Copenhagen is closer:  developed countries must put climate financing on the table

Governments must move beyond the rhetoric of the past few days to quicken the pace of global climate change negotiations which begin in Bangkok from Monday 28 September, to avoid plunging millions of people further into poverty, Oxfam International said today.

The UN climate change negotiations, which continue until Friday 9 October, will come hot on the heels of G20 talks in Pittsburgh and will take place in one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change in the world, the Asia-Pacific.

Oxfam International Senior Climate Adviser Antonio Hill said that with the UN Climate Change Negotiations in Copenhagen just around the corner in December, developed countries needed to show they were serious about securing a fair and safe global climate agreement by committing to financing for developing countries.

“There is still time to secure a climate agreement that will prevent a human catastrophe,” Mr Hill said.  “Developed countries can break the deadlock at the heart of these negotiations and show they mean business by committing at least US$150 billion to help people in developing countries adapt to the escalating impacts of climate change and reduce their emissions.

“This should be part of a transparent Global Fund administered by the UN.  Importantly, the funds need to be additional to existing aid commitments otherwise efforts to reduce poverty will be reversed.  A global deal will be impossible without real help for poor countries on top of existing aid promises.”

People in poor countries are least responsible for causing climate change but are bearing the brunt of its impacts, from more frequent storms and cyclones to increased drought.

“Climate change impacts can be seen right here in Thailand, the world’s leading rice exporter,” Mr Hill said.  “The area where the highest quality jasmine rice is grown is under threat, as prolonged droughts followed by more intense rainfall are devastating crops and people’s livelihoods.”

He said that collectively, developed countries needed to cut their emissions by 40 per cent by 2020, which is what the science said was needed to avoid catastrophic climate change.

Many developing countries had already taken significant steps to reduce emissions and signalled their willingness to discuss further action – provided that developed countries provide financial and technological support.

“Meanwhile, developed countries are still dodging the issue of financing for developing countries, which is a crucial roadblock in the climate negotiations,” Mr Hill said.  “Asking a developing country to adapt to climate change and contribute emissions reductions without the financing on the table is like asking them to buy a house without ensuring they have the means to make repayments.”

NOTES

Oxfam will have spokespeople at the talks from countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Spain, the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand.  We can arrange interviews in a range of languages.

International media – contact Laurelle Keough – before event:  +61 409 960 100, at event: +66 86 530 8394 or laurellek@oxfam.org.au; Regional media – contact Uamdao Noikorn – +66 81 855 3196 / unoikorn@oxfam.org.uk