BLADE

Climate change: what’s all the fuss about?

 

(Photo credit: G.M.B. Akash)

Alex Kirby, of Panos London provides a good introduction to the issue of climate change.  He looks at the causes of climate change, the likely effects, and various mitigation strategies.  

According to Kirby,  "a serious response to the threat of climate change will need policy choices by and between governments, on both mitigation and adaptation. Preventing climate change is impossible, because the amount of long-lasting greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere means it would continue warming for 30 years or more even if emissions stopped overnight."

Click here to read the full article.

Joji Cariño raises indigenous peoples' concerns on climate change

Amila de Saram Larssen

I had the opportunity to talk with Joji Cariño, of the Indigenous Peoples’ International Center for Policy Research and Education (Tebtebba Foundation) of the Philippines, at the  Rights, Forests and Climate Change conference in Oslo.  She spoke of the perspectives and initiatives of indigenous and community organizations on the climate issue. 

Cariño believes that more focus should be put on local mitigation and adaptation measures.  During the course of our talk, she shared her thoughts on the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD),the World Bank’s Forest Investment Programme,and the upcoming Indigenous Peoples' Global Summit on Climate Change.

Globalization must benefit all

Juan Samovia, ILO

Amila de Saram Larssen

This was the central theme of the “Decent Work: A key to social justice for a fair globalization”conference held in Oslo today.  

The goal of the conference was to advance the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Decent Work Agenda, a development strategy that acknowledges the central role of work in people's lives.

Several big names were in attendance, including Jonas Gahr Støre, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway;  Juan Somavia, Director General, ILO (pictured above); Pascal Lamy, Director General, World Trade Organization (WTO); and Mary Robinson, human rights activist and former President of Ireland. In all, 31 countries were represented at the conference.

Almost all the presenters highlighted the need for governments, labour unions, employers, civil society, and multi-lateral organizations like the ILO and WTO to work together, in order to further the Decent Work Agenda.  

If one had to choose a single buzzword to describe the main challenge facing the Decent Work Agenda, it would be coherence, and specifically the lack of it, the difficulties in reaching it and the necessity for it.  Pascal Lamy used the example of Norway to illustrate the “problem” of coherence, citing Norway’s development polices vis-à-vis the issues of animal welfare and agricultural protectionism. 

Although the line-up of speakers was impressive, presenters tended to speak in broad generalities and little concrete information about the initiative was presented.  As a result, there was almost no real debate and discussion about key issues.  

One wonders why the conference organizers did not invite participants of the Decent Work Pilot Programme, an initiative involving eight countries begun in 2000 to pioneer ways in which the concept of decent work could be effectively promoted and applied in ILO member countries, to share their experiences.  Surely, this would have made for a more productive conference. 

Solheim promises Forest Money to Papua New Guinea

 

By Amila de Saram Larssen and Jan Speed

Gunnar Zachrisen (pictured above), the editor of Bistandsaktuelt, recently covered the Minister of the Environment and International Development, Erik Solheim's  visit to Papua New Guinea. 

Mr. Solheim met with the Prime Minister, the Hon Sir Michael Somare in Port Moresby for talks on deforestation and forest degradation. He also had meetings with several other Minister, including the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Abal, the Minister for Environment and Conservation, Benny Allan, and the Minister for Petroleum and Energy, William Duma. He also met with PNG's Special Envoy and Climate Ambassador, Mr. Kevin Conrad.

Click below to hear an excerpt of my interview with Mr. Zachrisen.