Climate

Change

Climate Change
Policy Brief January 2011

Climate Change and

Sustainable Development
Problem Recommendations & Actions
The world’s preeminent The Administration and Congress must tackle climate change through U.S. domestic action,
scientists have assertive leadership in global climate negotiations, and appropriate levels of funding for
determined that climate international adaptation to climate change.
change poses a serious • The U.S. must provide support and alternative technologies to enable developing coun-
threat to economic tries’ transition to cleaner energy sources and reduce emissions from deforestation and
development and human forest degradation.
security worldwide. If • The U.S. must work ambitiously and energetically to mitigate its greenhouse gas emis-
these projections are sions and climate impacts, committing to a long-term strategy that reduces emissions
accurate—and trends by at least 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. In the absence of a comprehensive
so far are worse than climate bill, the Administration must lead the way toward achieving the near-term U.S.
anticipated—developing emissions target promised at the 2009 Copenhagen climate change conference.
countries face impacts • The U.S. should be a leader in reaching a strong, equitable, legally binding agreement under
from climate change the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties.
that will make the • Wealthy countries, especially the U.S., must identify innovative mechanisms to generate
lives of vulnerable substantial, new, public funding to help developing countries adapt to climate change
communities more and reduce carbon emissions. This funding should flow through a mechanism under the
precarious, including authority of the UN Framework, such as a global climate fund. Current fossil fuel subsi-
reduced rainfall and dies should be completely phased-out and redirected to international climate finance.
crop yields, more • The U.S. must commit to and support adaptation programs that ensure resources reach
severe weather-related the most vulnerable in developing countries. Communities at risk from climate change must
disasters, exacerbated be engaged in designing, implementing monitoring and evaluating adaptation programs.
disease and political • The U.S. must commit to and support REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation
instability. U.S. inaction and Forest Degradation) programs with strong social and environmental safeguards that
on domestic climate respect, protect and promote the rights, interests and livelihoods of indigenous peoples
legislation has greatly and forest-dependent communities.
increased the challenge • Eliminate the gap in U.S. commitments on fast-start climate finance through additional
of reaching a meaningful funding to core climate programs directed primarily through channels accountable to the
global agreement UNFCCC. These commitments must not be achieved by reducing or double-counting
through the UN other long-standing conservation and development programs.
Framework Convention • The U.S. must integrate climate response into development activities to ensure the effec-
on Climate Change. tiveness and sustainability of both climate adaptation and development investments.

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Results
Enacting these recommendations will bolster global political stability and
security, help stabilize the ecosystems underpinning the global economy and
support sustainable economic development in the vulnerable countries most
affected by climate change.
Background
Climate change poses a threat of enormous scope and
magnitude to the global economy and environment. The
U.S. faces major security and economic risks if the problem
is not decisively addressed. The U.S. also bears a special
responsibility to act because of its disproportionate histori-
cal role in generating greenhouse gas emissions. Its inabil-
ity to adequately address climate change through domestic
action has decreased U.S. credibility globally on the issue.
The impacts of climate change in many vulnerable coun-
tries have the potential to undo the development gains
achieved in recent decades. Providing adequate resources,
capacity building and low-carbon technologies for climate
change preparedness is vital not only to address immedi-
ate impacts, but also to protect investments in international
development. The financial benefits of taking preventive
action have been widely and conclusively demonstrated.
Meager funding for adaptation efforts in developing coun-
tries will increase global risks of hunger, water scarcity,
migration and conflict, imposing major costs on the U.S.
and the international community.
Beyond disrupting development efforts, climate change
will result in more frequent and severe weather events. Our
already-strained capacity to respond to natural disasters
and health crises around the world will be further stretched.
More powerful storms and acute droughts will produce
more catastrophic and numerous humanitarian emergen-
cies. Migration and refugee crises are likely to increase,
driven by disruptions to livelihoods and loss of infrastruc-
ture and worsened by underlying conflicts over more scarce
resources, such as drinking water. Urban coastal commu-
nities face heightened risks due to sea level rises that will
exacerbate the effects of storms and flooding.
Lagging response in the development arena has been
matched by slowness in solidifying a meaningful interna-
tional agreement. Despite the attention directed toward the
international climate meetings in Copenhagen and Can-
cun, the UNFCCC process has not yet achieved sufficient
progress. The modest political agreement achieved at the
end of the Copenhagen conference provided no assur-
ance that global temperatures should not, and will not,
reach very dangerous levels. No binding commitment was
made to allocate resources at the levels needed to help
developing countries avoid the worst impacts of climate
change or to transition to lower-carbon energy sources
and economies.
The most important outcome of Copenhagen was likely
the pledges by developed countries to provide $30 billion
from 2010-2012 to developing countries for adaptation
and mitigation activities, and a longer-term commitment
to mobilize $100 billion per year by 2020 from a variety
of sources. Innovative sources of climate finance will be
essential in mobilizing resources at the required levels.
Options could include a financial transaction tax, assess-
ments on international aviation and shipping, and a new
allocation of the International Monetary Fund’s Special
Drawing Rights.
The urgency and magnitude of the climate challenge has
not yet been reflected in appropriate U.S. policy, legisla-
tion or political will to engage internationally. Too many in
the U.S. do not yet understand the connection between
national security and U.S. investments in international cli-
mate adaptation. This is reflected in the failure of the U.S.
Senate to engage in passage of a comprehensive climate
bill. Although other policy options may address some
aspects of the framework needed for mitigation, adaptation
and financing for vulnerable developing countries, domes-
tic political impasse continues to block meaningful U.S.
steps to address this gathering crisis.
Traditional program stovepipes that separate climate
response and development activities continue to limit
effective adaptation measures. Fully integrating climate
response into development work will be essential to ensure
the effectiveness and sustainability of both adaptation
measures and development outcomes. Multi-sectoral
approaches will be needed to address health, infrastruc-
ture, knowledge, nutrition, food security, emergency assis-
tance and energy needs in vulnerable developing countries
and in the wealthier countries alike. Better-integrated and
cross-sectoral programs imply new approaches that will
reshape development and environment programs alike.
U.S. Government agencies have been exploring ways to
bridge traditional program silos, but will need to accelerate
and expand those efforts to address the scope and scale
of the challenge.
InterAction Climate Change Working Group
Organization URL
1Sky www.1sky.org
Academy for Educational Development www.aed.org
ACCION International www.accion.org
Action Against Hunger www.actionagainsthunger.org
ActionAid International USA www.actionaidusa.org
Aga Khan Foundation USA www.akdn.org
American Friends Service Committee www.afsc.org
American Red Cross www.redcross.org
Bread for the World www.bread.org
CARE www.care.org
Catholic Relief Services www.crs.org
Center for Global Development www.cgdev.org
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee www.crwrc.org
Church World Service www.churchworldservice.org
CIEL - Center for International Environmental Law www.ciel.org
Conservation International www.conservation.org
Counterpart International www.counterpart.org
Earth Day Network www.earthday.net
EcoEquity www.ecoequity.org
Environmental Defense Fund www.edf.org
Environmental Investigation Agency www.eia-international.org
Environmental Law Institute www.eli.org
Episcopal Relief and Development www.er-d.org
Evangelical Environmental Network www.creationcare.org
Food for the Hungry www.fh.org
Friends of ACTED www.acted.org
Friends of the Earth www.foe.org
Friends of the World Food Program www.friendsofwfp.org
Global Emergency Group www.globalemergencygroup.com
Global Environment Facility www.thegef.org
Global Health Council www.globalhealth.org
Handicap International USA www.handicap-international.us
Hands On Disaster Response www.hands.org
Institute for Policy Studies www.ips-dc.org
Institute for Sustainable Communities www.isc.org.mk
International Medical Corps www.internationalmedicalcorps.org
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) www.ifpri.org
International Relief & Development www.ird-dc.org
International Rescue Committee www.theirc.org
Islamic Relief USA www.islamicreliefusa.org
Jane Goodall Institute www.janegoodall.org
Johns Hopkins, SPH www.jhsph.edu
Jubilee USA www.jubileeusa.org
Leon H. Sullivan Foundation www.thesullivanfoundation.org
Lutheran World Relief (LWR) www.lwr.org
Mennonite Central Committee www.mcc.org
Mercy Corps www.mercycorps.org
National Religious Partnership for the Environment www.nrpe.org
National Wildlife Federation www.nwf.org
ONE www.one.org
Opportunity International www.opportunity.org
Oxfam America www.oxfamamerica.org
PACT www.pactworld.org
Plan USA www.planusa.org
Population Action International www.populationaction.org
Rainforest Alliance www.rainforest-alliance.org
Organization URL
Refugees International www.refugeesinternational.org
Rights and Resources Group www.rightsandresources.org
Save the Children www.savethechildren.org
Sierra Club www.sierraclub.org
Solar Cookers International www.solarcookers.org
Solar Household Energy, Inc. www.she-inc.org
Sustainable Communities www.sustainable.org
The Nature Conservancy www.nature.org
U.S. Climate Action Network www.usclimatenetwork.org
U.S. Fund for UNICEF www.unicefusa.org
Union of Concerned Scientists www.ucsusa.org
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee www.uusc.org
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops www.nccbuscc.org
Wildlife Conservation Society www.wcs.org
Winrock International www.winrock.org
Women for Women International www.womenforwomen.org
Women Thrive Worldwide www.womenthrive.org
World Concern www.worldconcern.org
World Resources Institute www.wri.org
World Vision www.worldvision.org
World Wildlife Fund USA www.worldwildlife.org
World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) www.wspa-usa.org