Climate Change 2007
Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
The Summary for Policymakers (SPM) was released to the media in Brussels on April 6, 2007.
Providing an assessment of the already-observed changes due to climate change and future impacts, this report focuses on the need for adaptation. Significant changes in our physical environment are already evident and future changes will likely lead to a heavy toll on vulnerable populations of the world.
John Drexhage, director of climate change and energy for the International Institute for Sustainable Development, and an expert reviewer of the IPCC Working Group II report, states: "This IPCC report confirms a message we have been stating loud and clear for a few years now: namely that those least responsible for global warming — the poor, the indigenous communities — are the ones to be the most immediately and severely impacted by it. This is a core equity issue that must be addressed in the international negotiations."
David Runnalls, CEO and president of IISD, agrees. "In order for development to be sustainable, we are now going to have to factor in increasing and targeted levels of overseas assistance that will help developing countries cope with the problems we in the developed world have created."
"The fact that we are already experiencing the impacts of climate change should not mean that we throw up our hands in the air — far from it. Instead it should galvanize us into actions that will once and for all treat this problem with the level of seriousness it needs to be treated." For more information on the Working Group II report, its findings and implications please contact [email protected].
About IISD
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is a globally recognized think tank with 3 decades of experience working to solve the world’s most pressing sustainable development challenges. We combine deep expertise in a wide range of issues with a collaborative approach to research, policy advice, and hands-on support to ensure these solutions are brought to life. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, we are a diverse team of over 300 professionals working from offices in Canada, Switzerland, and other locations around the world.
You might also be interested in
Midpoint of the UN Tax Convention Negotiations: Where do talks stand?
The negotiations for a new UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation have hit their halfway point. Here's a look at where things stand, what was on the table this round, and what's coming next.
Canadian Exporters Face New Reporting Costs as Carbon Border Taxes Multiply
The European Union’s carbon border tax will add new compliance costs for Canadian businesses that trade certain products, especially steel and aluminum, to the bloc. The increased costs—linked to differing demands for measuring, reporting, and verifying a product’s greenhouse gas emissions across the growing number of countries adopting border carbon adjustment (BCA) mechanisms—“make it tough for any exporter to those markets,” Aaron Cosbey, senior associate at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), told The Energy Mix.
Experimental Lakes gets $2M for major facilities upgrade
A one-of-a-kind research station is studying small lakes to inform freshwater science all over the world is getting a new facility with more space for scientists and students. Located between Dryden and Kenora, the International Institute for Sustainable Development’s Experimental Lakes Area allows scientists and students to run experiments on 58 small lakes in the area.
Province investing $2M to ‘ensure northwestern Ontario remains a global leader in freshwater science and research’
The Government of Ontario is making a targeted investment to “strengthen northern Ontario's leadership in freshwater science, support research and innovation and create new educational and economic opportunities in the region.” On Aug. 13, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) — a regional granting subsidiary of the provincial government — announced that it will be investing $2 million to build a new Centre for Climate and Lake Learning at the International Institute for Sustainable Development Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA), which is located about halfway between Kenora and Dryden.