Climate Change and Justice - We need a fair deal!

As part of the series of discussions entitled “The world upside down – For a new world risk community”, experts from both North and South met on 24 January 2010 to put forward their case for economically viable energy paths that can help ensure a fairer development of climate policy. The event was sponsored by the Allianz Kulturstiftung, the Munich Re Foundation, the Münchner Kammerspiele and the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

On the panel
Ottmar Edenhofer is involved in the development of fair and sustainable global energy paths. He is Chair of the IPCC’s Working Group III and chief economist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
Saleemul Huq is an expert on global climate change and development/poverty reduction. He is a lead author of the IPCC and Senior Researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development, London.
Johannes Wallacher is an ethicist and globalisation expert. He is Professor of Social Sciences and Economic Ethics at the Munich School of Philosophy.

Panel moderator
Harald Lesch is Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich. He also presents various science programmes on German TV (BR, ZDF).

The topic of climate change and justice has become more relevant than ever following the failure of the global climate summit COP 15 in Copenhagen last December. While man-made climate change is mainly caused by the industrialised nations, its effects are most keenly felt by the poor in developing countries, the very people who are least able to adapt to changing environmental conditions. As this enormous global injustice brings with it a significant potential for conflict, it is vital that international climate policy address the issue of global fairness. We urgently need an accepted energy roadmap, a global deal that limits global warming to a manageable level and at the same time creates realistic possibilities for action and development in poor countries. Everybody, rich or poor, has a part to play in protecting the climate. Our societies, countries and cultures only have a realistic chance of sharing a common future if the benefits and obligations are fairly distributed.

These were the pressing questions tackled by Edenhofer, Huq and Wallacher on this Sunday morning. Chaired by Harald Lesch, the discussion session made one thing in particular very clear: the failure of Copenhagen means a global climate deal is as far away as ever. Edenhofer pointed out that it was not just the stonewalling tactics adopted by the G2 of USA and China that had led to the disappointing outcome in Copenhagen but also Europe’s failure to grasp responsibility and assume a leading role in the talks. Now is the time to step up investment in technological measures. Huq also highlighted the fact that even the 2°C target referred to in the Copenhagen protocol would spell disaster for millions of people living on low-lying islands and other coastal regions of the world. Further adaptation strategies  urgently need to be developed and supported. In Wallacher’s view, Copenhagen provided further proof that the fight against climate change cannot be left to international politics alone. Global society as a whole needs to change its way of thinking. If we can do that and tackle the challenges from all sides, we stand a real chance of achieving sustainable development. 

05 February 2010