sustainable development
HISTORIC CLIMATE CHANGE AGREEMENT:
A VICTORY FOR THE CZECH REPUBLIC The announcement of an historic agreement to combat climate change after two weeks of intensive negotiations at the recent United Nations summit in Paris was a victory for the Czech Republic and the world. Having attending each of the annual Conferences of the Parties (COPs) since Kyoto in 1998, I was proud and privileged to witness the emotional conclusion of COP 21 when French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who led the talks, lowered his gavel in front of thousands of expectant delegates to declare that a deal had finally been done. Overwhelming emotion swept through the convention hall as hitherto restrained national representatives cheered, hugged, kissed and in some cases even cried with joy after many hours of sleepless negotiations. “The Paris Agreement allows each delegation and group of countries to go back home with their heads held high. Our collective effort is worth more than the sum of our individual effort. Our responsibility to history is immense” said the demonstrably elated Fabius, President of the COP 21 UN climate change conference. No one could avoid the feeling that we were truly observing history in the making. Indeed, I can honestly attest that this was one of the most memorable personal experiences in my life. The Paris Agreement for the first time brings all 195 nations into a common cause aimed A former director of Greenpeace International, Jonathan Wootliff lives in Prague and works throughout the world as a sustainability consultant to business. He chairs the Board of Experts of the Czech Business Council for Sustainable Development. He has consulted many large corporations including BP, Colgate-Palmolive, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble and Whirlpool, and providing counsel to companies on the development of sustainability strategies that benefit the environment, society and business. Among his many activities, he helps companies to resolve disputes, forge productive relationships with non-governmental organizations, and build long-term sustainability strategies. A qualified journalist with a subsequent background in public relations, Jonathan commonly assists companies with their sustainability communications. He can be contacted at jonathan@wootliff.com
at maintaining a global temperature rise this century well below two degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. In underlining the Czech Republic’s commitment to mitigate climate change, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, who flew to Paris ahead of the agreement to help ensure this global deal, declared: “Our greenhouse gas emission level was 34 per cent lower in 2013 compared to the 1990 levels. “Together with the EU and its Member States, we have submitted the Intended National Determined Contribution (INDC) and made an ambitious commitment to further reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990.” French President Francois Hollande told the assembled delegates: “You’ve done it, reached an ambitious agreement, a binding agreement, a universal agreement. Never will I be able to express more gratitude to a conference. You can be proud to stand before your children and grandchildren.” In addition to introducing significant measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Paris Agreement will strengthen the world’s ability to deal with the impacts of climate change. And to achieve these ambitious and important goals, every nation concurred with the need for appropriate financial flows will be put in place, thus making stronger action by developing countries and the most vulnerable possible, in line with their own national objectives. In my numerous articles about climate change for this publication, I have always contended that this is the single most important issue facing humanity. As an intense follower of the climate change issue over many years, it’s easy for me to understand the severe consequences if our governments failed to demonstrate a commitment for combatting the problem. Certainly the prospect of climate change causing significant increases in the cost of beer, or indeed no beer at all will have resonance to ordinary Czechs. A recent survey revealed that a majority of Czech hop growers are directly experiencing the consequences of climate change which is beginning to have adverse effects on production. The agricultural sector is particularly exposed to climatic change. Agricultural practices are climate-dependent and yields vary over years depending on shorter term weather patterns.
There is growing evidence that changes in temperatures and rainfall patterns are affecting the yield of many crops, and subsequent food production and indirectly effect changes in water availability. In the Ústí region of the Czech Republic, hop cultivation is a longstanding and traditional agricultural production activity, accounting for more than 73 percent of the nation’stotal production. Here, the majority of hop growers believe that global climate change is potentially threatening their livelihoods and that both yields and quality are being compromised. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has discovered that even with relatively modest warming which they say has so far been experienced in the country, hop yields have stagnated and quality has declined. As important as beer may be, the serious impacts that climate change is having on the nation’s food crops should be a cause for even greater concern. It is measures now promised by government to help farmers adapt to these changes that will help to reduce the risk of severe increase in food prices and even the potential for bankruptcies in the agricultural sector. Environment Minister, Richard Brabec, who headed up the country’s negotiating team at the Paris conference said: “Like other countries the Czech Republic has experienced many floods and long-lasting droughts causing severe and irreversible damage. “Therefore, we have prepared a comprehensive National Adaptation Strategy, which was adopted just a few weeks ago. This strategy reflects scientific findings, informs about possible negative impacts and proposes adaptation measures in many affected areas.” No nation on earth can escape the consequences of climate change. While breathing a sigh of relief that our politicians have finally woken up to the threats and have committed to taking steps to tackle the problem, we must now ensure that government keeps its eye on the ball. The Paris Agreement was a victory for Czech farmers and the nation as a whole, but we cannot afford for current or future governments to weaken their resolve. By Jonathan Wootliff
CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS I/2016
67