Dear Friends,

I have just returned to the office following the launch of the Blueprint for a Better World at Old Parliament House in Canberra.  This exhibition highlights the need for all of us to commit to the Millennium Development Goals.  The staggering statistics which are included in the exhibition along with those that were highlighted throughout the speeches remind us that we have a long way to go to achieve the goals set down.  Dr Ingvar Anda spoke about the realities of Climate Change.  Realities that are affecting communities right now. His address is below.  The exhibition finishes with a challenge to write down what you can do following your visit.  Some of the comments included: speaking up for those who can't, sharing the statistics, thinking about our use of water, and supporting the work of Caritas.  I encourage you to look at the Millennium Development Goals and see what you can do.

Best wishes,

Kim Davis

Today I’m going to talk briefly about the Millennium development Goals (MDGs)and climate Change
Climate change presents significant threats to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals especially those related to eliminating poverty and hunger and promoting environmental sustainability.
Climate change will have, is having, a disproportionate impact on the worlds poor, those who have contributed least to the emissions that cause global warming.
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of severe weather events, causing sea level rise, and facilitating the spread of some diseases.  A few examples are,
• An increase in the frequency and intensity of cyclones, coupled with small rises in sea level, are impacting on the livelihoods and water supplies of millions of people in heavily populated low lying coastal areas like Bangladesh and Vietnam.
• Increasing drought in many parts of Africa is causing crop failure and significant loss of livestock as well as exacerbating conflicts.
• In many small Pacific islands, water supplies are threatened by rising sea levels.
• Diseases such as Malaria and dengue fever will increase across tropical regions as a consequence of climate change.
Caritas and other development agencies are working alongside poor communities to develop adaptation strategies to cope with the impacts of climate change:
• through sustainable farming practices and natural resource management in Asia and Africa,
• promoting agro forestry in East Timor and Indonesia  and rain water harvesting in India and Bangladesh
• introducing disaster risk reduction programs that reduce peoples vulnerability to extreme weather events and other hazards (and AusAID’s new policy on mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction throughout the Aid Program is a very positive development in this area)
• In Bangladesh, Caritas is supporting coastal farmers by introducing saline tolerant rice varieties, building more raised cyclone shelters and switching from chickens to ducks. Bangladesh is seen as the frontline in climate change and communities and civil society are responding in creative and effective ways. Some of you might have seen the story on SBS news last night where a local NGO in Bangladesh is building floating schools.
Climate change is not theoretical for these communities, they are impacted by it now and adapting to it now. But there is a limited window of adaptation for many vulnerable communities, as they are already living close to the edge and climate change threatens many hard won developmental gains.
In order to achieve the MDGs in 2015, and ensure development objectives beyond 2015, rich industrialized countries need to:
• rapidly reduce their greenhouse emissions – this is most crucial, without drastic cuts to emissions the adaptation window will close for many and large numbers of people will be on the move.
• There is a need to increase development assistance to 0.7% of Gross National Income (the current Government and Parliamentary Secretary, Bob McMullin in particular, are to be commended for significant increases in the aid budget, and its commitment to reaching 0.5% of GNI by 2015, but it needs to commit to a timeline of reaching 0.7%)
• However, and this is critical if poor communities are to cope with the added burden of climate change impacts, there needs to be additional aid for climate change adaptation measures that poor countries urgently need to implement (on this there is less to commend the Government for)
• There needs to be technology transfers of renewable energy and other mitigation and adaptation technologies.
• And there need to be incentives for poor countries to limit their emissions while safeguarding their right to development

The MDGs can be met and the climate change challenge can be addressed but all Governments need to act urgently to put policies and actions in place. Caritas continues to be active globally in efforts to mobilise communities and lobby governments on behalf of the worlds poor to achieve the MDGs and address climate change.