Kommentar af Jim Yong Kim
Verdensbankens præsident advarer om en fremtidig klimahjemsøgt verden og menneskehed, hvis det internationale samfund lader stå til.
The signs of global warming are becoming more obvious and more frequent. A glut (overflod) of extreme weather conditions is appearing globally.
If there is no action soon, the future will become bleak. The World Bank Group released a report in November that concluded that the world could warm by 4 degrees Celsius by the end of this century if concerted (samlet) action is not taken now.
A world that warm means seas would rise between 50 centimeters and 90 centimeters, putting at risk hundreds of millions of city dwellers globally. It would mean that storms once dubbed “once in a century” would become common, perhaps occurring every year.
Hvad med vore børn?
My wife and I have two sons, ages 12 and 3. When they grow old, this could be the world they inherit (arver). That thought alone makes me want to be part of a global movement that acts now.
Even as global climate negotiations continue, there is a need for urgent action outside the conventions. People everywhere must focus on where we will get the most impact to reduce emissions (udledninger) and build resilience (modstandskraft) in cities, communities and countries.
Strong leadership must come from the six big economies that account for two-thirds of the energy sector’s global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
The world’s top priority must be to get finance flowing and get prices right on all aspects of energy costs to support low-carbon growth.
Achieving a predictable price on carbon (CO2) that accurately reflects real environmental costs is key to delivering emission reductions at scale.
Correct energy pricing can also provide incentives for investments in energy efficiency and cleaner energy technologies.
Hold op med at støtte kul og olie
A SECOND immediate step is to end harmful fuel subsidies (støtteordninger til fossile energikilder som kul og olie, red.) globally, which could lead to a 5 percent fall in emissions by 2020.
Countries spend more than 500 billion USdollar annually in fossil-fuel subsidies and an additional 500 billion in other subsidies, often related to agriculture and water, that are, ultimately, environmentally harmful.
That trillion dollars could be put to better use for the jobs of the future, social safety nets or vaccines.
Tænk på storbyernes skæbne
A THIRD focus is on cities.
The largest 100 cities that contribute 67 percent of energy-related emissions are both the center of innovation for green growth and the most vulnerable to climate change.
We have seen great leadership, for example, in New York and Rio de Janeiro on low-carbon growth and tackling practices that fuel climate change.
At the World Bank Group, through the seven billion-plus dollar Climate Investment Funds, we are managing forests, spreading solar energy and promoting green expansion for cities, all with a goal of stopping global warming.
Vi må – og kan – undgå en klimakatastrofe
We also are in the midst of a major reexamination of our own practices and policies.
Just as the Bretton Woods institutions were created to prevent a third world war, the world needs a bold global approach to help avoid the climate catastrophe it faces today.
The World Bank Group is ready to work with others to meet this challenge. With every investment we make and every action we take, we should have in mind the threat of an even warmer world and the opportunity of inclusive green growth.
Jim Yong Kim er Verdensbankens præsident.
Kilde: Verdenbankens netsted – www.worldbank.org – hvorfra indlægget bringes i uddrag.
Oplægget har stået i sin helhed i The Washington Post d. 24. januar.
