Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Rolph Payet explained the human failures which have led to climate change

From: 7th Space Interactive

Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Rolph Payet explained the human failures which have led to climate change and outlined his blueprint to overcome them at a special lecture in London.
At the event on 28 May he also launched and praised the new postgraduate distance learning module Climate Change and Development, which is run by the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

Dr Rolph Payet (left) being presented with one of CeDEP's distance learning module study packs by Professor Andrew Dorward (right), Academic Director, Centre for Development, Environment and Policy, part of the School of Oriental and African Studies.

 

Payet, from the Seychelles, was the lead author with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and he shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize jointly awarded to the IPCC and Al Gore. He is also a University of London External System alumnus.
During the lecture organised by the University of London External System, the London International Development Centre (LIDC) and the Centre for Development, Environment and Policy (CeDEP) at SOAS, Payet set out his ambitious hopes for the UN climate change conference in December. He wants the Copenhagen package to include:
- Agreeing on mechanisms that would lead to a reduction in greenhouse gases to 350-400 parts per million.
- Applying the polluter pays principle.
- Valuing the ecosystem in investment projects.
- Promoting sustainable green jobs.
The Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of the Seychelles emphasised the benefits of adopting multidisciplinary and integrated approaches towards climate change and development. He explained how climate change mitigation and adaptation are not mutually exclusive and how strategies such as coastal tree planting can benefit both mitigation and adaption efforts. Payet said he saw the current economic crisis as an "opportunity" to reassess the existing global economy and he has "hope" for the future.
His lecture, delivered at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, charted the "mistakes" which have led to climate change and are posing threats to small island states like the Seychelles. He spoke of the root causes of carbon emissions, including:
- Not paying the real environmental costs of human actions.
- Over-consumption.
- Failure to drive technological innovation.
- Lack of political solutions.
Payet illustrated the gross distortions in global consumption patterns: how the richest 20 per cent of the world's population consume 86 per cent of goods and services and 58 per cent of all energy supplies. His lecture also referred to the Icarus effect - how people do not react until they fly too close to the sun. Another warning referred to the prediction that sea level rise could cause the mass migration of 602 million people as land disappears and becomes uninhabitable. Payet added: "The issue of climate change is a wake-up call. Climate change has shown that actions in your homes have an impact upon me. We need to move away from thinking in silos and have to admit to our weaknesses before we move forward."
The new Climate Change and Development distance learning module, run by CeDEP, was also launched at the event entitled Countdown to Copenhagen: What Next for Climate Change and International Development? Payet said the module would help students and professionals to approach the complex issue of climate change and development in a multidisciplinary way and encourage them to ask the right questions. The module provides a foundational understanding of core natural and social science processes and of technical and policy issues, and will be available worldwide from February 2010.
Notes to editors
The London International Development Centre (LIDC) is a collaborative project which brings together social and natural scientists from across the University of London's six Bloomsbury Colleges (Birkbeck, Institute of Education, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Royal Veterinary College, School of Oriental and African Studies, and The School of Pharmacy).
LIDC aims to:
- Develop high quality interdisciplinary research between the Colleges and other parties.
- Develop new and innovative teaching programmes to support development goals.
- Inform national and international policies on development through linking research, policy and practice.
- Build capacity in low- and middle-income countries to address the needs of higher education and research institutions, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and governments.
To find out more about LIDC, its activities and events visit: www.lidc.org.uk
For further information contact:
Guy Collender
Communications Officer
London International Development Centre
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7958 8260
Fax: + 44 (0) 20 3073 8303
Binda Rai
Head of Global Media and Public Relations
University of London External System
Tel: +44 (0)20 7862 8545 (office)
+44 (0)7920 476483 (mobile)

Fisheries to be hit hardest by climate change

Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, 16 May, 2009 (IUCN) – The World Ocean Conference was a significant step towards protecting our oceans, but human pressures on fisheries need to be addressed urgently, says IUCN.

The main highlights of the World Ocean Conference (WOC) hosted by the Government of Indonesia were the adoption of the Manado Ocean Declaration (MOD), a joint statement to work together in safeguarding the function of the oceans in climate change mitigation and adaptation to be put forward in Copenhagen (COP15); and the Coral Triangle Summit where the Heads of states from the six countries involved in the Coral Triangle Initiative signed the first inter-state agreement in the coral triangle towards conservation efforts, supported by an NGO Consortium, as well as a concurrent three-day International Symposium on Ocean Science, Technology and Policy.

90 % of pollutions in Oceans comes from land, and 25 % of the CO₂ from human activities ends up in the ocean. Fisheries are on the frontline of climate change impacts and the coastal communities will be the ones hit the hardest. Coral bleaching as a result of sea temperature rise, increased run-off from land due to increase in percipitation coupled with human induced activities such as overfishing, destruction of mangrove forests and seagrass beds which are important fish spawning grounds will further jeoperdise fish stocks. 

“1.5 billion people depend on fish world wide… Killing the Environment is as serious as killing your neighbour”, says Rolph Payet, Special Advisor to the President, Seychelles and Chair and CEO, Sea Level Rise Foundation.

As fish stocks decline, fishers move out of their ecoomic exclusive zones (EEZ). Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is a serious threat to the sustainability of fisheries globally.  According to a Study of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Arafura Sea by the Indonesian Minsitry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries launched at the conference, the overall loss from IUU fishing in the World Ocean Conference’s host country is USD 2 billion per year. In Indonesia the region most at risk from IUU fishing is the waters around North Sulawesi where the World Ocean Conference took place.

Traditional fishermen from North Sulawesi gathered in the Manado harbour during the conference, to protest against IUU and to urge the ministers and official delegates at the conference to touch on the important issues such as how to protect small scale traditional fisheries from IUU fishing and bigger companies.

The Global Ocean Policy Day provided and ample opportunity for a multistakeholder policy dialogue on oceans, climate and security among high-level government officials together with NGOs, industry and scientists to not only discuss the impacts of climate change but the adaptation and mitigation strategies as well as financing issues.

Bernard Giraud,Director for Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility, DANONE Group and IUCN Councillor, said “We need more private/public partnerships in order to mitigate climate change” in his speech at the Global Ocean Policy day.

“The message coming from Manado is clear-  the state of our oceans is a reality and it is only going to get worse in the face of climate change, but if we take consertive acion now  we may have a better chance of being able to cope with the effects of climate change. The Manado Ocean Declaration is proof of the willingness and commitment to do just that” says, Don Macintosh, Coordinator for the Mangroves for the Future (MFF) Initiative.

For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:

Minna Epps, IUCN Asia Media Relations, m +66 87082 3331, e minna@iucnt.org

Photos/Audio/Video material are available at/from: www.iucn.org/asia

About IUCN

IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges by supporting scientific research; managing field projects all over the world; and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN, international conventions and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.

The world's oldest and largest global environmental network, IUCN is a democratic membership union with more than 1,000 government and NGO member organizations, and almost 11,000 volunteer scientists and experts in some 160 countries. IUCN's work is supported by over 1,000 professional staff in 60 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. IUCN's headquarters are located in Gland, near Geneva, in Switzerland.

www.iucn.org

Rolph Payet warns of fisheries over-exploitation and added consequences of climate change

Highlights for Thursday, 14 May 2009

From: Earth Negotiations Bulletin

On Thursday, 14 May 2009, the World Ocean Conference 2009 (WOC2009) continued its deliberations in Manado, Indonesia. At the Grand Kawanua Centre, participants attended the Ministerial/High Level Meeting, which included an opening plenary, thematic panels on issues surrounding oceans and climate change, and a closed session to adopt the Manado Ocean Declaration. Meanwhile, a variety of side events were held throughout Manado, including: the Manado Ocean Festival; the International Ocean Science, Technology and Industry Exhibition; UNEP Ecosystem-Based Management for Regional Seas; and an event on engaging the private sector in sustainable fisheries management. In the evening, delegates attended a gala dinner hosted by the President of Indonesia.

In front of a backdrop of ocean life, Freddy Numberi, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia, introduced the President

Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, spoke about the specter of climate change confronting our oceans, and his hopes for the Manado Ocean Declaration

Click "play" on the applet below to listen to the song "Save Our Planet" composed by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of Indonesia and performed by the Manado State University Choir

Depending on the bandwith of your Internet connection you may have to wait a few minutes before the song starts.

President Yudhoyono inaugurated the World Ocean Conference

Flanks of media captured President Yudhoyono's address to those assembled for the World Ocean Conference

Mr. and Miss North Sulawesi 2008 contemplate the future of our oceans

Peter Garrett, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Australia, urged delegates to take active steps to address oceanic impacts of climate change rather than leave this task for future generations

Ambassador Melba Pria, Mexican Ambassador for Indonesia, presented on the threats to the ocean

Rolph Payet, Special Advisor to the President of Seychelles, warned delegates that the consequences of fisheries over-exploitation may be further exacerbated by the implications of climate change

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Mary Glackin, Deputy Under Secretary, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), presented on the challenges of climate change

L-R: Laurent Stefanini, Ambassador for the Environment, France, Heherson T. Alvarez, Presidential Adviser on Global Warming and Climate Change, the Philippines, Patricio Bernal, UNESCO, Freddy Numberi, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia

Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, US, addresses the audience in a televised speech

Delegates gathered for a plenary on the effects of climate change on the oceans and coasts

Images from "Skies and Oceans," an exhibition of artwork contributed by 100 children from 20 countries on the theme of ocean resources conservation (a joint initiative of the International Ocean Institute and the World Meteorological Organization)

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Theme Three Panel L-R: Rachmat Witoelar, Minister of Environment, Indonesia; Alfadil Ali Adam, Under Secretary for the Ministry of Environment, Sudan; Patricio Bernal, Assistant Director General, IOC-UNESCO; Angela Cropper, Executive Director for UNEP; Freddy Numberi, Minister for Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia; Gellwynn Jusuf, Ministry for Marine Fisheries Research, Indonesia; Ida Kusuma, Ministry for Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia

Call to save 'dying oceans'

From Aljazeera

A minor rise in sea level could see most island nations under water within this century [AFP]

Indonesia's president has called for a concerted move to save the world's oceans from being destroyed by the effects of climate change, but made no mention of his own country's failings in nature conservation.

In an address to the World Ocean Conference in the Indonesia city of Manado on Thursday, Susilo Bambang Yudhyono called for a global effort to "rescue the oceans" describing it as "a life and death issue for the community of nations".

He said the world's oceans faced a raft of threats from over-fishing, over-exploitation, the extinction of marine species, pollution, and the impact of climate change causing sea temperatures and sea levels to rise.

"We must save them from the ravages of abuse and over-exploitation by humankind, from the havoc due to pollution and dire effects of climate change," he said.

"Today it is time for the world to hear yet another important message: that we can only survive the 21st century if we are united in caring for and preserving our oceans."

Indonesia's failings

Pollution in Indonesia has reached
alarming levels [EPA]

Yudhoyono however avoided mentioning his own country's failings in conserving its environment, ranging from rampant illegal logging to overfishing and the destruction of coral reefs through the use of bombs.

Greenhouse gas emissions from extensive logging of Indonesia's tropical forests have pushed the country to become the world's third-largest emitter behind the US and China.

Illegal fishing and pollution are also widespread, with garbage and diesel oil clogging the waters at Manado's harbour close to the conference venue.

Scientists have warned that hundreds of millions of people will be at risk unless drastic action is taken on climate change.

Hundreds of officials and experts from 70 countries are in Manado for the conference, the first global meeting on the link between oceans and climate change.

The five-day conference is being billed as a prelude to talks in December in Copenhagen which is expected to adopt a new commitment on emission cuts to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

Islands going under

Earlier this week envoys from several island states warned that the issue of rising sea levels, which threatens to wipe whole nations off the map and displace millions of people, was being overlooked in climate change talks.

Overfishing is just one of many threats facing the marine environment [AFP]

The Pacific island states of Kiribati and Tuvalu face a serious risk by even small rises in sea levels, while major cities and densely-populated coastlines from Bangladesh to West Africa could go under this century, the envoys said.

In 2007 the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that up to 150 million people could be displaced by the effects of climate change by 2050, which include sea level rises of as much as 59 centimetres.

Representatives from island nations say major emitters are pushing for greenhouse gas emissions cuts that are too low to prevent devastating sea rises.

The Alliance of Small Island States is pushing for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions of 85 per cent by that deadline.

Rolph Payet, a presidential adviser from the African island nation of the Seychelles, said the issue of what will happen to millions of people fleeing rising waters and droughts, and how to resettle whole nations which could vanish under the waves has been ignored.

"Dealing with environmental refugees will have a much more serious impact on the global economy and global security in fact than what wars have ever done to this planet," he said.

"We have been talking about war refugees, crisis refugees, but not environmental refugees ... it is not an accepted UN word."