Climate and Development
Climate change is not a crisis of developing countries' making, yet the impacts of global climate change will disproportionately hit the world's poorest people.
The Challenge
The impact of climate change presents a new hurdle in the fight against extreme poverty and disease. Experts predict that in many sub-Saharan African countries, climate change could mean more frequent drought and floods, water scarcity, and increased health challenges such as under-nutrition. These new challenges will not only make achieving the Millennium Development Goals more difficult, but could also threaten some of the progress already made in fighting extreme poverty and disease.
The Opportunity
Global climate negotiations offer international leaders a unique opportunity to address the impact climate change is having on the world's poor. This will require action on two fronts: adaptation to help poor countries cope with the impact of climate change, and mitigation to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and avoid future emissions in developing countries.
In partnering with poor countries towards a global climate deal, it is important that world leaders view sub-Saharan Africa not as another problem to be solved, but as an opportunity for solutions. Preserving sub-Saharan Africa's vast rainforests, for example, could help offset global emissions, and down the road Africa's potential for solar, geothermal and even biomass could provide new resources for clean energy.
Learn more, read the full Climate and Development Issue Brief...
Related Press Releases
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Without ‘additionality’ of climate funds, Copenhagen adds up to nothing
An agreement of $10bn a year in fast track financing for the next three years and $100bn a year by 2020 for poor countries to cope with climate change must come over and above existing aid promises, Africa advocacy group ONE said today. MORE
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ONE reaction to G20 Finance Ministers meeting in St Andrews
Warm words alone won't fight poverty or climate change. While the hosts can be commended for trying, the G20 collectively have failed to ensure that the resources to help the poorest countries adapt to climate change would be additional to existing development assistance. MORE
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Global climate deal ‘matter of life and death’ for millions in Africa - ONE
Finance Ministers from G20 countries meeting in Scotland this weekend are being urged to keep the world's poorest high on their agenda as they discuss how to help developing countries adapt to the disastrous impacts of climate change - and contribute to stemming its rise. MORE
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“Hold G20 Summit in Africa”, anti-poverty group urges
World leaders meeting at the Group of 20 (G20) Summit in Pittsburgh are being urged by the advocacy group ONE to put Africa at the heart of global recovery efforts by agreeing to hold a future summit on the continent in 2010. MORE
Quick Facts
75-250 million people
in sub-Saharan Africa could be exposed to increased water stress by 2020 as a result of climate change.
260-320 million more people
could be living in malaria-infested areas by 2080 as a result of changing global temperatures.
The forests of the Congo basin span 700,000 square miles,
making it one of the world's most important carbon sinks.
Related Policy Analysis
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Policy Brief
AFRICA AND THE GLOBAL CLIMATE DEAL -
Policy Brief
Summary of Recommendations for the 2009 Pittsburgh G20 Summit -
Issue Brief
The Millennium Development Goals -
Issue Brief
Climate and Development