Climate Change
| 'Climate change threatens to undermine decades of work to reduce poverty. We must all act with urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the scientific evidence, or we face a frightening future. At the same time, hundreds of millions of the women, men and children who live in extreme poverty are already feeling the effects of climate change and need increased assistance.' |
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Dr. Julia Newton-Howes, CEO CARE Australia
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Many of the world’s poorest women and men are living in the harshest and most disaster-prone environments. Changing weather patterns are having a disproportionate impact on these communities and their livelihoods.
Prolonged droughts, shorter and more intense rainy seasons and unpredictable cyclones are just some of the impacts of climate change affecting people and communities where we work.
In some areas land, property, ecosystems and communities will be affected to such an extent that a return to normal life will not be possible. In extreme cases, countries will permanently lose territory to climatic disasters and rising sea levels.
Current commitments to reduce emissions are out of step with the scientific urgency of tackling climate change. We are likely to overshoot the critical 2°C threshold, putting the planet on a 4 to 6°C pathway of global warming. In some cases the impacts on food and water security, livelihoods and health will be devastating. Women are at particular risk of harm, and have a valuable role to play in our responses to climate change.
CARE Australia is responding to the significant challenge posed by climate change through our programming in developing countries, through advocating globally for a fair, ambitious and legally binding global agreement and by taking responsibility for our own emissions of greenhouse gases.
Advocacy
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Programming
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Taking responsibility
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CARE has been actively participating in the global negotiations for a new agreement to tackle climate change.
The annual United Nations Climate Change Conferences are the main forum for this, and was most recently held in
Doha, Qatar
(26 November – 7 December 2012).
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CARE and its partners work closely with women in their programming to identify solutions that are appropriate and effective for them and their families.
Two current areas of focus are climate change adaptation and carbon finance projects.
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CARE Australia has an active Green Team that aims to reduce carbon emissions in our Australian offices by 40% by 2015.
Recent analysis indicates we are on track to achieve our goal through reduced flight emissions, offsets, GreenPower and other initiatives.
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Powerful Hands
Those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change are not victims of climate change they are agents of change.
Powerful Hands shows how poor women, men and children are learning, preparing, and planning the best they can as the world changes around them, even when it's not enough.
Watch Powerful Hands to be inspired to use your own hands in ways that help the planet and its people.
For more information visit www.careclimatechange.org/hands
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