This blog contains articles and commentary on Climate Change / Global Warming. These changes will have an affect on the entire planet and all of us who reside therein.
Life as we know it will change drastically. There is also the view that there is a high likelihood of climate change being a precursor of conflits triggered by resource shortges.
The SIDSletter is a monthly publication of the UNDP's Aruba Centre of Excellence (COE) for the Sustainable Development of SIDS. The COE aims to collect, connect and collaborate with stakeholders from SIDS from around the world to catalyze innovation, resilience and sustainable development.COP24 is taking place this week in Katowice Poland. Discussions are taking place on the implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement, to which countries in the world agreed to keep global temperatures rise well below 2 degrees Celsius, while low-lying island states and others have lobbied for substantially more. The campaign1.5 to Stay Aliveis alive and more relevant than ever.
According to a comprehensive assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the “Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C” released in October 2018, and examining more than 6,000 studies, the impacts and costs of 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming will be far greater than expected. The past decade has seen more record-breaking storms, forest fires, droughts, coral bleaching, heat waves, and floods with just 1.0 degrees Celsius of global warming.
At the current level of commitments, the world is on course for a 3C of warming, risking natural tipping points such as thawing of large areas of permafrost—which could drive global temperatures uncontrollably higher. We need stronger larger country commitments flowing from COP24, but we can also take individual action.
Needles to say, for SIDS the consequences are even more dire, for example to keep shorelines where they are and preserve our coastal cities.At the COE, we try to do our part and focus on identifying, capturing and sharing knowledge to help SIDS policymakers act. We just concluded a gathering with renewable energy experts co-organized with IRENA's SIDS Lighthouse Initiativeon "Resilience through Renewable Energy Strategies"; and are preparing for co-hosting the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Agency (CDEMA) on "Climate Security in the Caribbean" next week. The COE will capture and share the knowledge flowing from the consultation; you can follow the event live on the Planetary Security Initiative - Facebook Page.
Lastly, if you are at COP24 (or know colleagues who are) be sure to note the following SIDS side-event taking place December 6th :
Enjoy this last SIDSletter of 2018 and we we wish you a Happy and Resilient 2019!
Best wishes,
The UNDP COE Team
Oranjestad, Aruba
ps. Feel free to forward this newsletter to colleagues who may not yet be on our list. Also, please help spread the word about our activities, let us know what you think, and follow us on our Twitter account @COE4SIDS with hashtag #SustainableSIDS.
