29 November 2010
World Bank Special Envoy for Climate Change Says Developing Countries are Taking Action on Climate Change
story highlights

Andrew Steer, the World Bank's Special Envoy for Climate Change, emphasized ahead of the Climate Change meetings in Cancun that "developing countries urgently need a global deal on climate change but they're not waiting for it."

26 November 2010: Andrew Steer, the World Bank’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, emphasized ahead of the Climate Change meetings in Cancun, that “developing countries urgently need a global deal on climate change but they’re not waiting for it.”

He reflected on what he labeled a “silent revolution” in terms of developing countries taking action, noting that over the last two years, 80 percent of the Bank’s 130 client countries have requested climate change as one of the pillars to work with them on. Noting that this money could be used for other purposes, he commended countries for choosing to use it for adaptation or to acquire clean technologies.

Asked about what he thinks constitutes success in Cancun, Steer said progress can be made on two levels—a set of formal decisions on key topics like finance, forests, transfer of technology, mitigation and monitoring and a series of new initiatives on a range of issues that represent real progress. Steer also described how the Bank is working with a range of partners to launch a roadmap for action on agriculture in Cancun. He said it would seek to support investment in triple-win programs that provide higher yields, greater resilience and carbon sequestration.

Other activities include new efforts to help developing countries develop their own carbon markets and the launch of a new renewable energy initiative for small island developing States (SIDS). He said vulnerable small islands should be at the “front of the queue” when it comes to accessing affordable renewable energy. [World Bank News Story]

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