25 January 2013: In response to a recent report by the UK Parliament’s International Development Committee (IDC) on the post-2015 development agenda, the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD) has highlighted that the IDC report does not recognize climate change as a major development issue, and argues for its inclusion in the post-2015 agenda.

FIELD commends several points made in the report, such as its recognition of governance, health and job creation as important issues. FIELD also supports the IDC’s recommendations to merge the post-2015 development agenda and the intergovernmental process on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) rather than treating the two processes separately.

However, FIELD stresses, climate change must be a priority for the post-2015 discussions. Joy Hyvarinen, FIELD’s Executive Director, explains that “climate change is a threat to development and human security,” highlighting statements to this effect from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank. She says climate change and the needs of vulnerable people and countries must be included in the post-2015 agenda from the start, especially given the lack of progress in international climate change negotiations.

FIELD also highlights the importance of addressing climate change for small island, low-lying coastal states and African countries, and notes the impacts of climate change on food security, health and water. [FIELD Statement] [IISD RS Story on IDC Report] [International Development Committee – Eighth Report: Post-2015 Development Goals]