General Assembly Session 62 meeting 84

The Acting President

I now give the floor to the representative of Norway.

Mr. Hirsch (Norway)

I am delivering this statement on behalf of Ambassador Juul, who had to attend to another matter at this very moment. Let me assure you, Mr. President, that this does not in any way reflect the priority that Norway gives to the issue of climate change, which is at the top of our, as well as the global, agenda.

"The reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have given us the facts, but we can also see them clearly with our own eyes.

"Norway sees this clearly in the Arctic, where ice is now melting three times faster than expected. Furthermore, the extent of the Arctic Sea ice was at a record low last year. The same tendencies can be seen in the Himalayas and elsewhere. Since ice reflects heat while water absorbs it, the melting of ice is a self-reinforcing process that will further accelerate global warming. The melting of the Arctic ice cover will have ramifications for the climate in regions thousands of kilometres away. For example, it is likely that Asian monsoons, crucial for the livelihoods of millions of people, will be affected.

"As many speakers before have already mentioned, we need action now.

"It is a positive factor that we agreed on the Bali Plan of Action, even though we feel we were not ambitious enough. A global agreement on climate change has to have a common vision that matches the scale of the challenge. Norway agrees with the European Union that to avoid dangerous climate change, global temperatures must rise no more than two degrees above the pre-industrial levels. According to the IPCC, that means that global emissions must peak no later than 2015 and must be reduced at least by half, compared to 2000 levels, no later than 2050.

"Industrialized nations such as Norway and the United States have to have cut emissions by 25 to 40 per cent by 2020. We recognize, however, that what is most important is that we now need to work together and bridge our differences in order to tackle the significant challenges ahead.

"The fact that the greatest burden of global warming will be on the poor, who have the least responsibility for the current state of affairs, also makes climate change a central issue of justice and ethics in world politics today. Industrialized countries therefore need to take the lead in the efforts to tackle climate change, but all countries must be on board and do what they can in accordance with their capabilities.

"The Norwegian Government is ready to play its part and has therefore decided to cut global emissions by an amount equivalent to 100 per cent of our own emissions by 2030. That way, Norway will become a carbon-neutral nation. Norway believes that being a big exporter of oil and gas gives us a particular responsibility to provide a more climate-friendly option for using fossil fuels, including coal, during the transition to a low-carbon energy system.

"According to the International Energy Agency, the use of carbon capture and storage in the industrial, fuel transformation and power generation sectors can account for 20 to 28 per cent of the CO2 emissions savings. Norway is therefore strongly committed to developing carbon capture and storage technologies. Hopefully, our efforts will contribute to making that technology commercially viable at a global scale.

"Furthermore, Norway also recognizes the need to bring emissions from deforestation and forest degradation to a halt and has decided to support forestry efforts in this context with more than $500 million annually. Through effective measures against deforestation, we can achieve large cuts in greenhouse gas emissions quickly and at a low cost.

"We welcome the significant developments at Bali on the need to bring reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation seriously into the negotiations for a post-2012 agreement. This is a difficult sector to tackle, and a comprehensive effort with close cooperation among all parties involved will be necessary to meet all the challenges we face.

"The world cannot choose between development and environment. We need both. In fact, without tackling the problem of climate change, development will be harder to achieve and definitely more costly. Sustainable development will therefore be a key factor. So will developing mechanisms that reward environment-friendly practices. We will also need a major push for new technologies. Rapid technological progress, as well as the rapid transfer of technology, is vital for achieving sustainable development.

"Let me also take this opportunity to welcome the report of the Secretary-General (A/62/644), which gives a useful overview of the activities of the United Nations. I can see from the report that many things are being done at both the local and global levels, but the report also underlines the need for the United Nations to streamline its efforts.

"The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Yvo de Boer, has talked about the need for a 'Climate Change Marshall Plan'. I agree with this idea and the principles behind it, but in this respect it will be important first that the United Nations can deliver as one and, secondly, that it can coordinate and cooperate with international financial institutions, as well as donor and programme countries, so that a 'Climate Change Marshall Plan' can deliver results effectively."

The Acting President

I now give the floor to Mr. Jeem Lippwe, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Federated States of Micronesia.

Mr. Lippwe (Micronesia)

I wish to express my appreciation to the President of the General Assembly for organizing this meeting to discuss the important issue of climate change. It is not only fitting, but indeed appropriate that we do this.

The Human Development Report 2007/2008 addressed the clear link between human development and climate change. In recent years, the people of Micronesia have had to witness the consequences associated with climate change. More intense storms with higher wind speeds, higher tides and wave surges have damaged our subsistence agriculture and fishing, as well as endemic marine and terrestrial species, including coral reefs. Increasingly, extreme weather conditions lead to droughts, destroyed crops, contaminated wells, eroding beaches and unprecedented land slides. These effects pose a great threat to my country's culture, livelihood and sustainable development.

If climate change continues at this pace, we might be forced to abandon our islands. Relocation is already happening in several Pacific islands, including my own. That clearly shows that small island States, which have contributed little to the causes of climate change, are the ones now suffering the most. Their inhabitants are strongly affected by climatic disasters, and are therefore victims of the effects created by the intimate relationship between poverty and exposure to climate risks.

The latest Human Development Report traces climate-related risks to the energy consumption patterns and political choices of the major emitters. We therefore ask those who pollute the most to take responsibility and underwrite the cost of adaptation in developing States, particularly in small island developing States.

Fighting the consequences of climate change leads to a growing dependence on technical and financial support from partners. How can countries like ours, which are so reliant on the environment, improve their current situation if there exists so little international cooperation on the issues of mitigation and adaptation?

Micronesia has already adopted mitigation and adaptation measures in its infrastructure and strategic development plans -- for example, initiatives that protect mangrove areas and coastal beaches and climate-proofing procedures for infrastructure. But the truth is that that is as much as we can do given our financial resources. What opportunities does a small island developing State like Micronesia have? Being a federation of islands, situated only a few metres above sea level, how can we defend ourselves against rising sea levels? One possible solution -- to build sea walls around every island in Micronesia -- would not only mean a huge investment, but it would also be impractical.

Investing in renewable sources of clean energy in vulnerable countries will help us to meet our energy needs and combat climate change. Support for development and the utilization and distribution of renewable energy technologies to small island developing States is necessary. In order to facilitate that, it is important to mainstream the Mauritius Strategy into all United Nations processes.

As climate change progresses, basic human rights -- such as the right to food, the right to safe water, the right to education, health and development and the right to exist -- are in danger, especially for small island developing States. The effects of climate change will slowly remove basic human rights from society. The United Nations must address those interrelations.

Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person". Not to act on the threats climate change imposes on us would lead to a violation of those universal human rights. Forcing inhabitants to leave their ancestral homelands because of changes to the climate caused by other nations would certainly qualify as a violation of article 3.

I want to emphasize that we are all responsible for the future of planet Earth. Engaging actively in the prevention of climate change is a moral obligation that all should be willing to fulfil. The attention paid to climate change worldwide is a step in the right direction. But what we all need to do is to collectively find a way to prevent further damage to the planet for future generations through cooperation and communication. I know this debate is part of that process.

The Acting President

I now give the floor to Ms. Melanie Santizo-Sandoval, the representative of Guatemala.

Ms. Santizo-Sandoval (Guatemala)

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