Vi Agroforestry signs call for action ahead of the UN Climate Summit
Date
September 24, 2019
We stand together as global leaders to express our highest concern at the climate crisis that the world is now facing, and our resolve to act. As we urgently increase our efforts to reduce emissions, we must give equal and increased urgency to adapt to climate impacts and build resilience for the future. Droughts, dust storms, heat waves, cyclones, devastating storms, floods and rising sea levels are just some of the climate impacts already exacerbating economic, social and security threats, and are only set to increase in the future.
Communities that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change face an existential threat – to lives and livelihoods as well as existing and future development. The IPCC Special Report on the Impacts of Global Warming of 1.5°C states that both urgent and transformational adaptation action is needed to reduce climate-related risk. Yet adaptation action is not keeping pace with the scale of impacts. Some estimates suggest that the true costs of adaptation in developing countries could be up to $300bn per year by 20301, whereas there are substantial benefits to be gained from acting now. We must step up efforts to close the gap in adaptive capacity and financing, and to remove the barriers that hinder the uptake of knowledge and technology.
At the same time, climate impacts threaten our safety and prosperity and will affect all sections of society in all regions of the globe. The scale of expected impacts is such that business as usual is no longer an option for any country, community, business or financial institution. Substantial efforts have been made by a number of countries and institutions, but we need systemic change. We must build a vision for a climate resilient future that puts adaptation at the centre of decision-making, and take immediate action now to protect people, economies and the environment.
We acknowledge that adaptation challenges require inclusive and gender sensitive global action and we share a collective ambition, in line with the SDGs, to achieve a world in which no person is left behind by the impacts of climate change.