2009 Report
available now
This report breaks new ground in applying a human development approach to the study of migration.
Learn more
Receive monthly updates on new research, report launches and events.
Learn more
Panapress
Abuja, Nigeria - Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua has called for an
immediate reduction in greenhouse gases to avert global climate
disaster.
"Rich countries must cut emissions drastically," President Yar'Adua
said while performing the Africa Regional launch of the UNDP's Human
Development Report (HDR) 2007/2008 – Fighting climate change: Human
solidarity in a divided world - in the capital city of Abuja Tuesday.
He expressed his pleasure over the choice of Nigeria as the host of the
Africa Regional launch of the HDR which, in his view, will necessitate
the position of Nigeria as the Vanguard of Climate Change in Africa.
The President remarked that the theme of this year's report "Fighting
climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world", was very topical
particularly to Africa, in many respects.
He said while the countries contributing substantially to global
emission of greenhouse gases were least affected by the negative impact
of the climatic shocks, countries most vulnerable to climate change
minimally contribute to climate change.
The Nigerian leader said such countries were also least able to protect
themselves from the effects of such emissions – a clear indication that
developing countries were paying high price for the actions of advanced
nations.
He called on world leaders to see climatic change as an urgent matter
which, if not addressed, will derail Africa's progress towards the MDGs
by 2015.
"While the report is advocating a reduction by 30% by 2020 and 80% by
2050 from advanced countries, I think the 30% must be reached before
2015 if they really want Africa to reach the MDGs", he said.
President Yar'Adua commended the United Nations for providing strong
leadership by including climate change on its priority agenda.
On the national side, he said his government would not tolerate gas
flaring in the Niger Delta beyond 2008, and enjoined his colleagues in
other African countries to face the challenge of climate change as a
matter of priority by acting "NOW".
On his part, Gilbert Houngbo, UN Assistant Secretary-General and
Regional Director for Africa, UNDP, gave highlights of the report,
which brings to the fore the alarming fact that wealthy countries'
carbon footprint threatens to stamp out progress in Africa if effective
mitigation efforts are not put in place.
The implications for sub-Saharan Africa, where nearly 550 million
people reside, and for other developing regions of the world, will be a
reversal in advances in the areas of health, education and
poverty-reduction.
"For Africa, the double mitigation challenge is the need for energy
security and energy access by finding ways to attract enough direct
investment to meet the growing energy demand and to drive investments
towards lower carbon technologies," Houngbo said.
The launch attracted state governors, top government officials at
national and state levels, as well as parliamentarians, the
international community, academia, media and civil society
organizations.
As part of its yearly contribution to global development, the UNDP
commissions an independent Human Development Report (HDR), which sets
the stage for debates on some of the most pressing challenges facing
humanity.
This year's report dealing with the challenges of climate change was launched globally in Brasilia, Brazil, 27 November.
Traditionally, one country is selected in each continent to host the
regional launch of the report on the same day as it is being launched
globally.
The UNDP HDR 2007/2008 builds on the recently-released
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Synthesis Report to
set out a pathway for climate change negotiations in Bali, Indonesia,
and stresses that a narrow 10-year window of opportunity remains to put
it into practice.
The report noted that if each poor person on the planet had the same
energy-rich lifestyle as an American or Canadian, nine planets would be
needed to safely cope with the pollution.
In fact, the US state of Texas, with 23million people, emits more
carbon dioxide than all of the 720 million residents of sub-Saharan
Africa put together, says the report.
It concludes that "one of the hardest lessons taught by climate change
is that the economic model which drives growth and the profligate
consumption in rich nations that goes with it, is ecologically
unsustainable".
But the authors argue, "with the right reforms, it is not too late to
cut greenhouse gas emissions to sustainable levels without sacrificing
economic growth: that rising prosperity and climate security are not
conflicting objectives".
Return to the list <<<<<
