Deense en Zweedse ministers ontwikkelingssamenwerking: 'EU moet aanpak klimaatverandering en armoedebestrijding combineren' (en)

Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson, together with her Danish colleague Ulla Törnaes, today took a joint initiative during the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen on continuing the work on climate measures for developing countries after the summit.

“We must ensure that both the fight against poverty and that against climate change take place simultaneously and not at the expense of one another. Today’s meeting between the EU and several developing countries is an important step in these efforts,” say Ms Carlsson and Ms Törnaes.

European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Karel De Gucht i and ministers from countries such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho and Mali took part in the seminar.

The poorest countries have been hit the hardest by climate change. This not only places demands on reaching a broad, binding agreement during the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, it also places new demands on further integrating climate issues in development work.

EU development cooperation ministers recently adopted Council conclusions on how the integration of climate initiatives in the areas of development and aid are to be carried out. The next stage of this integration and possible ways of carrying it out in the medium term were discussed during the seminar. The importance of this being done in active dialogue with the developing countries was emphasised.

The EU’s undertaking of a ‘fast start’ for climate financing to developing countries amounting to EUR 2.4 billion until 2013 is also a concrete way for the EU to show its commitment. The EU is now encouraging other developed countries to contribute to fast-start financing. The need of a fast start for climate financing to developing countries was one of the recommendations made by the international Commission on Climate Change and Development. The Commission, which was chaired by Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson, presented its report to the UN Secretary-General in May this year.