CDKN and its partners yesterday put climate change at the forefront of international development discussions in a high-level auditorium event at European Development Days 2015 in Brussels, Belgium.

The event, chaired by CDKN’s Simon Maxwell, brought together H.E. Mr. Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan, H.E. Mr. Belete Tafere Desta, Minister of Environment of Ethiopia and Stephen King’uyu, Coordinator of Kenya’s National Climate Change Action Plan to share developing country perspectives on what is needed from an international climate deal in Paris later this year. Carmen Monges, a youth representative, spoke of her and her peers’ initiatives to conserve the natural environment and address climate change in her native Paraguay. Anne-Marie Descôtes, Director General of Global Affairs, Development and Partnerships, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France, shared the host country’s vision for the next UNFCCC Conference of the Parties and Jos Delbeke, Director-General, DG Climate Action of the European Commission, presented the EU viewpoint.

“I need you to make a covenant with the planet,” said Mr Maxwell, “we need to work harder, faster to tackle climate change. If we don’t get Paris right and the process right, there will be no development. Then the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) can be thrown out of the window.”

Climate change is not all doom and gloom, said Jos Delbrucke. “If you approach climate change in a creative and constructive manner – job creation, innovation, technology, we have a story to tell,” he said.
Stephen King’uyu stressed that for developing countries: “external support will accelerate the process of doing the right things in adaptation and mitigation – as we have many other cares, such as education” which dominate policy-makers’ agendas.

The event was co-organised with the European Think Tanks Project, DG Clima and IDDRI.
Watch Simon Maxwell’s closing remarks and call to action here:

Catch interviews with Carmen Monges:

Stephen King’uyu:

And Jos Delbecke:

Download images from CDKN's climate session at: http://eudevdays.eu/press/photos

Videos and images courtesy of European Development Days: eudevdays.eu