Toespraak van minister Koenders bij de GLACIER conferentie (in English)

Toespraak | 01-09-2015

Thank you Chair, thank you Secretary Kerry for organising this important event. It is an honour to be here and a pleasure to visit the great state of Alaska, a beautiful state, but a state as Mayor Berkowiz said this morning at the forefront of climate change and therefore close to all of us. In fact we all have become Arctic nations in a way and we are inspired by the magnificent college education we received from the indigenous leaders this morning.

On climate change

Willem Barentsz, famous Dutch Arctic explorer in the 16th century, had to endure icy conditions and the risk of polar bear attacks. It seems the tables have turned: polar bears are now the ones telling their children about the dangers posed by humans. And humans are now worried about global warming. That is especially visible in the Arctic.

On Saturday I visited Svalbard, at the invitation of my good friend Borge, the Norwegian minister of Foreign Affairs. I was struck by the intensity of the Arctic, and the Arctic experts I met all mentioned the visible impact that climate change is already having on the region. We inspected a glacier up close by boat and I learned that sea and ice maps of less than one year old were already out of date and glaciers are receding by hundreds of meters. A very worrisome eye opener indeed. This morning we heard some depressing figures related to climate changes: fires, permafrost, wildlife changes, fish migration and changing oceans.

On Spitsbergen we also met with the largest Dutch Arctic expedition ever. This 10-day expedition consisted of more than 70 people: 55 researchers, five journalists, a member of Parliament and even a poet. The beards of the rough and haggard whale hunters and explorers from centuries ago may have been replaced by the hipster beards of our day, but it was a true Arctic expedition nevertheless.

The aim of the researchers was to investigate climate change, black carbon and mercury levels, weather patterns, archaeological sites, monitor vegetation and animal populations on the island of Edgeøya. All areas where the NL has cutting edge expertise.

And it was precisely this multidisciplinary nature of the trip, not only in a scientific way, but also in a societal cross-cutting way, that proved to be of great value because it helped to enhance the awareness of the imminent threat of climate change amongst all layers of society.

The timing of this largest Dutch Arctic expedition ever was excellent. We are 100 days before COP 21 and many people are susceptible to Arctic developments and climate affairs. At COP21 the Netherlands will support a robust and ambitious climate agreement

There is a need to better understand, identify, monitor and address the risks associated with climate change and fragility. Integrating climate fragility considerations into foreign policy will enable us to better assess climate-related security challenges.

That is why the Netherlands has launched the Planetary Security Initiative. The intention is to organise once a year an international conference titled ‘Planetary Security: Peace and Cooperation in Times of Climate Change and Global Environmental Challenges’.

I warmly invite all colleagues to participate in the conference, where the Arctic region will be one of the topics discussed. The conference should inform political choices relating to social and environmental change in the Arctic.

On adaptation

Spatial planning and adaptation in a bottom up way are crucial. This is the R in GLACIER: Resilience. For that we need continued and solid research, policymakers must be informed by scientists.

Without adaptation the Netherlands probably wouldn’t exist today. Or at least not as we know it, because half of my country is below sea level. You all know Dutch dikes, and perhaps also the modern Delta works, where doors in our storm surge barriers can be opened or closed depending on the severity of the weather.

But the challenges that climate change bring surpass the national level. International action is needed and we have an obligation to help each other and act where we can. In this respect, I will also encourage Shell to join the Climate and Clean Air Coalition’s Oil & Gas Methane Partnership.

 COP21 will set new goals and standards, but the key is how to implement policies and practises that enable us to reach these goals. It is precisely with this in mind that the Netherlands organises the Adaptation Futures Conference.

 The Adaptation Futures Conference, to be held in May 2016 in Rotterdam, will be the first major climate change conference after the COP21. The focus will be on implementing the COP21 outcomes, preparing to make all countries climate-proof and ensuring sustainable economic development despite the impact of climate change.

 The Conference will bring together 1,500 scientists, entrepreneurs, adaptation practitioners and decision makers, and the objective is to translate scientific knowledge into practical adaptation action. We need to ensure that countries have the knowledge and capacity to act, preferably in long term public-private partnerships.

 The Netherlands, for example, has ample experience and knowledge when it comes to combining water management, agriculture and urban planning, and we are ready to share our knowledge and expertise with others.

We support developing countries in adapting to climate change. For instance in Bangladesh we help the government in the development and implementation of the 'Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100' to ensure that the country is climate proof well into the future.