The Times of India: by Subhabrata Guha —
When leaders fail to lead, people take charge and leaders then have to follow, says Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General and Nobel laureate. In an exclusive interview to TOI, Annan expresses optimism that slowly and steadily, the world is gearing up to the challenges of climate change and global warming. He hopes peace and stability are restored in Afghanistan soon and is optimistic about an emerging Africa.
The Elders, a group of political leaders first convened by Nelson Mandela – including Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu and Mary Robinson – used the World Economic Forum in Davos to call for renewed efforts to conclude a global climate pact by the end of 2015 and work toward a “carbon-neutral” planet by 2050.
How far do you think this will be successful given the reluctance of the developed nations to cut down on emission?
Let me tell you about the Elders, convened by Nelson Mandela to use our voices to help protect the poor. We all have been very active given our own independent positions. We were not part of any government. Most of us w Subhaere independently employed. But we decided to engage in discussing global issues and offer advise which governments may or may not be taken.
On climate change, we often don’t fully appreciate that it is a problem. We think it is a problem waiting to happen. We see the floods, we see the droughts. This is a threat to our drinking water, our food, and possibility of having scarce resource. This is where we need to come up with sustainable model of development. There is an end to resources. We have to ensure that carbon emission should be contained. Governments, societies and people have to take tough decisions. We need to make sure that polluters pay. We need to make sure that those who use fossil-fuel pay the cost. We should remove the subsidy from the fossil-fuel because it creates pollution and focus on research and innovations for a renewable source of energy.
Categories: Asia, Crisis, Environment, India, United Nations, World