Welcoming remarks by ADB's Regional and Sustainable Development Department, Republic of Korea Deputy Director General, Woochong Um at the Social Dimensions of Climate Change: Adaptation, Water, Energy and Green Employment Workshop on October 4, 2011
Introduction
Good morning to Mr. Dong-man Han, General-Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Republic of Korea. Good morning to Mr. Jung Tae Yong, Deputy Executive Director, Global Green Growth Institute, and good morning to all delegates, participants and speakers who have come to this important event before the Asia-Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Seoul on 19-20 October.
I am honored to be speaking before you this morning to deliver the welcome remarks. On behalf of the Asian Development Bank, I thank you all for being here.
ADB 20/20 Strategy and role on climate change
Asia and the Pacific is a dynamic region with much diversity, wealth, and change. But it is also burdened with persistent poverty, environmental degradation, inequality, and insecurity.
In the first 40 plus years of operations, ADB faced many developmental challenges in helping our developing member countries. In the next 40 plus years, we are facing a new challenge, one that is perhaps the most difficult ever to be faced: climate change. Many of ADB's developing member countries are among the most vulnerable to the project impacts of climate change.
In response, ADB has identified climate change as one of the key challenges to be addressed to achieve long-term poverty reduction objectives. We established the Strategic Priorities in addressing climate change, which has five key strategic thrusts: (i) scaling up clean energy; (ii) promoting sustainable transport and urban development; (iii) managing land use and forests for carbon sequestration; (iv) building the climate resilience of developing member countries; and (v) strengthening related policies, governance, and institutions.
ADB has made significant progress in mainstreaming climate change in its operations, with financing for both mitigation and adaptation increasing markedly. For example, our clean energy program increased from about $600 million per year in 2005 to over $1.8 billion per year in 2010 and 2011. Under each priority area mentioned earlier, we implemented new initiatives, including a sustainable transport initiative, climate financing, climate-proofing a wide range of projects, and many more – clearly making headway in promoting low-carbon growth in our developing member countries.
Social Dimensions of Climate Change
We are also making some progress in building climate resilience within developing member countries. However, we still have a long way to go if we were to make a real difference in addressing the social impacts of climate change.
The Workshop – Focus on Climate Change
Addressing the social challenges related to climate change is the reason why we are all here today. Responding to climate change is not just about flood control, infrastructure, engineering, and building dikes. It is also about enabling communities to make the significant changes in their lives and daily routines that will be necessary to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Some of those impacts, such as flash floods, may make dramatic headlines, while others, such as temperature increases or declining water availability, are slower to develop but may have very profound long-term consequences, [e.g. new crop pests and diseases, human health, etc.] Climate displacement through both sudden and slow-onset events (such as flash floods, sea level rise, and drought) may be a major social problem in the future. The growing population, including residents of large cities in vulnerable areas of low-lying coastal areas, puts more people at risk each day. Climate-induced migration must be addressed in the broader context of migration more generally, and as part of the development agenda. Policy actions taken now can prevent the emergence of humanitarian cases in years to come.
We also hope the workshop to endeavor into other social issues related to the climate change. New sources of energy will have huge social implications. It will be a challenge to ensure that many people are not excluded from new paradigms, such as in the transitional period as carbon-free technologies mature to become more affordable.
As it stands now though, energy poverty or a lack of access to energy is a major developmental challenge in Asia. As much as there is a risk of future exclusion from carbon-free technologies, we should not forget more than 800 million people in Asia and the Pacific who do not have access to basic electrical services. [About 1.8 billion still depend on traditional biomass for cooking.
Green structural change has huge implications for employment. Millions of people are employed in fossil fuel-related jobs. A big question is whether green growth would replace these jobs, or even lead to a net increase in employment. Changing patterns of employment are likely to comprise another major social dimension of climate change. We have started researching this important subject.
A key factor affecting rising inequality is rapid globalization, which raises skill premiums. Economies need to deepen skills to serve knowledge-based industries, and broaden opportunities for skills development in new and emerging technology areas. A key ingredient to prevent the "middle income trap" as highlighted in ADB's flagship publication "Asia 2050".
A number of studies estimate that by 2030, 100million green jobs will be available worldwide—about 2% of the global workforce. Of these, 50million green jobs are anticipated in Asia and the Pacific. Green stimulus packages after the final crisis led to increased public investment in green infrastructure—public transport, low-carbon energy production, smart electricity grids, energy efficiency of public buildings, and efficient water and sanitation infrastructure—including extensive employment opportunities. These include workers manufacturing fuel-efficient cars, solar panel technicians, green building construction workers, renewable energy factory workers, and green professionals such as energy auditors. Previously attributed to eco-sectors, green jobs now include jobs in industries with greening potential.
The danger of "green washing". Where only nominal support to environmental goals actually provides very poor quality employment, is real. (e.g. poor-quality recycling of electronics leading to exposure to hazardous conditions, poor quality jobs in biofuel/biomass, etc).
Conclusion
To conclude, I would like to emphasize that this workshop aims to be a critical starting point for discussions on social dimensions of climate change in the region. We will need to understand the magnitude of the social impacts of climate change, and develop action plans with appropriate resources behind them. That's why we have invited guests from developing country government ministries of finance and planning.
We firmly believe that participants here today are those who can make decisions and make a difference.
ADB will always be here to support its developing member countries tackle this challenge.
I look forward to the fruitful discussion from all angles and will look forward to a successful outcome.
Thank you.