What will the Paris climate change agreement be remembered for? People demanded action. After sleeping for too long, leaders opened their eyes. But it’s a mixed bag – powerful governments failed to put our common interest at the forefront.
The Paris climate deal has brought the world’s powers together but is set to short-change the poorest and most vulnerable people as they struggle with the burgeoning reality of rising sea-levels, floods and drought Oxfam warned today.
[Read more…] about Paris climate deal offers frayed life-line
This article originally appeard in the New Zealand Herald, December 11, 2015 by Rachael Le Mesurier, Executive Director, Oxfam New Zealand.
Climate change is inextricably linked to economic inequality: it is a crisis that is driven by the greenhouse gas emissions of the “haves” that hits the “have-nots” the hardest.
The poorest half of the global population – around 3.5 billion people – are responsible for only around 10 per cent of total global emissions attributed to individual consumption, yet live overwhelmingly in the countries most vulnerable to climate change.
The poorest half of the world’s population – 3.5 billion people – is responsible for just 10 per cent of climate change pollution, despite being the most threatened by the catastrophic storms, droughts, and other severe weather shocks linked to climate change.
There is likely to be a climate deal in Paris. The emission pledges that more than 150 governments have put on the table this year show that global climate ambition is increasing. But much more is needed, as it’s a deal that could still lead to around 3°C of warming. New Oxfam-commissioned research estimates that compared with 2°C, developing countries could be faced with an additional US$600bn per year in economic losses by 2050, and see their adaptation finance needs raised by almost US$300bn per year by the same date. But there is still scope for a stronger deal.
In this media briefing Oxfam looks at potential game-changers on finance and mitigation ambition that could avert these costs for the world’s poorest people. These are the issues that will determine whether the Paris deal reflects the power of the biggest fossil fuel emitters and elites, or is a turning point which starts to address the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable.
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