The world faces many challenges. Financial crisis, environmental crisis, poverty crisis, and not least, a climate crisis. Luckily world leaders do acknowledge that there is need for action and a number of different political processes are already ongoing, with an aim to create a better and more sustainable world.
Planned, or a coincidence… in any case several of these processes culminate in 2015, making this year an important year for our future. 2015 could become the year where we get global agreements to combat climate change, to eradicate poverty, to ensure the right to food, and to prevent devastating disasters affecting millions of people every year. Let us make a quick overview.
Firstly, the third world conference on Disaster Risk Reduction will be held in Sendai, Japan. It may not be a process which has received much attention, but it is for sure important. Disasters happen around the world, throughout the year. Millions of people are affected, many die, and many are forced to leave their homes, turning families into refugees. Disasters challenge the possibilities for long term development and growth, and with a changing climate, the risks related to disasters continue to increase. A key element in the debate about disasters is the possibility to cope with their effects. With good preparations, and solid measures to build resilience, the effects on livelihoods, of harsh disasters will be limited, while poor and vulnerable communities may be affected by even small storms and floods.
Secondly, in July, the third international conference on financing for development will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Action is needed to face all of the challenges mentioned in the beginning of this post. However, action is not possible without the necessary means for implementation. Finance is needed, and rich countries have a responsibility to mobilize funding.
Thirdly, in September, the UN General Assembly will have a special session to adopt a global development framework for the world. This meeting is expected to result in a number of Global “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs), which should guide development in both rich and poor countries in the coming years.
Finally, the year ends with a climate summit in Paris, COP21. This meeting is expected to deliver a global climate change agreement, which will help us to adapt to the effects of climate change, and to reduce emissions to ensure that the global temperature won’t increase above critical levels.
Four critical processes. If they succeed to deliver result, we can look forward to a future, with green development, resilience, and fair burden sharing. However, each process is complicated, and faces numerous challenges. The different processes are also linked, so that conflict in one, may have negative effect on another. For example the possibility to get strong SDGs in the meeting in September, will depend on the result from the conference on finance for development in July. And presence, or lack of reference, of climate change in the SDGs, may affect the outcome of the summit in Paris.
2015 has just started, and I chose to be optimistic. Let us hope world leaders take the global challenges we face seriously. Let us hope they turn nice words into action, and let us hope they can agree on a joint way forward where no one is left behind.
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The Climate Action Hub
Building upon the momentum generated by the People's Climate March, The Climate Action Hub focuses the energy and ideas that converged around the 2014 UN Climate Summit to engage civil participation in local, regional and global climate action. The Hub showcases NGOs, eco writers, scientists, bloggers and YOU in a group mission to amplify messaging and promote action on such issues as climate justice, sustainable development and clean energy. It will also serve as a forum for educating and informing the wider public and expand the civil movement to ensure success at the 2015 UNFCCC Paris Climate Summit. Please add any information on climate actions in comments below.
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