POLICY November 2008

BRIEF

Climate Change and

Sustainable Development
Recommendations
Problem
The Administration and Congress must tackle climate change at the international
Climate change level through U.S. legislation and solid re-engagement in global climate negotia-
poses a serious and tions. This must include support for the most vulnerable developing countries to
immediate threat to
prepare for and build resilience to climate challenges. These steps can help achieve
poverty reduction,
sustainable a global climate agreement, bolster political stability, and generate sustainable
economic economic development.
development,
stability and
security around the
Actions
world. Developing • Provide significant funding and support for the most vulnerable developing
countries face countries to prepare for and build resilience to climate change impacts (at least
climate change
several billion dollars annually are necessary according to recent estimates). This
impacts that
make the lives of assistance should come from substantial resources generated in comprehensive
poor people more climate legislation and through short-term assistance of at least $250 million for
precarious including the Least Developed Countries Fund which supports adaptation projects;
reduced water • Help developing countries limit emissions by supporting reduced deforestation
access and crop and access to clean energy technology;
yields, severe
• Ensure solutions are pursued equitably, with appropriate safeguards for the rights
weather-related
disasters, and livelihoods of poor communities;
exacerbated • Responsibly re-engage in UN climate negotiations for a post-2012 global deal
disease and new, that: provides appropriate support to developing countries for adaptation to cli-
destabilizing risks mate change; helps developing countries reduce emissions; and commits the U.S.
such as sea-level rise. to substantial emissions reductions; and
• Ensure U.S. development assistance aligns with climate change adaptation and
preparedness strategies and efforts to help developing countries shift to low-
carbon pathways.

Results
1400 16th Street, NW Developing countries will have greater resources to handle pressing climate change
Suite 210 impacts. The U.S. will have emissions targets and developing countries will have as-
Washington, DC 20036
sistance to reduce their emissions. Equitable principles and safeguards will protect
202-667-8227
reform@interaction.org the rights and livelihods of local communities.

www.interaction.org
Background
Climate change poses one of the most serious distribution, storage and conversion, or limited access to
challenges to poverty reduction and economic develop- agricultural extension services, the capacity to overcome
ment around the world in the 21st century. Though least adverse climate conditions is particularly low and food se-
responsible for climate change, developing countries are curity is increasingly threatened.
facing climate change impacts including reduced water Urban, coastal communities (particularly slum dwellers),
availability, decreasing natural resources and crop yields, face heightened risks as sea levels rise, exacerbating cur-
severe weather-related disasters, exacerbated disease, and rent flooding disasters, forcing population displacements
rising sea levels that are creating new, destabilizing risks. that will yield increasing urban poverty and the risk of ur-
Climate change poses a serious and immediate threat to ban unrest.
poverty reduction, sustainable economic development, Climate impacts vary widely. Taking this into account
stability and security around the world. As the United Na- through community-based adaptation is therefore impor-
tions Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tant. At the same time, attention should be paid to wider eco-
recently stated, developing countries have the least capac- nomic, social, political and institutional support frameworks.
ity to cope with these consequences.
Addressing these consequences for developing countries
depends on tackling a twin challenge, both in U.S. legisla-
tion and through international negotiations. Providing
funding, capacity building, and appropriate technologies
for climate adaptation and preparedness is not only needed
to address serious climate impacts, but can also be vital to
economic development. The financial benefits from taking
preventive action have been demonstrated widely. Accord-
ing to an analysis by the World Bank and the U.S. Geological
Survey, an investment of $40 billion to reduce disaster risk
is capable of saving $280 billion.
Our already strained capacity to respond to natural disas-
ters and health crises around the world is being stretched
even further by the increasing harm caused by climate
change impacts. Moreover, security experts have warned
that the impacts of climate change will heighten security
threats by increasing impoverishment and leading to migra-
tion and refugee crises and conflicts over scarce natural re-
sources such as water. Meanwhile, working with developing
countries to be aware of, adapt to and prepare for climate
impacts should be an essential part of a broader strategy of
renewed global engagement.
The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change,
released October 30, 2006, noted that even with dramatic
emission reductions today, climate change will still have
major impacts, particularly on developing countries, for
many years and that supporting developing countries in
their efforts to adapt to climate change is the only avenue
to actually address the harm being experienced now.
In many developing countries, rural communities are par-
ticularly vulnerable to climate impacts because of their de-
pendence on agriculture for their livelihoods. Much of this
agriculture is rain-fed, relatively labor-intense, and makes
little use of yield-improving inputs and labor-saving in-
novations, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Where there is
limited infrastructure – in the form of physical facilities for
POLICY November 2008

BRIEF

Contributors to Climate Change Policy Brief

Organization URL
CARE www.care.org
Evangelical Environmental Network www.creationcare.org
Mercy Corps www.mercycorps.org
National Wildlife Federation www.nwf.org
Oxfam America www.oxfamamerica.org
International Food Policy Research Institute www.ifpri.org
World Wildlife Fund www.worldwildlife.org

InterAction Climate Change Working Group

Organization URL
Academy for Educational Development www.aed.org
Action Against Hunger www.actionagainsthunger.org
ActionAid www.actionaid.org
American Friends Service Committee www.afsc.org
American Red Cross www.redcross.org
Bread for the World www.bread.org
CARE www.care.org
Catholic Relief Services www.crs.org
Christian Children’s Fund www.christianchildrensfund.org
Church World Service www.churchworldservice.org
Center for International Environmental Law www.ciel.org
Congressional Hunger Center www.hungercenter.org
Conservation International www.conservation.org
Evangelical Environmental Network www.creationcare.org
Floresta www.floresta.org
Friends Committee on National Legislation www.fcnl.org
Friends of the Earth www.foe.org
Global Health Council www.globalhealthcenter.org
Heifer International www.heifer.org
Institute for Policy Studies www.ips-dc.org
Institute for Sustainable Communities www.iscvt.org
1400 16th Street, NW
International Food Policy Research Institute www.ifpri.org
Suite 210
Washington, DC 20036
International Medical Corps www.imcworldwide.org
202-667-8227
International Orthodox Christian Charities www.iocc.org
reform@interaction.org International Relief & Development www.ird.org
International Rescue Committee www.theirc.org
Islamic Relief USA www.irw.org
www.interaction.org Jubilee USA www.jubileeusa.org
InterAction Climate Change Working Group Members (cont)

Organization URL

Leon H. Sullivan Foundation www.thesullivanfoundation.org

Lutheran World Relief www.lwr.org
Mennonite Central Committee www.mcc.org
Mercy Corps www.mercycorps.org
Missionary Oblates – Justice, Peace and Integrity www.omiusajpic.org
of Creation
National Council of Churches www.ncccusa.org
National Peace Corps Association www.rpcv.org
National Religious Partnership for the Environment www.nrpe.org
National Wildlife Federation www.nwf.org
Natural Resources Defense Council www.nrdc.org
ONE www.one.org
Opportunity International www.opportunity.org
Oxfam America www.oxfamamerica.org
Pact www.pactworld.org
Population Action International www.populationaction.org
RESULTS www.results.org
Save the Children www.savethechildren.org
Sierra Club www.sierraclub.org
Solar Cookers International www.solarcookers.org
Solar Household Energy, Inc. www.she-inc.org
The Nature Conservancy www.nature.org
Tostan www.tostan.org
U.S. Committee for UNDP www.undp-usa.org
Union of Concerned Scientists www.ucsusa.org
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee www.uusc.org
United Methodist Committee on Relief www.umcor.org
US Climate Action Network www.climatenetwork.org
Women’s Environment and Development Organization www.wedo.org
Wildlife Conservation Society www.wcs.org
World Concern www.worldconcern.org
World Resources Institute www.wri.org
World Vision www.worldvision.org
World Wildlife Fund www.wwf.org