Accent on climate change

Climate change is a much talked-about subject today. In fact, it has been the subject of discussion at various levels for over a decade. International parleys are held, conferences under the auspices of the United Nations are attended by country heads and experts are studying the subject.

In keeping with its policy of releasing stamps on subjects that are of worldwide interest,the United Nations Postal Administration has issued six commemorative stamps on the theme ‘Climate Change.’
Climate change has been described as one of the most complex, multifaceted and serious threats the world faces. The response to this threat is fundamentally linked to pressing concerns of sustainable development and global fairness; of vulnerability and resilience; of economy, poverty reduction and society; and of the world we want to hand down to our children, the UN Stamp Bulletin points out.

What exactly has happened to make this such a vital issue? The Bulletin explains: Primarily as the result of human-caused emissions, our climate is changing. It is becoming less stable, more volatile and warmer: Global average surface temperatures have increased by 0.74 degrees Celsius/1.33 degrees Fahrenheit during the past 100 years. Seasons are arriving at different times as normal variations are increasing; glaciers are receding; sea levels are rising. It is likely that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more severe. Droughts, floods and heat waves are already contributing to crop failures, conflicts and a steadily increasing toll of death and human suffering.

Apart from being an environmental issue, climate change has clear economic and social consequences. It is inextricably linked to the broader sustainable development agenda, including the challenge of poverty reduction. The effects of climate change will have a disproportionately severe impact on the poorest and most vulnerable of the world’s communities.

In 1992, the world’s leaders met in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Earth Summit. They adopted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at the Conference. This treaty has now been ratified by 191 countries and remains the central reference point in global climate change policy. Five years later the Kyoto Protocol was adopted, and it came into force in 2005.

In recent months, the United Nations has been involved in many initiatives concerning climate change. On September 24, 2007, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened a high level event on climate change in New York at the opening of the sixty-second session of the General Assembly to promote discussion among world leaders on how to address climate change. In December 2007, the United Nations held a Climate Change Conference in Bali which convened the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and in March 2008 talks continued in Bangkok.

The renovation of the United Nations Headquarters in New York was a direct contribution to the global efforts on climate change by making it more energy-efficient. Last year was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Year of Planet Earth.

The theme of this year’s UN World Environment Day (June 5) was also linked to climate change. ‘Your Planet Needs You-Unite to Combat Climate Change’ was the theme. It reflected the urgency for nations to agree on a new deal at the crucial climate convention meeting in Copenhagen later in the year, and the links with overcoming poverty and improved management of forests.