Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20): Aviva Stadium, 25 October 2011 Ireland’s Overseas Development Programme 1

Outline Irish Aid’s engagement with Rio +20 process –Policy Context –Impact on the poorest –Rio + 20 input –Opportunity or challenge, Ethiopia and it’s CRGE Plan

Policy Background White Paper Environment Policy for Sustainable development Hunger Task Force –Hunger envoy’s Report –White Paper Review Process –The African Strategy

Impacts of Climate change Climate-related disasters – storms, floods, droughts and wildfires – increasing in frequency at an extraordinary rate. ( , ) WB estimate that by 2020 humanitarian expenditure will rise by 50% Up to an additional 250 million in SA suffering from water stress by million people already displaced, islands in Bangladesh, Vanuata and Tuvalu already abandoned. Each year 1 million more people displaced by weather-related events.

Impacts cont. In the 1990s, disaster costs where $652 billion in material losses, 15 times higher than in the 1950s. In the past decade 3 billion people in developing countries were affected by climate related disasters and at twenty times the rate of people in developed countries. Decrease in some rain fed crop yields of 50% in some countries by 2020

Rio + 20 Input Support developing countries efforts towards low carbon climate resilient development Focus on agriculture and food security –70% increase in food production by 2050 –Scaling up our agricultural support –Conservation agriculture / greening agriculture –Social protection, Disaster Risk Reduction and energy

Rio + 20 Input Greening Agriculture (UNEP Green Economy Report) –BAU not an option –Green agriculture can meet food demand –GA will reduce poverty, Production 10% +Pov 7%- –Reduce Waste –Invest in research –Net creator of jobs –Environmental benefits

Rio + 20 Institutional Architecture –Sustainable Development Council under UNGA worth considering –Strengthening UNEP, while ensuring balance across the three pillars

Rio + 20 Revitalise Commitment to sustainable development SMART SDGs, MDGs??

Ethiopia CRGE pulls together adaptation and mitigation into a comprehensive national response under the wider green growth agenda Positioning Ethiopia to meet the challenges and to maximise the opportunities

Ethiopia and it’s role internationally AU and PM Meles Zenawi, voice of Africa Low emitter, High Impact Carbon neutral goal (2025) Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE)

CRGE

Green Economy Potentials

CRGE Timeline

Why CRGE / Green Growth?

Pulling it together

Adaptation (EPACC) Ethiopian Programme of Adaptation to Climate Change 29 components Open ended iterative participatory process Initial sample focus of 64 woredas (12%) to be scaled up to national level Sectoral Plans SCAP

Adaptation Approach

Brief focus on DRR Ensure transportation access to disaster prone areas Develop an insurance scheme for compensation from weather damage Organise and train communities for quick response to extreme weather events Resettle people from disaster prone areas Prepare to receive and cater for CC refugees Develop early warning system for extreme weather events

Mitigation potentials

Mitigation Potentials cont

Thank you!