CWS UN Office tracks increasing focus on climate change

Michael Neuroth, who joined Church World Service in July as Associate for Analysis and Advocacy at the CWS United Nations Office. Photo: CWS

August 28, 2007

Over the past few months, the countries that make up the United Nations and its General Assembly have expressed a sincere commitment to increase attention on global climate change.

“I am convinced that this challenge and what we do about it, will define us, our era and, ultimately, our global legacy,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said as he opened the first ever informal thematic debate of the General Assembly on climate change - http://www.un.org/climatechange/.

Held over two days in July, this event captured the growing concern of countries that are experiencing first hand the impact of climate change.

The debate brought together experts from a range disciplines to lay the scientific and economic basis for concern on the issue. These experts continually referenced the compelling evidence offered by the ongoing work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which has become a “study of studies” by amassing a comprehensive analysis of climate change studies which have been completed around the globe.

Participating countries seemed less interested in disputing evidence and rather focused on sharing stories of how they are directly being impacted and “best practices” of how to move forward.

Some of the most compelling voices throughout the discussion were those of countries that were already acutely experiencing the direct impact of climate change. Representatives of developing countries, and particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS), reminded the gathering that the devastating impact on crops and shorelines that many countries fear is already wreaking havoc in these countries.

In addition to expert presentations on the science and economic impact of climate change, the event also highlighted the voices of several non-governmental organizations that address the issue of climate change. Director of the Center for Science and Environment Sunita Narain raised the question of the impact of climate change on the poor. “It is clear that the poor—who have not created the problem—are the worst victims . . . this is not about abstract facts, but about people,” said Narain.

Church World Service particularly echoes this concern for how climate change is currently and will continue to impact the world's most vulnerable. Climate change has become a critical issue for Church World Service and CWS is committed to focusing its advocacy efforts in both Washington DC and at the UN on addressing this crisis.

CWS and its ecumenical partners will host a panel and worship service on climate change. The September 6 event at the Churches Center at the United Nations is taking place during the annual gathering of the largest assembly of NGOs affiliated with the UN. The focus of this year's NGO meeting is climate change.

The new Associate in CWS' Education and Advocacy program, Michael Neuroth, recently began working at the CWS UN office and will be lifting up CWS' voice on climate change and other policy issues in the coming months.

In December, the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meets in Bali. The week-long Bali meeting in December would culminate in a three-day high-level session that would provide the opportunity for launching an intensive two-year negotiating period leading up to the 2012 goal of the Kyoto first commitment. Governments will have a unique opportunity to build common ground to fight climate change.