The conclusions reached by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change demonstrate the shortcomings of our system of global governance and show the need for change. Global warming is more than a distant, future threat. It is an immediate challenge. The spread of droughts and crop failures – aggravating the global food crisis – and the intensification of extreme climate events present serious economic, social and human threats.

The poorest and most vulnerable countries – which contribute the least to these phenomena – are, and will continue to be, the hardest hit. Climate change is, therefore, a complex problem that requires global action, taken urgently and in a spirit of solidarity.