HISTORIC BREAKTHROUGH: 48 COUNTRIES COMMIT TO TRANSITION TO 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY
19 November 2016
November 18, 2016: In a historic breakthrough, 48 climate vulnerable countries clear the way towards a safe and prosperous future for everyone and commit to 100% renewable energy by mid-century. In a bold move that is set to spark a global ripple effect prompting other countries into concrete action, the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), chaired by Ethiopia declared shifting to net carbon neutrality in a high-level ministerial meeting held on the last day of the UN climate talks in Morocco.
“We are thrilled by this move, this is what we worked hard for all these years, countries stepping out to transform their energy dependence away from fossil fuels into sustainable resources that brings economic growth while saving lives from climate-induced potential disasters,” said Climate Action Network Director Wael Hmaidan.
Constituting 25% of the countries in the climate process, CVF vow to end energy poverty “not leaving anyone behind and protect food and water security” through massive de-carbonization plans and creating jobs in renewables.
“The commitments made by the Climate Vulnerable Forum today are both impressive and inspirational. They have once again shown their moral leadership in this process with real-world commitments to action. These countries are already living the terrifying reality of climate change today and their very existence is on the line. The EU stands with them and their commitment to greater ambition in the years ahead,” said European Union Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete.
This declaration comes in the wake Hurricane Matthew that devastated Haiti and caused a humanitarian catastrophe amplified by capability constraints. As the most vulnerable, CVF countries are setting the urgency and taking action to build resilience, averting disasters protecting people through providing insurance covering climate related calamities and risk.
“Participating in CVF and adopting this declaration is an ethical matter for us,” said Costa Rican Minister of Environment and Energy Edgar Gutierrez. “The health of our people, the destiny of our nations is at stake.”
CVF will hold a summit in 2018 to lay out their de-carbonization map that will meet science and limit temperature increase to 1.5 above pre-industrial levels.
“I welcome the Climate Vulnerable Forum Declaration highlighting the need for urgent climate action in order to protect the most vulnerable and allow everyone to prosper. Our goal must be to bend the curve of emissions by 2020 in order to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C and enable an orderly and just transition. For this we must accelerate the shift of capital and promote radical collaboration among all stakeholders. We can do it,” said Former Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Christiana Figueres.
CVF pledged to promote the full implementation of the amended Montreal protocol to reduce emissions equivalent to 0.5C warming.
The Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) is a collaborative platform for vulnerable countries to address the key issues related to climate change. The CVF brings together government leaders from 48 developing countries vulnerable to climate change to which it has an open, inclusive and semi-formal approach. Nations participating in the CVF are also members of the Vulnerable Twenty. The Forum is currently chaired by Ethiopia. The incumbent CVF chair is Marshall Islands
Check out the following links for information about the forum, the vision and the communique:
Photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thecvf/29071452211/in/album-72157671589553260/
For further information, contact:
Hala Kilani
Senior Communications Officer campaigns – Climate Action Network
Email: hkilani@climatenetwork.org
Tel: +961 3 567928
Local Phone: +212 6 53 77 86 95