Dear President Obama,
As a resident of South East Asia, the ‘most vulnerable and least prepared region’ to face the ravages of climate change, I call upon you to personally attend the United Nations Climate Summit in Copenhagen this December and force decisions that will change the shape of humanity’s future.
Even as I write this, some parts of our region are reeling under the worst impacts of extreme weather events: typhoons, floods, forest fires, droughts. Climate change will render large parts of our region unfit for agriculture, while scarcity of freshwater water for drinking and irrigation is likely to affect millions of our people in coming decades.
The reality and pace of climate change is far outstripping anything we previously thought. The only way to turn this around is to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions early and cutting it deeply.
Mr. President, we expect you to lead the industrialized countries to commit to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% below 1990 levels.
The G8 contries must agree to allocate at least USD 140 billion per annum to support clean energy and other mitigation activities such as forest protection, and adaptation in developing countries. With this, the ASEAN region can contibute to global mitigation efforts through the protection of its remaining forests.The region is ready for a clean, renewable energy revolution.
Mr. President, we expect you to commit to legally binding, timely and deep emissions reductions that are ambitious, equitable and fair at Copenhagen but we also want you to back your words with the necessary funds for protection of our magnificent natural forests and create a renewable energy revolution, while meeting the needs of the poor.
Yours,