNEP.  Also, more countries outside of the region of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) should get involved in the ECE Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution.  Other speakers called for regional transboundary air pollution agreements.

Speakers from countries with large desert areas expressed concern over the fact that the most problematic air pollution -- such as increased sand storms and flying sand -- disrupted the daily life of people living in cities and village located in desert areas and hampered developmental activities.  Transfer of technology, ground-based monitoring networks, satellite monitoring systems, as well as an early warning system were crucial to tackling the problem. Other speakers noted that natural causes, such as volcanic eruptions, also contributed to air pollution.

Other speakers stressed the importance of increased cooperation in research of less contaminating fossil fuels and involving oil-companies in reducing contamination caused by extraction processes, such as flaring.  They called for stronger emission inspection programmes of vehicles and for the elimination of lead and reduction of sulphur contents in fuels.  A new approach should be taken towards urban planning, some said, including better land-use planning and taxes on emissions.

Greater involvement of the private sector in addressing problems and fostering public/private partnerships was also stressed.  There was a need for change in production and consumption patterns that had a negative impact on the environment.  South-South cooperation was also important, as was the establishment of a global fund for research on renewable energy for developing countries and small island developing States.

In order to move from words to action, one delegate said the Commission matrix highlighted two practical solutions regarding outdoor and indoor air pollution, as addressed by paragraph 56 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.  One was the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles, through which all 49 sub-Saharan countries had stopped refining and importing leaded gasoline by the end of 2005.  As for indoor air pollution, a number of Governments, non-governmental organizations and industry members had formed the Partnership for Clean Indoor Air.  Its pilot projects had resulted in 278,500 people having reduced exposure to indoor air pollution from home cooking and heating.

A representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) called for urgent steps to prevent more than 1 million deaths per year due to indoor air pollution.  She said that everyone was aware that “what does not get measured does not get done”, and, with that in mind, she called on all countries to endorse the Millennium Project target to, by 2015, reduce by half the number of people without access to modern cooking fuels and to make improved cooking technologies widely available.  If women and other affected populations were going to switch from health-damaging traditional cooking and home heating practices, it was essential for countries and civic actors to work together to raise awareness about the options available, she added.

Measures to address indoor air pollution –- particularly its health effects on women -- would need to be integrated into national polices.  She called on developing countries to commit to reviewing their national policies, including in poverty reduction strategy papers (PRSPs) and national development plans to address the health risks from heating and cooking.  She also called on industrialized countries to commit to reviewing their national development cooperation strategies.

When representatives of major groups weighed in, a representative of the scientific and technical community emphasized the necessity of all countries to maintain a sound base of scientific expertise to monitor air quality and make recommendations on targets and controls.  She added that promoting investments in clean vehicle technology was not enough to counter the amount of emissions that would flow from increased personal vehicle use.  Governments should, therefore, promote sustainable land use and environmentally enhanced transport infrastructures, among others.

A representative of business and industry said that Governments should support cleaner energy technologies, which would decrease air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.  Business and Governments should work in partnership to promote technological cooperation and innovative financial arrangements, particularly in developing countries, he added.  The representative of women’s groups said that there appeared to be a lack of broad political will to address indoor air pollution caused by unsustainable heating and cooking practices.

She, therefore, called on Governments to establish mechanisms to seriously monitor the effects of such pollution, promote programmes to educate and raise awareness, draw on local cultural and gender-based expertise in elaborating policies and strategies, and, among other things, consider ways to enhance partnerships between women’s civic organizations, industry and Governments to find comprehensive solutions.

Introduction on Climate Change by Panellists

JOSÉ DOMINGO MIGUEZ, Chair, Executive Board, Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol, said that, as of 1 February, there were 1,597 CDM projects in 55 countries.  Taking into account that the Kyoto Protocol had been in force for just two years, it was a great achievement that, in such short a period, an impressive number of projects were being implemented in developing countries.  They would result in greenhouse gas emission reductions of 2.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent during the seven years of the initial crediting period of those projects.  [The Clean Development Mechanism is an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol allowing industrialized countries with a greenhouse gas reduction commitment to invest in emission reducing projects in developing countries as an alternative to what is generally considered more costly emission reductions in their own countries.]

He said that, of the 1,597 CDM project activities, 482 had already been registered by the Executive Board, as they had completed the regulatory phase of the CDM cycle and represented around 900 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent of estimated emissions reductions in the seven years of the crediting period.  One hundred thirty-five of those registered projects had not only been implemented, but had already reduced emissions representing approximately 27 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.  CDM had already created a $24 billion carbon credit market and an annual revenue flow of $3 billion from carbon credits.  Those were basically financing project activities that, in addition to emission reduction, would contribute to the sustainable development of developing countries.

The Clean Development Mechanism was leveraging new investments in new types of projects in developing countries that would never have occurred in the absence of the Kyoto Protocol, he said.  It had increased the institutional capacity in developing countries to deal with climate change and had built capacity in terms of human resources in all countries participating in CDM.  The projects had achieved important innovation though the development of new technologies and processes and had resulted in additional benefits, such as job generation, less environmental impact, less local pollution, less consumption of energy and improved energy efficiency.

He said the CDM was an innovative and pioneering mechanism that had introduced the concept of emission reductions in the private sector of developing countries.  It had led to real and measurable emission reduction that had only been possible because of the Kyoto Protocol.

Panellist RICHARD MOSS, Senior Director, Climate Change Programme, United Nations Foundation (UNF), highlighted key recommendations from the just-released UNF-Sigma Xi report, Confronting Climate Change:  Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable.  The report had been compiled by 18 experts from 11 countries over a two-year period.  It was based on the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which had just released its own report, but differed in that it set out a road map for an accelerated global response to climate change.

He stressed that the report was not a comprehensive review, but listed a few measures with strong co-benefits, particularly in the Commission’s areas of concern -- economic development, social development and environmental protection.  The report conveyed a sense of urgency that the international community must coordinate on implementation now, rather than waiting for Governments to reach agreements on a timetable for action to address the phenomenon.

The report stressed that climate change was indeed under way and that people were experiencing it in their daily lives.  There were increased incidents of extreme weather events, accelerated sea-level rise, and receding ecosystem boundaries.  Climate change was also having an impact on water resources, agriculture, human health and infrastructure.  At the same time, the report conveyed a sense of opportunity and stressed that responding to climate change could advance the Millennium Development Goals through such strategies as domestic production of bio-energy on a sustainable and decentralized basis, which could generate jobs, among other benefits.

Other strategies included creating and rebuilding cities to be climate resilient and climate friendly, and increasing access to modern energy carriers and thus avoiding unsustainable use of fuelwood.  He said that, overall, the report’s road map focused on integrated mitigation/adaptation strategies.  While there was no “silver bullet”, a comprehensive approach could yield benefits.  For mitigation, he said the report recommended, among other things, improving the efficiency of the transportation sector, expanding the use of bio-energy, as well as promoting reforestation, afforestation and improved land-use practices.

Turning to adaptation, he said the report recommended, among other things, conducting detailed vulnerability assessments and incorporating adaptation into local sustainable development strategies, bolstering existing financial mechanisms to help the most vulnerable countries cope with unavoidable impacts, and including climate change concerns in the design of protected areas and efforts to maintain biodiversity.  Finally, he said the report stressed that the international community had the means to avoid the world it was creating with its “business as usual” approach, by choosing a path that transformed society, increased access to energy, and aggressively addressed the climate change issue.  The challenge for the Commission was to identify priority actions that promoted development and positive climate change outcomes.  He said that it was time to move beyond “information exchange” and start to take action at all levels.

Interactive Discussion

Despite their negligible contribution to climate change, its adverse effects -- sea-level rise, increase in frequency and intensity of hurricanes, cyclones and other weather events -- threatened the sustainable development and existence of the small island developing States, a representative of that group of States said.  For many of them, dangerous climate change was already occurring.  There was now scientific certainty that the opportunity to avoid irreversible and unimaginable damage to the climate system would be lost if urgent and ambitious action was not taken.  The international community must, therefore, support small island developing States in the development and implementation of national climate change plans through the provision of additional resources, technical assistance and capacity-building.  Small island developing States’ access to and use of the Clean Development Mechanism should be maximized.  Small island developing States, and the proper representation of their concerns, were being marginalized and undermined.

Speakers noted that the international community had worked long and hard on the question of climate change and had, through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, laid down the basic principles for a response to the issue.  Some warned that climate change posed a serious challenge to developing countries, given their inadequate means and capacities and the challenge of socio-economic development, including eradication of poverty.  The livelihood and existence of many developing countries, particularly in Africa, were threatened by climate change, including through drought and desertification.

A representative of a group of developing countries said that perhaps the most formidable challenges in addressing climate change included the lack of commitment to the Kyoto Protocol; inadequacy of financial resources for adaptation efforts; degradation of natural resources; weak or absent systems of climate observation; insufficient national institutional capacity for participation in CDMs; and inadequate insurance markets and arrangements to deal with extreme weather events associated with climate change.  Those challenges called for the design of effective mitigation and adaptation policies.  Those policies should include:  reduction in carbon emissions; promotion of technological innovation; financial incentives to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide; and promotion of the use of renewable energy resources.

She stressed that adaptation policies for developing countries should be intensified by strengthening funding mechanisms, capacity-building, access to adaptation technologies and strengthening climate observation systems.  North-South and South-South cooperation in research, development and demonstration initiatives should be enhanced, as should be national institutional capacities for participation in Clean Development Mechanisms.  The removal of barriers to equal and even penetration of Clean Development Mechanism projects in all developing countries should be encouraged, including the reduction of transaction costs.

Other representatives from developing countries underlined that, in addressing the adverse impacts of climate change, the internationally agreed principles enshrined in the Rio Declaration should apply, including those of common but differentiated responsibilities; corporate social and environmental responsibility and accountability; sustainable patterns of production and consumption; as well as that of the polluter pays. Developing countries were going to suffer disproportionately if the international community continued the game in which almost everybody waited for someone else to take action.

A representative of a group of developed countries said that climate change was more than a threat to the environment; it threatened international prosperity, security and development.  It was in the global interest of developed countries to work together, and in partnership with major emerging economies, to take urgent actions in order to achieve the substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions necessary to avoid dangerous climate change.  Climate change should be fully integrated within national and international development policy and planning.

Noting that the IPCC Fourth Assessment report provided more certainty on the link between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, he stressed the need for implementation of all commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  Industrialized countries should play a leadership role in demonstrating that it was possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while achieving positive economic and social development.

Another speaker representing a developed country noted that energy investments were usually locked in for 30 years.  Some $20 trillion in investments were foreseen over 25 years, half of it in developing countries.  There was, therefore, only a 10-to-15-year window to influence the course of climate change.  Market forces did not suffice to reduce required emissions.  Governments must do more to increase energy efficiency.  Developed countries must work together to achieve substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Many speakers called on developed countries to fulfil their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  The Kyoto Protocol Adaptation Fund, funded with a share of proceeds on credits generated by the Clean Development Mechanism, could then support concrete adaptation projects in developing countries.  A comprehensive strategy for addressing climate change should include both adaptation and mitigation, as well as assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition.  Some speakers warned that, without carbon capture and storage, there could be no reduction in greenhouse gas levels.  Carbon capture and storage projects should, therefore, be one of the main venues for developing countries.

Addressing the matter of international cooperation to address climate change after the close of the first commitment period under the Framework Convention at the end of 2012, some speakers urged that agreement should be reached by 2008 or 2009, so that there would be no gap after 2012.  The developed countries, who were mostly responsible for climate change, should continue to take the lead during the second commitment period in greenhouse gas reduction.  The low per-capita emissions by developing countries, on the other hand, should only be understood as survival emissions.

A representative of local authorities said that such authorities would have to implement most policies to adapt to, and mitigate the consequences of, climate change.  A group of 118 cities had decided that every city should have an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and a target for their reductions within a fixed time frame.  They would also have to design a local action plan to address climate change and monitor implementation.

A representative of non-governmental organizations said that climate change had become a reality much faster than all estimates had predicted –- it was an all-encompassing threat to health, agriculture and peace and security, among others, but developing countries were going to suffer disproportionately if urgent action was not taken.  At the same time, all Governments, from the developing world as well as industrialized nations, should realize that the shocking lack of leadership on the global warming issue was doing irreparable harm to the planet and to all people.

He said that the Commission needed to send a clear signal to the climate talks that would continue in May during the second week of its substantive session that it expected a swift start to the negotiations for the second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol with deeper and more comprehensive commitments.

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