Climate Change Must Become Part Of Security Agenda: Wwf

The World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) International called on governments to come up with urgent and universally binding agreements and increase ambition for sustainable fight with climate change ahead of the upcoming COP21 climate summit to take place in Paris, during the G20 Leaders Summit.

Samantha Smith, WWF-International, Global Climate and Energy Initiative Lead told Doğan News Agency, "We want a world where we do not burn coal for power and gather transport which does not depend on oil" stressing this was necessary for people's health, nature and the climate, at the G20 Summit in Turkey's Antalya to end tomorrow.

The "For the Climate" Campaign has released a press statement calling the G20 to act for climate, on Nov. 15.

Accordingly, Samantha Smith called on for an increase in the amount of cut in carbon pollution and boost of financial and technological solutions.

"Positive things have been happening for the emission problem, on the other hand the world of energy finds solutions like solar power and wind power which have become much cheaper, around 80 percent over the last 4-5 years" she added.

G20 has opportunity to phase out fusil fuel subsidies

Limiting global warming to no more than two degrees has been a target for climate change activists.

According to Smith, the summit will be a turning point in this sense. "If we do not have rapid, urgent actions within the next five years, we cannot reach this target" she stressed.

G20 has an opportunity to phase out fossil fuel subsidies polluting the planet, she said.

Smith also suggested getting rid of fossil fuel subsidies and using the money to help the poor would be something very concrete that G20 countries could do to support the COP21 Conference.

"World consider climate agenda out of security agenda"

Samantha Smith also urged, "We understand climate change not as part of a security agenda, there is enough of the security agenda already. We understand climate change and COP21 as a place for peace and freedom, instead. It must become part of a bigger agenda of security and militarization. This way, we would see how people and governments could work together in a peaceful way."

Draught, rural-urban immigration and starvation caused by climate change will affect more people and lead to war, added the project coordinator for a Turkish environmental foundation.

Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats (TEMA) project coordinator Cem Aydın said climate change would lead to wars due to displacement and food crises, as people would become more fragile in draughts.

"Climate change will lead to war"

"Climate change might seem like a distant issue for us, but we are already living with it. Due to increasing draught, people will become more fragile, displaced and food crises will erupt. And we think that those factors will bring war. Therefore, a climate conference is a peace conference" said Aydın, speaking to Doğan News Agency.

Aydın said wars could be prevented if countries come to an agreement before those problems emerge.

Meanwhile, Aydın also warned there has been too much fossil fuel encouragement in Turkey, urging countries to lift those encouragements.

"Therefore, renewable energy could reach competitive levels" Aydın said, adding Turkey should make developments in renewable energy resources.