9 DECEMBER 2010
"THE STRUGGLE AGAINST
CLIMATE CHANGE: WHAT SHOULD OUR LEGACY BE”
Excellency President
Felipe Calderon,
Excellencies Heads of
State and Government,
Honourable Ministers,
We congratulate our
colleague and friend, President Calderon
for the successful organization of this
important conference, and also the outstanding
hospitality extended to our delegations.
As the hosts of the
next round of talks, the 17th Conference
of the Parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change, in Durban
next year, we have learned a lot from Mexico.
Our participation here
is valuable indeed and we appreciate the
offers of support from the Mexicans and
other nations.
The theme of this Leader's
Dialogue places a heavy responsibility on
us as leaders to look to the future.
It enjoins us to think
now about how future generations will judge
us, based on our response to the challenge
of climate change.
The world is waiting
for good news and progress to emerge from
these negotiations. They look up to us to
come up with meaningful solutions.
The Bali Roadmap set
the two track framework for negotiations
under the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol,
in accordance with the principles of equity
and common but differentiated responsibility
and respective capability.
We dare not delay.
The climate is changing
and regions such as Africa and small island
states are becoming more vulnerable as we
spend hours, months and years deliberating.
Drought in Africa, flooding
in the Phillipines, Pakistan and China,
wild fires in Russia and other parts of
the world are warnings of what lies ahead
if we do not act sooner.
It is estimated that
in some African countries yields from rain-fed
agriculture could be reduced by up to 50%
in the next 20 years.
In addition, between
seventy five and two hundred and fifty million
people are projected to be exposed to increased
water stress by 2020.
Health impacts will
also magnify the challenges of food and
water insecurity. Increasing strain on the
resilience of many ecosystems will affect
the livelihoods of people living in rural
areas.
Considering that the
effect of climate change is already felt
by most developing countries, it is important
that urgent steps be taken to help them
adapt to as well as mitigate the impact
of climate change.
The Copenhagen Accord
provides political direction in this respect
by encouraging developed countries to provide
adequate, predictable and sustainable financial
resources, technology and capacity building
for adaptation action in developing countries.
The Cancun negotiations
must help us move forward.
The talks have to produce
a multilateral climate change regime that
is fair, inclusive and effective, keeping
temperature to well below two degrees celcius
above pre-industrial levels.
In fact more recent
science indicates that one point five degrees
celsius is the safe limit.
We also urge that the
multilateral climate change regime must
strike a balance between climate and development
imperatives.
It must also not jeopardize
economic growth and poverty eradication
priorities of developing countries.
Through our actions,
we also need to respond to the notion that
there is a trade-off to be made between
faster economic growth and the preservation
of our environment.
We must prove that faster
economic growth can be achieved alongside
the sustainable management of our natural
resources.
That is the route we
are following in South Africa.
We are exploring further
the concept of 'green jobs', including scaling
up labour-intensive natural resource management
practices which contribute to decent work
and livelihood opportunities.
We are in particular,
amongst others, pursuing investments in
projects and industries in the fields of
renewable energy, marine aquaculture development,
wildlife management, waste services as well
as ecosystems rehabilitation programmes.
There are many other
initiatives that industrialized nations
can pursue and which some are pursuing already
to protect the future, while not destroying
industries and jobs.
We emphasise the view
that the multilateral climate change regime
must proactively support sustainable development
by enabling a transition to a low carbon
economy, and an equal balance of emphasis
on adaptation and mitigation.
This can be achieved
by ensuring that adaptation is recognized
as an international responsibility requiring
an international legal framework, to enable
and support the implementation of large
scale adaption programmes at international,
regional and national levels.
As agreed in Bali, the
most effective and politically acceptable
way to urgently deliver on these requirements
is through an amendment to the Kyoto Protocol
to establish a second commitment period,
with a comparable legally binding outcome
under the Convention.
Colleagues,
We strongly believe
that we must leave Cancun having agreed
on the over-arching decisions on the legal
form of the eventual outcome of negotiations
under the Convention and the continued negotiation
of a 2nd Commitment Period under the Kyoto
Protocol.
There must also be decisions
on a roadmap and timelines for further negotiations
as well as decisions to support implementation
in the short term.
This will enable Durban
to build on what has been achieved in Cancun,
and to ensure that future generations inherit
a world that is sustainable and climate
resilient.
Working together we
can do more.
Acting now costs far
less than acting later.
I thank you.
