International Solidarity Conference

Toespraak | 20-11-2007

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. Its a great pleasure to be here. I want to thank the government of Tunisia for organising this conference and inviting me to address this distinguished audience. I am pleased to be speaking about a subject of great urgency: climate change. The fact that you are being threatened by this climate change is particularly distressing, since the problem is primarily caused by our Western countries!

The recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) demonstrate more clearly than ever before how great the challenge of climate change is and how urgently we need to take action. The scientific findings are clear. The fact that the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to former Vice-President Al Gore and the IPCC underlines the fact that climate change is not limited to economics and the environment. It also has the potential to affect security and peace in the world.

This is one of the reasons why the climate conference next month in Bali must be a success. As I said in my opening remarks yesterday, the world is expecting leadership from us in Bali, and we can deliver.
UNEPs recent Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-4) points out that climate change will have significant and long-lasting impact on human well-being and development. It will hinder efforts to meet basic development needs, such as those identified in the Millennium Development Goals.

Developing countries and especially those in Africa, which are subject to multiple environmental stresses and have limited scope to adapt are the ones most at risk from climate change. Land degradation, the main environmental issue in Africa, is being made worse by the pressure from climate change, climate variability and drought.
We are likely to see increased water stress and possible declines in run-off in parts of Northern Africa. In Western and Central Africa, changes in coastal environments such as mangroves could have a negative impact on fishing and tourism, while Southern Africa may have to deal with heightened water stress and a southward expansion of the malaria transmission zone.

The pace of climate change already poses a serious threat to economic development. Failure to respond adequately will frustrate our efforts to reduce poverty. According to the World Bank, 40% of the projects currently funded are under threat from climate change.
Many of the same issues appear on both the climate change agenda and the agenda of poverty reduction: such as access to energy and security of energy supply, the risks arising from deforestation, rising demand for biofuels and higher prices for agricultural products.

Access to energy is one of the major concerns of developing countries. The International Energy Agency has estimated that worldwide demand for energy will grow by 60% by 2030. To meet this demand, investments of 20 trillion dollar in energy infrastructure will be needed, and more than half of this investment will be in developing countries. The ways in which the demand is met, will determine whether climate change is manageable in the longer term.

Another point which the agendas have in common is biodiversity. The UNFCCC discussion on deforestation and the Clean Development Mechanism is a first obvious link. The issue of biofuels for energy purposes is a second crucial topic. Sustainable production of biomass may help to mitigate climate change. But the rising demand for biofuels is generating new risks for biodiversity and the security of food supply. We must be aware of these risks and ensure that we do not create new problems by trying to deal with climate change. The Netherlands is very active in setting up demonstration projects for sustainable production of biomass, together with governments in Africa and South East Asia. And a third crucial point in the context of biodiversity is the preservation and restoration of wetlands, coastal zone management and river flow management. These may contribute to biodiversity and climate change adaptation.

Up to now, Ive been talking about how climate change affects our ability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. But we can also look at it the other way round. Development itself is the tool for tackling climate change.

Sustainable development and poverty reduction can make countries less vulnerable to climate change by enhancing their adaptive capacity. It can also provide them with the resources and capacities needed to make the transition to a low-carbon economy in the future.

Ultimately, every country in the world will need to decarbonise its economy. Technology and innovation will play a key role in reconciling economic growth needs and emission reduction targets.

Applying existing technologies and developing new ones is a high priority for the Dutch government. We are allocating 700 million dollar in additional funding for activities which will improve access to sustainable energy for poor people in developing countries, among which in Africa.

If we want to tackle climate change, we need to build coalitions and partnerships. No country can do it alone. No government can do it alone, either. The private sector and civil society must also join in.

The EUs objective is to limit temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius. The Netherlands has already committed to a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. But in order to meet the 2 degree target, all the major economies including those in the developing world will have to cut back their emissions. The strongest shoulders should carry the greatest burden, but everyone should do their fair share: by reducing emissions and paying the bill for adaptation to climate change. The key word here is solidarity.

Donor countries and financial institutions need to work together. The World Bank is developing an investment framework which promotes clean energy and adaptation. The OECD is drafting guidelines for donors on how to integrate climate risks into development cooperation. Working together is another key concept.

Developing countries will almost certainly face higher costs for adaptation to climate change. And the price of achieving the Millennium Development Goals is likely to rise, too. I think we need a solid foundation for the debate on costs and funding. My country is working with the United Kingdom and the World Bank to develop a more accurate quantification of the costs and benefits.

In closing, I would like to quote from this years Human Development Report by the UNDP. I think it goes right to the heart of what we are discussing here today:

There is a window of opportunity for avoiding the most damaging climate change impacts, but that window is closing: the world has less than a decade to change course. Actions taken or not taken in the years ahead will have a profound bearing on the future course of human development. The world lacks neither the financial resources nor the technological capabilities to act. What is missing is a sense of urgency, human solidarity and collective interest.

In Bali we have the chance to work together and show the world that we have that sense of urgency, that we are committed to solidarity and that we want to achieve a breakthrough by negotiating a comprehensive agreement for international climate policy post-2012. We owe it to ourselves, each other and future generations to take advantage of that opportunity.

Thank you.