12 December 2014
COP 20 Side Event Proposes a New Security Agenda
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The event 'A New Security Agenda: Safeguarding Water, Food, Energy and Health Security in a Changing Climate' emphasized that climate change is multiplying existing threats to sustainable economic growth and people's well-being.

Convened on the sidelines of the Lima Climate Change Conference, the event explored dependencies on natural resources and the nexus, synergies and trade-offs between water, energy, food and health security.

limacop2010 December 2014: The event ‘A New Security Agenda: Safeguarding Water, Food, Energy and Health Security in a Changing Climate’ emphasized that climate change is multiplying existing threats to sustainable economic growth and people’s well-being. Convened on the sidelines of the Lima Climate Change Conference, the event explored natural resource dependencies and synergies and trade-offs among water, energy, food and health security.

Saying security issues need to be passionately promoted, Yolanda Kakabadse, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), underscored that humans face a security threat in terms of the climate crisis and related risks. Keith Anderson, Switzerland, underlined the importance of regional approaches to addressing security and highlighted the need to recognize natural capital as real wealth, necessary for human survival.

Andrew Mitchell, Global Canopy Programme (GCP), stressed the “massive misevaluation” of natural resources in the world economy, saying that the financial sector “is enjoying a huge free lunch on nature.” He described the ways environmental issues are connected at the global level and said the solution to deforestation does not lie in forests but inside the world’s financial capitals.

Pedro Gamio, Peru, described efforts in his country to reduce emissions and increase the share of renewables in the energy mix. He stressed that financial support is not a panacea and underscored the need for advanced technology transfer, infrastructure and civil society empowerment.

GCP, co-organizer of the event, highlighted its work with the Centro International de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), on the Amazonia Security Agenda, and the publication of a related report. Virgilio Viana, Regional Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the Amazon Regions, noted that the report collects scientific information that may be incomprehensible to many, and “puts it in a story” to change business-as-usual scenarios in the Amazon.

In the ensuing discussion, participants addressed, inter alia: payments for ecosystem services vis-à-vis taxes; ways to change behaviors and engage people in environmental efforts; and solutions and innovations addressing water issues.

Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (FFLA), the Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (SPDA), WWF and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) jointly organized the event with GCP. [IISD RS ENBOTS Coverage] [IISD RS ENBOTS Video Coverage of Side Event] [IISD RS Coverage of Lima Climate Change Conference] [FFLA Event Announcement] [FFLA at COP 20 Website] [SPDA Press Release] [SPDA at COP 20 Website] [WWF at COP 20 Website] [GCP Website] [CDKN Website]


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