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Controversial climate report paints dire future for poor

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Published 10 April 2007 - Updated 29 June 2007
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climate change global warming
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After a marathon session, scientific experts and government delegates adopted the policy makers' summary of the second 2007 IPCC climate change report. Global warming is already happening and the poorest of the poor will be the biggest victims, confirms the report.

Even in its amended compromise version, the report "Climate Change Impact, Adaptation and Vulnerability" presents some tough conclusions:

  • Millions of people in Africa will face water shortages by 2020;
  • Almost a third of plant and animal species could be at increased risk of extinction;
  • The health of millions of people will be affected by climate change.

The most striking conclusion of the report is that it will be the world's poorest regions which will suffer most from the effects of global warming. "It's the poorest of the poor in the world, and this includes poor people even in prosperous societies, who are going to be the worst hit," said Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The report is the second of a series of reports known as the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC on climate change. In February 2007, the first report on the science of climate change concluded that there was a 90% certainty that climate change is man-made (see EurActiv 2 February 2007).

Positions: 

Friends of the Earth's Catherine Pearce said: "Unless we take action to reduce emissions now, far worse is yet to come, condemning millions in the poorest parts of the world to loss of lives, livelihoods and homes. Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue. It is a looming humanitarian catastrophe, threatening ultimately our global security and survival".

WWF urged governments to take action in the face of the looming crisis: "Doing nothing is not an option, on the contrary it will have disastrous consequences. The industrialized countries simply need to accept their responsibilities and start implementing the solutions," said Hans Verolme, Director of WWF's Global Climate Change Programme. 

"This is a glimpse into an apocalyptic future. The earth will be transformed by human induced climate change, unless action is taken soon and fast," said Stephanie Tunmore, Greenpeace International Climate & Energy Campaigner. "What this report shows is that we are simply running out of time."
Next steps: 

A third report on the mitigation of climate change is to be discussed in Bangkok and released on 4 May. The final synthesis report will be presented on 16 November in Valencia, Spain.

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climate change report
Background: 

On Friday 6 April, government delegates of over 100 countries wrangled over the report written by climate change experts and agreed on a final compromise after a marathon night session. Several scientists expressed their anger at some of the changes demanded by the political delegates and threatened not to work in the future with the IPCC anymore.

Political delegates from the US, China and Saudi Arabia took offence at some of the harsh wordings of the original draft report and managed to rewrite some of its content, much to the anger and frustration of the scientists.

For a comparison of both documents, see the draft document which was written by the scientists and the final compromise.

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