World Economic and Social Survey 2009: Promoting Development, Saving the Planet

[imran ahmad]

**
*World Economic and Social Survey 2009: Promoting Development, Saving the
Planet*

The World Economic and Social Survey will be available
todayon
the DESA
website , along with a series
of related Policy
Briefsdrawing
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
*

UN/DESA Policy Brief: Reaching a Climate Deal in Copenhagen

[imran ahmad]

*UN/DESA Policy Brief: Reaching a Climate Deal in Copenhagen *




There is a growing awareness that action is urgently needed to seriously
address the climate change problem. The multilateral process that began with
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992
resulted in the Bali Action Plan (BAP) in 2007. The BAP calls for enhanced
action on adaptation, mitigation, technology development and transfer, and
finance, which should be specified in an international agreement by the end
of 2009 in Copenhagen. This brief addresses some key development and burden
sharing aspects related to mitigation and adaptation which need due
consideration to ensure a successful and sustainable outcome of the
negotiations.

The full Policy Brief is available at:

http://www.un.org/esa/policy/policybriefs/policybrief17.pdf

 Imran Habib Ahmad

Coordinator World Economic and Social Survey (WESS) 2009 / Senior Economic
Affairs Officer/ PhD Scholar ANU
Development Policy and Analysis Division, UNDESA
2 United Nations Plaza, Room DC2-2024
New York, NY 10017 (USA)
Email: im...@alumni.brandeis.edu
http://www.un.org/esa/policy/index.html
<>

Historical Comparison of US and China per capita GHG emissions

[imran ahmad]

Dear Colleagues,

Do we have any study that does (or uses) a historical comparison of US and
China per capita GHG emissions?

I was trying find out, at what point in time did the US have the current
Chinese per capita rate of GHG emissions?


Thanks,

Imran