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Global Humanitarian Forum Geneva
Conference Conference Day two 24-25 June 2008
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Programm 24-25 June Tuesday, 24 June
Discussion between professor Jeffrey Sachs and EU commissioner Javier Solana on growth and technology (part transcript)

Report of the second day's plenary sessions (programme)

This is Dr Rajendra Pachauri telling the world that 1.6 billion people do not have electricity and that providing access to electricity would initially increase climate gas emissions.

Open Discussion on the Conclusions of the Roundtables

10:30-12:00 video

Dr Pachauri presented the outcomes of the roundtable on Bringing energy to the poor, which seemed to agree on the need to develop the poor - with technology. A 3 minute prublicity film from "teri" showed a solar lantern, helping poor Indian women to no longer cook in the dark. [teri = Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi]

Dame Barbara explained what the roundtable on Communication and Media concluded. Modern communication could bring weather and market info to the farmers. The Media should be more aware of the responsibilities in spreading the message.

Health issues were being addressed, but more action and empowerment was needed, this roundtable meant, as reported by David Naberro.

Water stress issues were reported by Professor Sachs. More droughts, insufficient ground water, glacier and snow emlts, soil loss were some of the issues, caused by population pressure and climate change. Solutions could lie in water storage, proper water pricing - wrong pricing kills people. Technology transfer and involvement of business as well as costing carbon emissions were mentioned.

The Empowerment of the vulnerable roundtable said that people needed to be informed and must get the capacity to raise their own voices, as reported by Rinalia Abdul Rahim.

Possible disasters for Coastal cities in the global South was the topic of the last roundtable of Wednesday morning, reported by Bert Koenders. The protection of mangrove forests was mentioned, influx of people into the cities and jobless growth. Money and action is needed for adaptation.

In the debate, facilitated by BBC's Nisha Pillai, the floor asked some pertinent questions

The population growth question was both addressed by George Schaffenberger, Bloom Center for Developing Economies and Adam Kimbisa, Mayor of Dar es Salam. The debate was too rich to be reported here in all detail. Kindly cionsult the video.

For more details see the video
Plenary debate on Wednesday 25.6.08 12:00 - 13:00 h:

"Is politics or technology the grand solution to climate challenge?"
Discussion between Javier Solana and Jeffrey Sachs

 Overall, the conference was well prepared and the intentions were laudable. Unclear is which impact it will have on the stated aim of helping the poor to deal with the effects of climate change. Could it be that the dignitaries invited were not the best suited to discuss these issues of sustainability and climate change? Did the most pertinent questions come from the public? One may ask if the participants were selected from a (too?) narrow circle of societal prominent persons. Could this be a certain "establishment bias"? It is true: all participants were asked to write down and voice their ideas.
Nisha Pillai said she had been parashuted into this debate - she and the media depended on clear and understandable language.
The desiderata were voiced but unclear were the paths for getting there. The technology and the growth paths - that is ingenuity and the belief in unlimited resources - are no feasible routes to helping the poor and avoiding further climate change. Actually, as long as we try to maintain our present lifestyles in the wealthy countries and believe the poorer countries may catch up with us - although the resources are getting increasingly scarcer - we are walking down a dead-end road. On a finite and overloaded planet earth our economic expansion and population growth must lead to total depletion, resource wars and collapse.

Geneva, 25 June 2005 - Helmut Lubbers

Programm 24-25 June Wednesday, 25 June
Jeffrey Sachs and Javier Solana on growth and technology
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8625-8701

Annual Meeting 2008: The Human Face of Climate Change

24-25 June 2008 Hotel Intercontinental Geneva 7- 9 Chemin du Petit Saconnex Geneva, Switzerland

Programme Day two Wednesday, 25 June

Parallel Roundtables

08:30 - 10:15 Energy for the Poor: Energizing the MDGs
Often referred to as “the missing MDG”, energy is pivotal to achieving all of the Millennium Development Goals. Its production and consumption are also a key factor in protecting against the adverse impacts of climate change. At the same time, improving the standard of living of the world’s poor must be grounded in sustainable development; it must favour latest clean technologies over the fossil fuel-based sources privileged by the majority of the world’s modern economies. What incentives are needed to substantially boost investment in energy services for the poor? What feasible opportunities exist for decentralized, “leapfrog”, resilient and renewable energy technologies?
John Drexhage, Director of Climate Change and Energy, the International Institute for Sustainable Development
Jan van der Eijk, Group Chief Technology Officer, Royal Dutch Shell
Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank
Susan McDade, UNDP Resident Representative, Cuba
Moderated by Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); Chairman, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)

08:30 - 10:15 Climate Responsibility and Global Media
As the outreach and influence of global media continues to expand, what role can be played in building global climate responsibility? What can the information media industry do to illustrate the magnitude of the climate problem? How can climate justice be communicated by the media? And how can latest technologies be used to bridge the communication gap that separates rich from poor?
Mo Ibrahim, founder, Celtel International; founder, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation
Ahmed Sheikh, Head of News, Al Jazeera Arabic
David Shukman, Environment and Science correspondent, BBC News
Carl-Henric Svanberg, Chairman of the Board, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications; President and CEO, Ericsson
Moderated by Barbara Stocking, Director, Oxfam GB

08:30 - 10:15 Climate Change and Health: What Partnerships?
The enormous impact climate change is having and will have on public health is only beginning to be seen as cause for serious concern. Heat, malnutrition and hunger facilitate the spread of vector borne diseases like malaria, schistosomiasis and dengue fever. Flooding can dramatically increase the likelihood of contracting water borne diseases, such as cryptosporidiosis, amoebiasis or typhoid, as clean water is often unobtainable or becomes contaminated. While little or no access to medical services and medication mean diseases go untreated and epidemics unrestrained. Drugs, the Internet, and other latest technologies are needed to combat these growing health concerns, but are rarely at the disposal of those most in need. What partnerships can change that?
Bernard Kouchner, Foreign Minister, France; founder, Médecins sans Frontičres (t.b.c.)
Klaus Leisinger, President and CEO, Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development; Special Advisor of the UN Secretary-General on the Global Compact
Eric Rasmussen, CEO, InSTEDD (t.b.c.)
Moderated by David Nabarro, UN System Senior Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza

08:30 - 10:15 Dealing with Regional Water Stress
In the past, availability of water resources have dictated human settlement. Climate change is shifting the availability of water worldwide, with pressurizing consequences on communities in a number of regions. Water stress in the form of severe drought, dwindling groundwater sources and changing rain patterns is rendering land uninhabitable in worst affected areas. Is mass migration the only sensible long-term solution for such situations? In more marginal contexts, can traditional settlements be safeguarded by more effective resource management practices, such as crop substitution or advanced irrigation? Could net import of water-intensive goods be another promising strategy?
Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
E. Neville Isdell, Chairman, The Coca Cola Company
Brunson McKinley, Director General, International Organization for Migration
Youba Sokona, Executive Secretary, Sahara and Sahel Observatory
Moderated by Jeffrey Sachs, Director, The Earth Institute at Columbia University; Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the Millennium Development Goals

08:30 - 10:15 Practical Solutions to Empower Vulnerable People and Communities
Basic solutions, such as drip irrigation and roof-water harvesting, can significantly boost the resilience of communities against climate threats. Information and communication technologies can empower vulnerable communities by increasing access to crucial knowledge. They can also help create a sense of global responsibility and citizenship by connecting people from any region of the world. What are the most promising solutions? How can their implementation be accelerated? And at the local level, what means do communities have to manage their adaptation needs?
Madeleen Helmer, Head, Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre
Dean Hirsch, President and CEO, World Vision International
Samuel Kobia, General Secretary, World Council of Churches
Julia Marton-Lefevre, Director General, World Conservation Union (IUCN)
Judith Rodin, President, Rockefeller Foundation
Moderated by Rinalia Abdul Rahim, Executive Director, Global Knowledge Partnership

08:30 - 10:15 Coastal Cities in the Global South: Waiting for the Next Mega-Disaster?
Coastal cities constitute the backbone of international trade and the world economy. Assets of these cities that are exposed to climate risks are estimated to reach 9% of global GDP by 2070. Expensive measures in urban administration, planning and civil defence will help some cities to manage these risks. For many developing country cities, however, adaptation is often a politically unjustifiable luxury. Yet a Cyclone Nargis could be repeated in any number of least developed zones. Are we simply waiting for the next mega-disaster? Or can we ensure climate-proofing for even the poorest of the world’s vulnerable coastal cities?
Celine Herweijer, Principal Scientist of Future Climate, Risk Management Solutions
Adam Kimbisa, Mayor, Dar es Salaam
Markku Niskala, Secretary-General, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Moderated by Goh Kee Nguan, Brigadier General, Singapore Armed Forces

10:15 - 10:30 Break

Plenary

10:30 - 12:00 Open Debate on the Conclusions of the Roundtables

12:00 - 12:45 Keynote/Debate

12:45 - 13:00 Closing Remarks Kofi A. Annan, President, Global Humanitarian Forum; UN Secretary-General (1997-2006)

13:00 - 14:00 Luncheon

14:00 - 15:00 A Road Map for New Ideas on Adaptation to Climate Change: the BrainStore Approach
Markus Mettler, Chairman, co-founder & IdeaDirector, BrainStore

16:00 - 16:30 Press Conference

Tuesday, 24 June

Source: www.ghf-geneva.org/ (18 June 2008).