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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

global action on climate change must begin at local levels - pm


A shared vision and collaborative efforts at public and the private sector level can mitigate the impact of climate change

Climate change affects everyone and while countries around the world are failing to reach a global agreement on the issue, it is at the local levels that global action must begin.
This is what the Prime Minister Jigmi Y. Thinley  emphasized during the two-day Conference on Climate Change and Energy Cooperation in South Asia organized by the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) in association with the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) on Sunday.
Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley cautioned the South Asian region that even if its share of emission may be far lesser than that of industrialized countries, it will not be long before the emerging regions and growing economies share of guilt will be no less.
He said a shared vision and collaborative efforts at public and the private sector level can mitigate the impact of climate change and cooperation in energy can help South Asia for its transformation from energy constraint to energy surplus region.
“Global agreements are difficult to reach whereas it is at the local levels that global action must begin,” said the prime minister.
The prime minister said even though global warming and irreversible damages by man on nature are increasing, there is still time for actions that can slow down the causes, particularly the emission of greenhouse gases.
He said together the region has the ability to mitigate the devastation that climate change can and is bringing. “It is my hope that both in order to halt climate change and to find a long term solution to energy insecurity, you will agree on the need for us to embark on a far more serious commitment to develop our vast potential for renewable or clean energy,” he added.
The prime minister also said people are becoming impatient and frustrated with the general failure of government and business to take innovative, bold and effective steps to find solutions to the looming energy crisis.
“While governments are at risk of being discredited and falling as a direct consequence, it is absolutely clear that the mostly encouraging economic growth and therefore, profit in the private sector at present, will come to a grinding halt or peter out if energy supply cannot keep up with the exploding demand,” said Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley.
“We need to embrace renewable, efficiency, innovation; carbon markets and new technologies, for these are where real growth and profit will be found,” he added.
Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley said these will be favored by growing public choice, legislation and sheer economic sensibility. These indeed are where investments must be made to deliver high and long term returns.
The President of SCCI, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, urged upon the need for a collaborated effort to devise out mechanisms to tackle the adverse effects of natural calamities due to climate change.
He recommended that all the SAARC nations articulate common stand on climate change while a SAARC Climate Change Fund could be created to finance projects directed toward climate and environmental protection.
He also offered the policy makers and SAARC Secretariat at Kathmandu to work together to formulate achievable action plan for users of power generated through hydroelectric and non-conventional energy sources.

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