OSCE parliamentarians issue urgent plea to tackle climate emergency

COPENHAGEN, 8 November 2021 – Halfway through the 26th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP26) taking place in Glasgow, the leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s economic and environmental committee, together with its envoys on Arctic issues and Sustainable Development Goals, have issued a “Parliamentary Plea for Resolute Climate Action.”

The statement notes that realizing the vision of comprehensive security championed by the OSCE is not possible without addressing the climate crisis. “There can be no politico-military, economic-environmental, or human security without climate security,” according to the Parliamentary Plea. Therefore, it urges national leaders to put short-sighted interests aside and take decisive action to mitigate and adapt to the crisis and protect the citizens.

The Plea emphasizes that the international community should urgently redirect co-operative efforts towards shaping a more sustainable, carbon-neutral development model in which environmental, economic, social and public health factors are duly factored in. Accordingly, it underscores the need to utilize the best available science and accelerate technological innovation for the common good of the planet and all people living on it, thereby promoting economic growth and countering poverty. The parliamentarians also call for:

• drastic reductions in emissions of greenhouse gasses,
• development of effective adaptation strategies,
• mobilization of the necessary financial resources and
• international collaboration across the board.

In particular, the Parliamentary Plea urges OSCE governments to commit to progressively ambitious emission reduction targets through realistic Nationally Determined Contributions in line with capping temperature increases at 1.5 degrees, boosting the low-carbon energy transition, promoting energy efficiency, and prioritizing green energy technologies, including by sharply reducing public subsidies to the fossil fuel industry. “While preventing energy and production bottlenecks, the transition should promote more resilient, diversified, accessible and affordable energy for all human needs”, the statement says, effectively leaving no one behind.

It also urges governments to take adaptation measures such as enhancing early warning systems and improving disaster preparedness and response, as well as scale up the level of public and private investments towards sustainable development priorities, including through well-regulated “green finance” schemes.

Finally, the document stresses the critical role played by parliamentarians in addressing the crisis, including by adopting relevant legislation, mobilizing adequate resources, promoting public participation, creating ross-regional responses, and ensuring that international commitments are consistently being met in the interest of all individuals. “As bridges between citizens and their institutions, we realize that our contribution is more critical than ever,” the Plea concludes.

The statement, posted today on the OSCE PA’s website, was signed by Pere Joan Pons Sampietro (MP, Spain), Artur Gerasymov (MP, Ukraine), Gudrun Kugler (MP, Austria) – the Chair, Vice-Chair and Rapporteur, respectively, of the OSCE PA’s General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment. It was also endorsed by OSCE PA Special Representative on Arctic Issues Bryndis Haraldsdottir (MP, Iceland) and Special Representative on Sustainable Development Goals Askar Shakirov (MP, Kazakhstan).

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning, Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

For the full text of the Parliamentary Plea for Resolute Climate Action, please click here.