Parliamentarians: The Missing Links in Climate Change Response Print
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges humanity has ever faced and Africa now finds itself at a critical juncture. There is an increased concern about the impacts of climate change and calls for global justice. Whereas the North bears the largest responsibility for the causes of climate change, the South, and especially Africa, will suffer the worst consequences, consequences that are now inevitable.


United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made no understatement when he stressed that climate change poses a "daunting obstacle" to the fight against poverty. Achievement of the First Millennium Development Goal, of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, remains inconceivable without fulfilment of the Seventh, of ensuring environmental sustainability.

This dilemma requires coordinated action, which the "Copenhagen Process" seeks to mobilise. But, thus far, global responses to climate change have lacked a vital leadership link. Parliamentarians possess a unique capacity to legitimise policy responses to climate change - a role to which the Copenhagen Process should pay close attention.

The global climate problem challenges everyone on this planet to reduce their carbon footprint as well as to adapt to its consequences. But as the poorest are hardest hit by these changes and least able to cope, we must seek their involvement in tackling the immense challenges. Parliamentarians are ideally placed to ensure ownership of policy responses at the national and local levels. In the face of climate stress, they play a key role in leading constituency action and catering to the needs of the local population. 

Climate change is manifesting itself as a cross-cutting issue in need of a multi-faceted solution. In this respect Parliament plays a significant role in reviewing existing legislation and exercising oversight of governmental policy, regulations and budgets. Through these responsibilities parliamentarians are in a position to identify gaps in climate strategies and propose inclusive responses.

Without due inclusion of parliamentarians, the Copenhagen Process will produce a disjointed response to climate change, it will lack a catalyst for implementation and a watch dog for accountability.

But however painful the process of climate adaptation and mitigation may be, it also brings along opportunities for Africa. Poverty reduction and a low carbon growth path are not mutually exclusive.

Therefore, countries in an early stage of their industrialization process must be encouraged to embark on ecologically sustainable development strategies, by  easy access to appropriate technology and investment facilities. As Africa contributed very little to the creation of the problem, countries with the highest per capita emissions must be prepared to bear the costs for these investments, without reducing other development assistance.

In order to ensure a global perspective and accountability for climate strategies, a North-South dialogue should be encouraged involving parliamentarians and civil society. On the road to Copenhagen, AWEPA (European Parliamentarians for Africa) has launched the African-European Parliamentary Dialogue on Climate Change, Food Security and Development. At the inception of this dialogue, 14 African and 14 European parliaments, NGO representatives and international experts have united to issue an African-European Parliamentary Action Plan on Climate Change and Food Security.

The Action Plan mandates AWEPA and partners to advance parliamentary involvement in relation to Climate Change in preparation for the UNFCCC conferences in Poznan and Copenhagen.

AWEPA invites you to comment on the Action Plan to inform the African-European joint parliamentary delegations to Poznan in December 2008 and Copenhagen in December 2009.

pdf Position Paper: Climate Change

 
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