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.
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.
On April 25, 2015, Nepal was struck by a massive 7.6 magnitude earthquake that left nearly 9,000 people dead and destroyed or damaged more than 850,000 homes. Many of the affected people have received some support from the Government of Nepal and aid organisations, but others are still waiting for assistance. The government’s response has been beset by delays, and for the past month the country has been in the grip of a fuel crisis.
As well as destroying and damaging homes, the earthquake also severely impacted employment, and six months on many are still struggling to find work, while those who do often report that their incomes are below pre-earthquake levels. Women, children, the elderly, ethnic minorities, those disadvantaged by the caste system and people living with disabilities have all been disproportionately affected by the earthquake and its aftermath. The problem of landlessness, widespread before the quake, has also worsened.
As winter approaches, the situation needs to be urgently addressed and recovery and reconstruction put back on track. This joint-agency media briefing summarizes the current situation and the challenges to be overcome as the effort continues.
Action needed on aid, refuge, and to end the bloodshed
The arrival of tens of thousands of Syrians to Europe’s borders and the shocking deaths of women, children and men on their perilous journey has been a sharp reminder to the international community of the tragedy engulfing the people of Syria. Syrians put themselves and their families at so much risk only out of sheer desperation.
The international community has failed so far to address the spiralling catastrophe in Syria. Oxfam is calling for urgent and immediate action by the international community to deal with this deepening crisis: to fully fund the aid response, to offer refuge to those who have fled the country including through resettlement of a fair share of the refugee population, to halt the transfer of arms and ammunition and to revive concerted efforts towards a resolution of the crisis.
Millions of poor people in the Pacific face hunger and poverty this year and next because of droughts and erratic rains as global temperatures reach new records, and because of the onset of a powerful El Niño – the climate phenomenon that develops in the tropical Pacific and brings extreme weather to several regions of the world. The combination of record warmth one year followed by an El Niño the next is unique and the climatic implications are uncertain. If 2016 follows a similar pattern, we are entering uncharted waters.
Recently leaders adopted an historic new goal of eradicating hunger by 2030, as part of the new Sustainable Development Goals. This unfolding crisis shows the scale of the threat that climate change poses to its realisation. Governments and agencies must scale up emergency preparedness measures to prevent what are still manageable food crises developing into major humanitarian disasters. December’s UN climate talks in Paris will be a crucial opportunity to strike an agreement that delivers for the women, men and children on the frontlines of climate change.
Saturday 13 September 2015 marked six months since Tropical Cyclone Pam struck Vanuatu causing widespread destruction across the eastern and south-eastern islands of the country and affecting about 188,000 people across 22 islands. An estimated 15,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, about 96% of food stocks were decimated and the water supply of 110,000 people was disrupted, destroyed or contaminated. Thanks to the generosity of donors and supporters from across the globe, Oxfam’s response to Tropical Cyclone Pam has reached close to 25,000 people in the first six months. Humanitarian activities have now moved from the response phase into the recovery phase. Oxfam’s programming for the next period will reflect this shift in focus, as well as the predicted impacts of El Niño on weather patterns.
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