Norwegian Church Aid has this week travelled to Nairobi, Kenya in order to participate in the UN Climate Change Conference and thus open a new field of thematic focus for the organisation.

"Environmental issues have always been central to Norwegian Church Aid's values, and our position is laid out in our Guiding Principles. But we now see that climate change is creating ever greater challenges for the world's poor, and for those who are involved in work to fight poverty. This is why Norwegian Church Aid's Board has approved a motion to strengthen our competence within environmental issues and anchor this in our development work around the world," says Atle Sommerfeldt, General secretary of Norwegian Church Aid.

Norwegian Church Aid presented a list of challenges and recommendations to the Norwegian Minister for the Environment, Helen Bjørnøy, on Friday 3rd November, just two days before its representatives flew to Nairobi to participate in the UN Climate Change Conference that opens today.

Norwegian Church Aid challenges the Norwegian government to work towards agreement in Nairobi on the following issues:

• The framework for a future climate treaty must focus on a real reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, in accordance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
• The total greenhouse gas emissions from countries that have today committed themselves to reducing their emissions in line with the Kyoto Protocol represent only around 30 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and this relative proportion is sinking. This must form the basis for all efforts to compose a climate treaty or protocol for the period after 2012.
• The existing mechanisms within the Kyoto Protocol do not dot provide adequate incentive for technology transfer at the tempo that is required if developing countries are to be guaranteed access to environmentally friendly energy.
• A future climate agreement must maintain that rich countries' domestic emission reductions represent a considerable proportion of their total emission reductions.

Norwegian Church Aid recommends:

• A framework for a post 2012-agreement: negotiations to bring about a new climate agreement for the period after 2012 must be concluded within 2008 so that it may be ratified in good time before the expiry of the Kyoto Protocol.
• Adaptation Fund: Agreement must be reached on the governing structures for an Adaptation Fund.
• Clean development mechanism (CDM): CDM activities must continue, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable development in developing countries.
• Technology transfer & access to green energy: mechanisms for technology transfer and access to environmentally friendly energy must be strengthened by a new climate agreement, and new, binding instruments for effective and sustainable technology transfer from rich industrialised nations to developing countries must be ensured.

Norwegian Church Aid's Gaim Kebreab and Therese Vangstad will be participating in the UN Conference on Climate Change in Nairobi, Kenya from November 6th – 17th.


For more information, contact:

• Gaim Kebreab, Senior adviser, economic, social and cultural rights, tel.: (+47) 932 42 479 (in Kenya)

• Therese Vangstad, Adviser, development policy, tel.: (+47) 982 46 433 (in Kenya)
• Laurie MacGregor, Press officer, tel.: (+47) 932 42 491 (in Norway)

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