Climate Change Energy Civil Society

2. Climate ChangeEnergyCivil Society Lloyd Narain October 7 2009

3. micro micro small island extremely vulnerable

4. vulnerability • The sea is everywhere around us • Sea level rises • (under)currents change • Higher temperature, stronger hurricanes, heavy wheater conditions • Social and economic conditions

5. Consequences for management of: • Coastal zones • Marine environment • Built environment • Agricultural areas • Nature conservation • Energy sovereignty • Livelyhoods (soc.&econ.conditions)

6. Small island development • Extra vulnerability • No place to hide • No room for error • Sustainability as a natural course • Climate change makes this much more difficult • Better act now than in future (costs)

7. Greenhouse gases (GHG) cause climate change (CC) • Established knowledge • Intergovernmental Panel on CC • EU • US • G8 • Copenhagen December 2009

8. Consequences CC • Sea water expands • Ice caps both on North and South Pole melting down • Glaciers melting down • Sea level rise • Heavy rainfall in short period of time • Climate changes everywhere on planet

9. How to deal with consequences? • Combine efforts to keep them in check • In a sustainable context • Prepare for bad weather, droughts, sea level rise • Stop oil addiction

10. Jacqueline McGlade, head of the European Environment Agency: • The key to protecting and enhancing our environment is in the hands of many, not the few. • To adapt efectively to challenges of CC.. means empowering citizens to engage actively in improving their own environment, using..new observation techniques and innovative economic ideas…

11. Sustainable neighbourhoods • Organize neighbourhood for this purpose • Create cool areas like parks, streets, spots • Allow rainwater to penetrate into the soil • Water catchments + collective cisterns • Energy saving at home, in shops etc. • Safe bicycle lanes and sidewalks • Free, clean, effective public transport

12. buildings/houses • Climate friendly designs • Existing buildings:adapt to climate (change) • Design in context of built environment and nature in neighbourhood • Anchor roofs • Cisterns • Gardens with local flora (shade and cooling)

13. Business areas • Firms in these areas join to: • Save energy • Generate clean energy • Manage waste: re-use, recycle, composting and prevention programs • Joint use of parking lots

14. Nature areas • Coral reefs (absorb 30% of CO2) • Mangroves • Reforestation (local flora) • Stop deforestation (trees absorb 20%) • They all play their part in reducing CO2 and check consequences of CC as well

15. Common effort • Government • Business • Civil society • Technologists and other professionals do their part but also need to reflect on their role in society

16. Professionals act: • People centered + empower people • Small island scale • In context of sustainable development: balancing sustainable social, cultural and economic development plus environmental care • Social-economic justice for all, now and in future

17. Elements professional code • Ethical code in context of sustainable development, people centered, small island limitations and opportunities • Overcoming limits of purely business approach • All with the urgency to keep CC causes and consequences in check

18. Professional contributions among others: • Decentralization of energy generation • End oil addiction • Prevent urban sprawl • Working with civil society to improve quality of life and of environment • Affordable but effective adaptations for low income groups

19. Small islands urgency • Reduce impacts of CC • Sustainable livelyhoods always on the agenda • And keep remembering: there is no place to hide and there is no room for error

20. Climate Change:adaptation and prevention makes us real dwellers of this planet and this island