First Minister Alex Salmond and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, are sending a joint message to the UNFCCC meeting in Durban, South Africa, calling for climate justice to be reflected in the outcome of the talks.
The joint intervention comes after the FM raising the issue of climate justice with the Chinese Government in a speech to the Central Party School in Beijing earlier this week.
Mr Salmond said: "Worldwide, we are seeing more and more extreme weather events. We are all affected, but developing countries are being hit hardest, and especially the least developed countries and the poorest communities within those countries. Yet they have done least to cause the problem - with very low levels of carbon emissions - and these same countries and communities are least equipped to tackle the problem.
"Climate justice is the answer - linking human rights and development, putting people at the heart of our economic system and allowing all to share the burdens and benefits of climate change and its resolution, and to do so in an equitable and fair way.
"That is why I am delighted to join Mary Robinson to call that the outcome of these talks witnesses a collective global raising of ambition on both climate change mitigation and climate justice."
Speaking at COP17 today, Ms Robinson, President of the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice (MRFCJ) said: "We need urgency from this COP. This is not a trade discussion, we cannot wait until the next meeting to take action. 2020 is too late to put a legally binding agreement in place.
"Having a legal framework with clear and common rules to which all countries are committed is critically important. It is the only assurance we have that action will be taken to protect the most vulnerable. This COP must agree to initiate negotiations towards this end - with a view to concluding a new legal instrument by 2015 at the latest.
"As the Durban talks draw to a close, I join with the First Minister of Scotland to call on delegates at COP17 to keep climate justice high on their agenda. I welcome the First Minister raising the issue of climate justice during his current visit to China and I am especially pleased to note his comments highlighting the gender dimension of climate change.
"Climate change is a matter of justice. The richest countries caused the problem, but it is the world's poorest who are already suffering from its effects. The international community must commit to righting that wrong."
(GK)
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Latest Construction News
22/11/2024
SP Energy Networks has announced a major investment in Britain's electricity grid, selecting 19 preferred partners to deliver a £5.4bn supply chain programme. This significant initiative aims to meet increasing energy demand and facilitate future growth. The selected companies, many of which are ...
22/11/2024
Edinburgh City Council has launched a 12-week public consultation on a new strategy to revitalise Princes Street and the wider Waverley Valley. The vision aims to create a more vibrant and welcoming city centre, attracting investment, supporting businesses, and enhancing the visitor ...
22/11/2024
Ener-G Services Limited, a leading UK electrical engineering company specialising in renewables, marine, and offshore sectors, has expanded its operations in Westhill, Aberdeenshire. The company has leased Unit 6E at Kingshill Commercial Park, a 2,500 sq ft space, on a 5-year lease. This new ...
22/11/2024
A consortium of leading scientists, industry experts, and academic institutions has joined forces to accelerate Scotland's offshore wind sector. The £2.5 million project, led by the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with the University of Dundee and the Forth and Tay Offshore cluster (FTO), ...
22/11/2024
The Port of Aberdeen and Turner & Townsend were highly commended in the 'Engineering, Construction & Infrastructure Project of the Year' category at the APM Project Management Awards 2024. The award recognises excellence in project management and the positive impact on end-users. The £420 million ...
22/11/2024
South Lanarkshire Council's £10 million fire safety improvement programme has reached a significant milestone, with CCG (Scotland) completing installations in over 1,700 high-rise residences across East Kilbride and Cambuslang. The Glasgow-based construction firm has been working closely with the ...
22/11/2024
SSEN Transmission, a key player in the UK's energy transition, is set to further expand its workforce and move into a new, sustainable office space in Glasgow. The company's commitment to net zero and the increasing demand for green energy workers has led to significant growth, with the number of ...
22/11/2024
Scottish Water is investing in the upgrade of its Loch Eck clean water plant in Dunoon. The project involves replacing outdated dry well pumps with new, more reliable pumps capable of operating in both wet and dry conditions. WGM Engineering, an RSK Group company, has been tasked with carrying out ...
22/11/2024
Scottish Land & Estates has expressed serious concerns over the Scottish Government's Land Reform Bill, particularly the provisions that would allow ministers to force landowners to sell large estates in lots. Sarah-Jane Laing, the organisation's chief executive, stated that while the land-based ...
22/11/2024
Clark Contracts employees have once again shown their commitment to community engagement by volunteering at Silverburn Park in Leven. On Thursday, 21st November, 16 members of the team spent their day planting over 400 trees and carrying out other landscaping tasks. This latest volunteering effort ...