» Climate Change and Sustainable Development
Climate Change and Sustainable Development
The need for clear thinking and constructive action on the vexed issue of Climate Change has never been greater. America’s threat to withdraw from the Paris Agreement highlights the fragility of international progress. Yet, while politicians talk, the waters of our oceans reach ever higher around the shores of small island states. In some cases, the very future of such nations is in jeopardy, the homes and livelihood of thousands if not millions will be lost.
James Michel has been in the forefront of leaders who have warned of this impending threat. His message to the rest of the world, and his call for action, has been loud and clear:
Climate change… is a crime against humanity. We are all guilty. And we are all victims. But increasingly, SIDS [Small Island Developing States] themselves, are refusing to be victims. James Michel, 23rd September 2014. Read the full speech.
Continuing this campaign, he sees in his Foundation a new opportunity to increase global awareness and encourage a concerted response. He speaks for small island states but he speaks for the rest of the world too. Climate Change will affect us all; it is a global issue. Nor can it be seen on its own, for Climate Change and the idea of Sustainability are inseparable. That is why the Foundation will champion the implementation of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Promoting the adoption of renewable sources of energy and other sustainable practices will show what can be done now to mitigate the impact of rising temperatures and consequent conditions.
Funds are available from various sources, local and international, to support research and practical actions, and the Foundation will provide an effective means to tap into these, within Seychelles and through a wider network. It will create outreach programmes and partnerships with local and international organisations that are equally concerned with these issues and which, like Seychelles, wish to bring tangible benefits to their own communities.