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Climate Change

Date of Adoption: December 2007
Policy Serial No: POS 2.3.2

The Issue:

Oxfam Australia observes that:

Climate change is a development issue that seriously threatens the lives and livelihoods of poor people around the world. It severely hinders developing countries' efforts to reach their poverty reduction and sustainable development objectives under the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It affects all sectors of development from food and water security, to health and sanitation, to displacement and migration, and conflict and disasters. Developing countries are more vulnerable to climate change because they are more dependent on their natural resources and ecosystems than developed countries, and have a lower capacity to cope with environmental hazards and shocks¹. Oxfam Australia's approach includes:

Equity - There is a deep injustice in the impacts of climate change. While richer countries are largely responsible for the problem, people in poorer countries are the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change. Decisions made in the next decade will shape the consequences for many future generations. Australia, as one of the world's worst greenhouse polluters per capita, has a responsibility to act, and to do so urgently. Oxfam Australia is uniquely placed for advocacy on climate change issues given the impacts on our work in developing countries around the world.

Mitigation - Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from human activities such as fossil fuel use and land use change is internationally recognised as essential if the rate and magnitude of climate change is to be reduced. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)² and the Kyoto Protocol³ provide the key means for international responses to climate change. The science indicates that if global warming is to be kept below 2 degrees C, global emissions need to be reduced by between 50% and 85% of 1990 levels by 2050⁴. Given that rich developed countries, including Australia, are largely responsible for the problem they should commit to reductions of at least 80%⁵.

Adaptation - The development of additional capacity is critical for communities to cope with the many environmental, social, economic and health impacts of climate change. Successful adaptation requires community-centred responses to increase resilience, involving those who are most at risk from climate change impacts. This includes planning for climate uncertainty, protecting ecosystems and infrastructure, adopting appropriate technologies and diversification of livelihoods. Oxfam Australia notes that for some highly vulnerable communities, particularly on low lying islands and deltaic regions, there is likelihood of insurmountable barriers to successful adaptation and these cases will require an international response.

Oxfam Australia Principles:

As a rights-based development organization, we see the fulfillment of rights as a fundamental principle. Our work on climate change is guided by this.

Our view is:

• Climate change requires immediate action and cooperation at global, regional and local levels, in order to keep global temperature rise as far below 2° Celsius as possible (above pre-industrial levels) in order to avoid dangerous climate change.⁶
• The United Nations is the only legitimate international forum in which all countries, rich and poor, should agree ambitious targets and funding to address climate change. All states must recognise that we need urgent and unprecedented global cooperation to make the big changes necessary to tackle climate change. Discussions in other for a such as the G8 and APEC can contribute to greater international consensus but it is important that these more exclusive discussions contribute towards negotiations and final decision-making within the United Nations process.
• Rich developed countries, that are largely responsible for human-induced climate change, must act first and lead in reducing emissions in order to avoid dangerous climate change.
• Greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for developing countries must take account of current and past per capita emissions as a proportion of all global greenhouse emissions, and the capacity to pay for reductions whilst also reducing poverty.
• Rich developed countries must assist poor developing nations in taking a low carbon path to development that is secure, affordable, accessible and sustainable.
• Access to modern energy services by poor people who currently have none, and transition to low carbon energy systems around the world, are urgent and equal priorities for an equitable global response to climate change.
• Energy solutions should focus on renewable sources rather than finite resources. Oxfam Australia is not supportive of nuclear energy as a means to mitigate climate change. Its development is energy intensive, too slow in implementation to assist in reducing climate change, and has other negative environmental impacts.
• Adaptation must be equitable and take into consideration developing countries' right to sustainable development.
• Adaptation should be community-focused, context specific and reduce community vulnerability.
• Adaptation assistance should be financed on the basis that it is additional to, and distinct from, Overseas Development Assistance, and must not be raised by re-branding or diverting existing commitments.
• Market-based mechanisms such as emissions trading and carbon offsets may make an important contribution to achieving emissions reductions, globally and within countries, but will be insufficient on their own. To drive large-scale reductions in the short timeframe available, governments must also employ policy instruments such as taxes, subsidies and regulatory standards to bring about changes needed.
• Where carbon offsets are employed, they must contribute to a genuine reduction in greenhouse gas emission and be consistent with Oxfam's principles around equitable and sustainable development.
• Climate change provides opportunities to shift the current dominant paradigm of economic development from one of short-term gains and narrowly defined economic objectives, to a more equitable and sustainable system based on long-term social, economic and environmental objectives.
• Work aimed at poverty reduction should integrate climate change and other environmental issues into program planning and implementation if it is to be sustainable.
• Millions of poor people around the world depend on tropical forests for livelihood security but these are under enormous pressure from competing economic demands. Efforts to protect these forests should be valued for their climate benefits.
• Gender dynamics play a critical role in climate change and development. Women are more vulnerable to climate change as they depend more on the natural environment for their livelihoods, and development efforts must take this into account.
• Oxfam as an organisation has a responsibility to ensure that its own operations minimise any negative impacts on the environment, as well as foster positive impacts.

Applying a rights-based approach, Oxfam Australia calls for:

The Australian Government to:

• Fully participate in international efforts to avoid dangerous climate change through mandatory means, and ensure compliance with the Kyoto Protocol.
• Adopt a national framework for urgently reducing Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% of 1990 levels by 2050, and by at least 30% by 2020, by socially equitable means.
• Commit to fair and adequate adaptation financing, in addition to development aid, based on a 'polluter pays' principle, that is accounted for based on responsibility and capability⁷.
• Review its immigration program in light of the expected impacts of climate change to consider supporting people displaced by climate change.
• Review the impact of climate change on indigenous communities in Australia.
• Integrate climate change into all parts of the aid program through a climate change plan. This includes disaster risk reduction, mitigation and adaptation.
• Prioritise renewable energy and energy efficiency over fossil fuel generation, nuclear, hydropower, 'clean coal' and carbon storage (geo-sequestration). Focus on current technology rather than delay action while waiting to develop new technologies, and support significant private investment in renewable energy.
• Commit to the reduction of all environmentally insensitive land clearing activities.

All National Governments to:

• Work together to keep global temperature rise as far below 2°C as possible and commit to the necessary binding targets to reduce emissions in order to avoid dangerous climate change.
• Acknowledge that rich countries, which are largely responsible for causing climate change with many decades of greenhouse gas emissions, have the responsibility and capability to act first and lead in reducing emissions.⁸
• Take action to ensure that rich countries demonstrate their commitments to developing countries in terms of adaptation by living up to their obligations as agreed under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol.
• Develop international frameworks to establish equitable standards for:
  • Adaptation financing
  • The impacts of agro-fuels production on food availability, access to food and stability of food supply
  • The reduction of all unsustainable land clearing activities
  • Carbon offsets to ensure they achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, are maintained long term, accountably managed, developed with the consent of affected communities and reduce poverty.

Business and the Community to:

• Reduce private sector emissions through energy efficiency and demand reductions, and regularly report on their progress to stakeholders and the public.
• Revise private sector policies to ensure the policies take into consideration the emissions from supply chains and practices, and how these impact on communities vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
• Reduce their own greenhouse emissions and actively support Oxfam's climate change and development policy.
• Advocate for tackling climate change with their elected officials and consumer activities.

Oxfam commits to:

• Providing support to poor communities to reduce their vulnerability to climate change through work on sustainable development, disaster preparedness, and appropriate adaptation.
• Undertaking research in developing countries to learn more about climate change impacts and adaptation to inform our ongoing long term, humanitarian and advocacy work.
• Working in national and international coalitions and alliances to advocate real change in national governments around greenhouse gas emissions reductions and adaptation financing that is adequate, equitable and fair.
• Providing research and evidence-based reporting on the impacts of climate change in developing countries and vulnerable communities in order to influence change with decision-makers.
• Contributing to the education and mobilisation of our supporters and the wider Australian community on key issues of climate change and development.
• Ensuring that our own operations reduce our impact on the environment.
• Undertake further policy development on (1) bio-fuels and their potential impact on emission reduction, food security, deforestation, etc, and (2) the role of larger developing countries such as Brazil, India and China in emission reduction.

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1. For more information, see UNDP Report "Human Development Report 2007/2008 - Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world" http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2007-2008/
2. For more information on the UNFCCC see: http://unfccc.int/2860.php
3. For more information on the Kyoto Protocol see: http://www.unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php
4. The IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report from Working Group III states that global emissions must be reduced by between 50-85% by 2050 in order to increase the chances of avoiding dangerous climate change. See: http://www.mnp.nl/ipcc/pages_media/FAR4docs/final_pdfs_ar4/SPM.pdf
5. Rich countries are largely responsible for climate change and as a result must accept a greater burden of the emissions reductions required.
6. Two Degrees, One Chance Summary Report by Oxfam, TearFund, ChristianAid and Practical Action http://www.oxfam.org.au/campaigns/climate_change/docs/two-degrees-one-chance.pdf
7. Two Degrees, One Chance Summary Report by Oxfam, TearFund, ChristianAid and Practical Action http://www.oxfam.org.au/campaigns/climate_change/docs/adapting-to-climate-change.pdf
8. Two Degrees, One Chance Summary Report by Oxfam, TearFund, ChristianAid and Practical Action http://www.oxfam.org.au/campaigns/climate_change/docs/adapting-to-climate-change.pdf

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