** *World Economic and Social Survey 2009: Promoting Development, Saving the Planet*
The World Economic and Social Survey will be available today<http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/pressconference/2009/pc090901am.rm>on the DESA website <http://www.un.org/esa/policy/wess/index.html>, along with a series of related Policy Briefs<http://www.un.org/esa/policy/policybriefs/wess09pb/index.htm>drawing from the report. For over 60 years, the World Economic and Social Survey (WESS) has been the United Nations flagship publication for an integrated perspective on the big policy challenges facing the world, especially the developing countries. This year’s report “Promoting Development, Saving the Planet” is being launched in the first week of September in ten locations worldwide. We would be grateful for the help of country offices around the world in helping us with outreach about the report to government officials, NGOs and the media. The principal objective of WESS 2009 is to better understand the linkage between climate change and development with the aim of identifying programmes and policies needed for low-emissions, high-growth and equitable development. The report presents an integrated policy response to climate and development challenges built around a big investment programme in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency and forest management, as well as to reduce vulnerability to climate shocks. On this basis the Survey makes the case for sizeable and effective multilateral support with respect to both finance and the transfer of technology. The separation of the climate change and development agendas has distorted the global debate on the two biggest policy challenges facing the international community. According to the *World Economic and Social Survey 2009*, an integrated approach based on the concept of sustainable development is urgently needed. The key to such an approach is a low-carbon, high-growth transformation of the global economy — a transformation that can keep temperature increases consistent with environmental stability, as identified by the scientific community, while at the same time fostering the strong growth and economic diversification in developing countries that would allow convergence of incomes worldwide. The greening of catch-up growth will have to be further tailored to meet the adaptation challenges facing vulnerable countries and communities whose economic security will be threatened even if climate change is kept within globally manageable limits. - The Survey argues that mitigation and adaptation efforts can move forward effectively only if they are part of a consistent development strategy built around an investment-led push on to low-carbon, high-growth pathways. - It warns that the adjustments this will involve must not push poorer countries and communities further down the development ladder, or leave them saddled with unmanageable debts, but should instead strengthen their resilience to external shocks, both climatic and economic. - While acknowledging that a variety of market and non-market institutional mechanisms will be needed if advances are to be made along those paths, the *Survey* contends that the public sector must assume a much more prominent role, and that stronger developmental States must take action to mobilize public finances and build appropriate technological capacities. - To gain traction, this potentially win-win strategy requires the international community to step up to the plate with multilateral financing on a much larger scale than has been forthcoming to date, and with new approaches to transferring technology from rich to poor countries. The report offers various suggestions to ensure that the available financing matches the challenges at hand.* * ** *Policy Briefs* Reaching a Climate Deal in Copenhagen http://www.un.org/esa/policy/policybriefs/policybrief17.pdf Technology Transfer and Climate Change: Beyond TRIPS http://www.un.org/esa/policy/policybriefs/policybrief19.pdf Multidimensional Climate Threats Require New Approaches and More Resources for Adaptation Challenge http://www.un.org/esa/policy/policybriefs/policybrief20.pdf Climate Justice: Sharing the Burden http://www.un.org/esa/policy/policybriefs/policybrief21.pdf Financing mitigation and adaptation by developing countries http://www.un.org/esa/policy/policybriefs/policybrief22.pdf Stronger industrial policies needed to face the climate and development challenges http://www.un.org/esa/policy/policybriefs/policybrief23.pdf Climate Change and the Energy Challenge http://www.un.org/esa/policy/policybriefs/policybrief24.pdf * Imran Habib Ahmad Coordinator/Core Team member World Economic and Social Survey 2009 *
