Transcript Slide 1
Quality Public Services IS KEY TO CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES A commitment to strengthening of public services must be at the heart of the global response to climate change A Just Transition framework • Will ensure access to opportunity for decent work and social protection for all whose livelihoods, incomes and employment are affected by the need to adapt to climate change and to reduce emissions to levels that avert dangerous climate change. To mitigate the impact of climate change • States must protect the rights of people displaced by the consequences of climate change. • States must ratify the UN Migrant Workers Convention and ILO Conventions C97 and C143(migration for employment 1949 and Migrant workers convention supplementary provision 1975) Public-public partnerships for technology • Technology transfer in the utilities sector and other key sectors should be encouraged and supported. Eg renewable energy and recycling of water, waste products Technology transfer • Sharing of climate friendly technologies to developing countries must be accelerated. • International property rights rules should be changed to allow for transfer of new and existing climate change technologies to developing countries. • Multinational corporations that develop truly cleaner technologies in their home country should maintain the same high standards when investing in developing countries. Democratic deficit • Those who are affected by climate change, including workers, must have meaningful opportunities to be heard and to influence public policy. • There must be effective checks on the huge power of corporate interests WALK THE TALK • To cite a related critique on the ADB’s energy policy from India - on renewable energy and the need for indigenous research - ADB target of 1 bln to 2 bln dollars is meager and shows the lack of will. • It is only sufficient to fund a solar project of roughly 500 MW in India which in turn is equivalent to 100 MW thermal station • Specific renewable technologies are fallacious because some of them may not be relevant to many DMCs Critique contd • There is no specific mention about funding development of indigenous research and without new technological innovation and research not much will happen . • Imported technology have a profit margin of 200 to 300 % • Any increased funding for clean energy without support for indigenous research will only benefit the big MNCs in renewable technologies Natural Disasters an emerging public services issue • Alongside of the climate change issues as challenges to the QPS, this region is facing huge natural disasters recently • The need for the public services felt at every stage whether it is the water or electricity or fire and health services • The public services workers are working in precarious conditions, working round the clock on emergency basis • The recent experience on the massive disaster happened in Japan as this is an emerging trend and caution to governments who are not investing in public services and implementing cuts to the sustainable public services accessible and available to all citizens.