And as we head towards December’s climate change conference in Paris, we’re seeing clear signs that in the halls of government, debate has shifted from the offices of ministers of the environment warning about climate change to the offices of ministers of finance assessing the likely price tag of dealing with and adapting to climate change. We know the cost of inaction is much greater.
- Rachel Kyte, World Bank Group vice president and special envoy for climate change, 10 August 2015
On Tuesday, 4 June, seven foreign ministers, 19 ambassadors, several ministers and more than 200 experts met in Berlin to act on climate security risks at the Berlin Climate and Security Conference. "Achieving the international climate targets is the new imperative of our foreign policy”, the German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, said in his opening speech. This is the aim of the Berlin Call for Action which was presented at the conference.
Governments must invest new effort and money to prevent climate change from driving new conflicts, according to a diplomatic statement drafted by the German foreign office.
A multi-sectoral and multilateral approach to South Asia's rivers could provide sustainable development, but it needs to include those already marginalised by a narrow development path.
Women are vital for effective climate policy making and implementation. In South Asia, more needs to be done on systematically integrating women into policy processes - as active stakeholders and not merely as victims of climate risks.