EU Commissioner Outlines Connections between Climate Change and Sustainable Development

From a speech today by EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, in New York for the 15th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development.

"Climate change, together with poverty, is perhaps the greatest threat to sustainable development... If we fail to act boldly enough, climate change is almost certain to reach dangerous levels that will undermine the stability and prosperity of our societies and jeopardise the very survival of small island states and low-lying areas. We know that climate change will severely affect food production in many parts of Africa...

"The Stern Review projects that if we do nothing to control emissions, climate change will eventually wreak damage costing between 5% and as much as 20% of global GDP each year... Tackling climate change is therefore the pro-growth strategy for the long term...

"Emissions from the developing countries collectively are rising fast... There are many options for cutting developing countries' emissions that would actually deliver immediate economic and social benefits and would not hinder their efforts to grow and escape poverty. Increasing energy efficiency and reducing air pollution are two examples.

"We in the developed world have a duty to help developing countries not only to mitigate climate change but also to minimise its inevitable impacts by adapting to it. The European Commission is planning to help address this through a new initiative, the Global Climate Policy Alliance, that will support adaptation activities in the least developed countries in particular."

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