| | |  Editorials | Environmental 
Calderón Calls for Quick Climate Change Action at World Economic Forum
 Hector Álvarez Fernández - The News
go to original
January 29, 2010
| | President of Mexico Felipe Calderon speaks during a plenary session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos January 29, 2010. (Reuters/Michael Buholzer) | |
Davos, Switz. President Felipe Calderón on Thursday called on all countries to leave behind the “false debate” about the way to tackle the climate change problem, as the cost of doing nothing could be worse.
He emphasized the need for a multilateral mechanism permitting the effective and transparent financing of actions against climate change and he raised the necessity of revising the UN's “consensus” mechanism.
At the World Economic Forum's “Global Governance Redesigned” session, Calderón said that all countries are obliged to address this problem.
He said that Mexico, the site of this year's UN Climate Change Conference, wants everyone to see that it is a common problem, and one that everyone can do something about.
Calderón, whose leadership and resolve to “build bridges” on the issue is recognized by world leaders such as Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and Spanish President, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, said that climate change is a problem that is not defined by borders.
“We are all obligated to address it and we have spent several years debating and fighting among countries,” he said. “The world is sick and we need to cure it.”
Calderón added that the cost of doing nothing could be worse than if we take measures today. He called on those present to “put ourselves to work to address this problem that challenges humanity.”
In Mexico's case, his administration is putting aside the traditional vision that developing countries don't have enough revenue, nor the obligation to do something.
Mexico has assumed its own obligations and has made a unilateral commitment to reduce emissions by 50 million tons by 2012.
He declared that what was needed was not only clear objectives, but also financial resources to be able to reach these objectives.
Nevertheless, while countries are blaming each other, most continue without progress on the issue.
“While the discussion remains about who is to blame, we go on without resolving anything,” warned Calderón. He called for nations to leave behind this stage of meaningless arguments and reciprocal recriminations, to reach an understanding that it is a global problem shared by all nations.
“We are all in the same boat, on the same plane; the pilot has suffered cardiac arrest, there is a way to replace him with another pilot from among the passengers, but we have spent the time fighting between economy and business class,” he illustrated.
Calderón also maintained that the “consensus” established in the UN protocol “isn't working,” by virtue of the fact that if one country wants to block the issue, it can. |
|
| |
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us