Climate Change - Challenges for Development, Ethical Considerations...

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Transnational Youth Seminar 10-15 May 2010, Strasbourg Workshop on Climate Change Viewing Climate Change through a Justice & Peace lens in the light of the MDGs : what could / should be our commitment?

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Transcript of Climate Change - Challenges for Development, Ethical Considerations...

Page 1: Climate Change - Challenges for Development, Ethical Considerations...

Transnational Youth Seminar10-15 May 2010, Strasbourg

Workshop on Climate Change

Viewing Climate Change

through a Justice & Peace lens

in the light of the MDGs :

what could / should be our commitment?

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Outline

1. Climate Change is an environmental issue...

2. ... as much as it is an MDGs issue...

3. ... as much as it is a cultural, spiritual and moral issue.

4. As a faith-based organization: how do we commit ourselves to bring about Climate Justice through action?

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What changes climate?

• Changes in:– Sun’s output– Earth’s orbit– Drifting continents– Volcanic eruptions– Greenhouse gases >> Global Warming

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What is global warming?Increasing greenhouse gases trap more heat

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Greenhouse gases

Nitrous oxide

Water vapor

Carbon dioxideMethane

Sulfur hexafluoride

MethaneOzone

Nitrous oxide

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6Source: World Resources Institute. 2000 estimate.

Energy 61%

Changes in useof soil 18%

Agriculture 14%

Electricity & Heat Generation

Transport

IndustryOther energy

All GHG in CO2 equivalent

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Visible consequences of Climate Change are becoming more apparent

and more frequent

Alarm bells and

Tipping Points

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Effects on Eco Systems

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l?Is Global Warming real?

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should we care?Why should we care?

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Climate Change: basic issues or what is known from

‘best available science’ (IPCC)• Earth’s climate varies naturally – because of a variety

of cosmological and geological processes.

• Ecosystems and life in general have evolved within a narrow band of climatic-environmental conditions.

• “Climate change” refers to an additional, and relatively rapid, change induced by human actions.

• GHG affect the climate system. Concentrations are increasing.

• World average temperature has risen relatively fast over the past 30 years.

• The additional change – of 2°C within a century? – will disrupt the foundations of life on earth.

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Band of historical climatic variability

20

15

1900 21002000

14

16

17

18

13

19Average Global Temperature (OC)

Year205019501860

IPCC (2001) estimatesa 1.4-5.8 oC increase

Low

High

Central estimate = 2.5 oC

This presents a rate-of-change problem for many natural systems/processes

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Climate change: a global social issue for people most at risk

• « Failing to act will consign the poorest 40% of the world’s population – 2.6 billion people – to a grim future, further jeopardising their right to life, access to water and food, good health, decent housing and security. » (Council of Europe, Sept. 2009)

• The poor in the world – with a small ecological footprint – who are least responsible for the current crisis, have least resilience and are least capable to respond or to adapt to the consequences of the crisis.

• Eco-refugees + eco-migrants + victims of eco-conflicts (cf. Development and Climate Justice, CIDSE 2008).

• Coming generations: who cares?

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YouTube- Fight Climate Poverty with Oxfam

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Social dimensions of Climate Change >> Climate Justice

Climate change is as much a challenge for poverty reduction, equitable economic growth, sustainable development and responsible global governance as it is a global environmental issue.

It could undermine or reverse progress in reducing poverty and attaining the other Millennium Development Goals (by 2015), unraveling many of the development gains of recent decades. Cf. UN SG Report, 12 February 2010, nr. 37-38

It already threatens the livelihoods, health and well-being of millions of people, particulary the poorest, most vulnerable communities. What is ‘eco-justice’?

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Our Energy Consuming Dual World

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1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

One Earth is available(The planet’s total bio-capacity = 1.0)

Number of Earths used by humanity

Based on Wackernagel et al, 2002

Num

ber o

f Ear

ths

Ecological Foodprint

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Pax Christi: a Faith-Based Network >>Eco-spirituality: based on biblical, theological

and ethical considerations

Pope John Paul II: «Christians, in particular, realize that their responsibility within creation and their duty towards nature and the Creator are an essential part of their faith». (World Peace Day, 1 Jan. 1990)

Pope Benedict XVI: «If you want to cultivate peace, protect Creation ». (WPD, 1 Jan. 2010) = Justice + Peace + Integrity of Creation.

Eco-ethics: equity + option for the most vulnerable + human rights + climate justice.

06-04-2010_UNESCO_ethical_challenges_of_climate_change.pdf

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Climate JusticeWCC Statement on eco-justice and ecological debt, Sept. 2009

• Ecological debt refers to damage caused over time to ecosystems, places and peoples through production and consumption patterns; and the exploitation of ecosystems at the expense of the equitable rights of other countries, communities or individuals.

• It is primarily the debt owed by industrialized countries in the North to countries of the South on account of historical and current resource plundering, environmental degradation and the disproportionate appropriation of ecological space to dump greenhouse gases (GHGs) and toxic wastes.

• It is also the debt owed by current generations of humanity to future generations. It includes social damages such as the disintegration of indigenous and other communities.

• It encompasses the recognition, repayment and restitution of ecological debt in various ways, including ways of compensation and reparation.

• A cause for transitional justice: an International Environmental Tribunal in The Hague !

• Global governance: politicians + corporate world + civil society.

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The Copenhagen Agreement (Dec. 2009)

• Set goal of limiting global warming to a max. of 2°C over pre-industrial times (IPCC claim) + GHG/CO2 emissions to be cut. But it failed to say how this would be achieved. [Kyoto: >> + 3,5°/4°C!! – IPCC: 30-40% by 2020 and the top end of 80-90% by 2050, based on 1990 levels; Kyoto: > 18%; EU: 20-20-20…].

• One achievement: UN Green Climate Fund of 16,5 billion $ > 2012; 70 billion $ from 2020.

• Accord in December 2010 (Mexico) or 2011?• Better no agreement then a bad one + hope:

civil society & Churches awakening.

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What next—what can we do? What next—what can we do?What next – what can we do?

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The results of our « best available science » invite/urge us to prudential and cautious

personal attitudes and structural decisions geared towards mitigation and adaptation!

Among others: Improve energy-efficiency in buildings Reduce vehicle use Produce more fuel-efficient vehicles Increase alternative energy power (solar,

wind…) Increase nuclear power (?) Develop carbon capture and storage

processes Decrease deforestation/plant forests Thus, bring down our ‘Ecological Foodprint’ !

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Our Ecological Footprint

• My Footprint : http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/

• Our Footprint (buildings – activities...)

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ADVOCACY Calls for a post-2012 global Climate Change Agreement

in line with MDGs1. The recognition and protection of the right of people in

developing countries to their sustainable development, with the prioritisation of vulnerable communities.

2. The provision by industrialised countries of sufficient, predictable, secure and accessible financing, technology sharing and capacity building to support and enable the mitigation and adaptation efforts of developing countries regarding global warming.

3. The limitation of global mean surface temperatures as far below a 2° Celsius increase as possible from pre-industrial levels. In recognition of their ecological debt industrialised countries must assume significant responsibility for making absolute reductions of GHG emissions. (IPCC: 30-40% by 2020 and the top end of 80-90% by 2050, based on 1990 levels.)

4. International Environmental Tribunal in The Hague.

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The earth, our unique home!For God’s sake: take care of Creation.

[email protected] -Thanks.