The head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Rajendra Pachauri, and the United Nations' secretary-general, Ban Ki-Moon, identified the benefits of climate action, stressing the need to limit the emissions of greenhouse gases and the importance of renewable energy.
"If we allow emissions to continue on a business as usual basis then the impact of climate change will become progressively more negative," Mr. Pachauri noted.
In a news conference at the U.N. headquarters, he pointed out that governments should take a comprehensive view and act, whether or not there is a global deal or there is none.
Mr. Pachauri made this request for government action following the findings of a recently published report by I.P.C.C. which showed that renewable energy sources such as solar power, wind, biomass and hydropower could meet around 80 percent of the world's energy supplies by 2050.
He added that by limiting GHG emissions, governments could see benefits such as energy security and better health - benefits which he believes are attractive enough to pursue because they are in line with the objectives of the government and well-being of every society.
Meanwhile, the U.N. secretary-general stressed that new and renewable sources of energy are essential for meeting the rising demand for energy, poverty alleviation and climate change mitigation, at the same time, pointing out its benefits, in a roundtable discussion on the topic of Renewable Energy in the Context of Green Economy.
"The benefits are unquestioned. Economic...environmental...and social. Global competitiveness...air quality...health...local control of energy security...all this will be enhanced," he said.
Mr. Ban called for governments to form national policy incentives apart from the international climate change negotiations that will support the growth of renewable energy. These incentives should create long-term certainty for investors, and at the same time, reduce the cost of renewable energy to competitive levels.
Amidst these appeals for support from the government, he highlighted that the U.N. system is working with its member states and with international organizations in coordinating technology-transfer, financing and other initiatives that will promote access to energy and the use of new and renewable energy technologies.
In the recently concluded climate conference in Bonn, Germany, U.N. saw some improvements in the development of an adaptation fund, a technology mechanism aimed at boosting global clean technology cooperation through the creation of a Climate Technology Center and network for technical cooperation.
source: apec-vc korea
