Political leaders must ramp up climate action, says CARE
BONN, Germany (June 11, 2015) — After ten days of discussions at the UN climate talks here, governments are leaving with very little progress on crafting a new international climate deal. Governments need to agree a new climate deal in Paris in December to set the world on a course for committed climate action. But this requires a step change in ambition to achieve the necessary progress for the new deal. The current lack of progress and inaction increases the injustices of climate change and will only amplify further climate disaster for the world’s poorest people, who whilst having done the least to cause climate change are on the frontline of climate impacts.
Sven Harmeling, Climate Change Advocacy Coordinator with CARE International, comments:
- “Governments are still negotiating at a snail’s pace on the way to a new agreement in Paris, and moving too slow to achieve a fair and ambitious landmark deal. In the next six months, governments must really pick up the pace. A future UN agreement must send clear signals to the world that the injustices of climate change cannot go unabated and the real era of climate action is inevitably upon us. We need to cut emissions right now to limit climate damage. The world’s poor can no longer be left behind but must be at the forefront of support and finance to tackle increasing climate impacts.”
- “The good news out of these weeks is that pressure from the public and business indeed can make a positive difference, as demonstrated through the climate announcements of the G7 leaders. Without political pressure, these agreements would have been much weaker. However, they are still too small steps and we need more urgent action from all governments. “
- “The international community must act now to avoid irreversible climate disruption and further loss and damages from climate impacts. The strong, science-based call by more than 100 developing countries to limit temperature increase to 1.5 degrees must echo in the capitals of the world as a rallying call to action, and to accelerate cuts in emissions and provide new finance. However some countries are trying to bury this progressive goal. Warming above 1.5 degrees will exacerbate the massive social injustice of climate change impacts, exacerbate human rights violations and gender inequalities.
Governments must get to work and not slow down the negotiations by sticking to old positions. Over the summer, several high-level meetings provide opportunities to refocus on the key crunch issues in order to make progress ahead of Paris.
About CARE
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. Our six decades of experience show that when you empower a girl or woman, she becomes a catalyst, creating ripples of positive change that lift up everyone around her. That’s why girls and women are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve education, health, and economic opportunity for everyone. We also work with girls and women to promote social justice, respond to emergencies and confront hunger and climate change. Last year CARE worked in 90 countries and reached more than 72 million people around the world. To learn more, visit care.org.
For more information please contact:
Dwayne Mamo, CARE’s Poverty, Environment and Climate Change Network Communications Coordinator, at +45 2752 8454 or dmamo@careclimatechange.org